For those of you who follow this blog regularly, you know that achieving a cinematic look when shooting digitally is very important to me and something I write about frequently. my latest articles “How to make a video look like a movie” Outlines a number of basic techniques that, once implemented, can greatly help improve your digital cinematography and really make it more film-like. But I didn’t go into detail about lens choice in that article, specifically wide angle versus telephoto.
Probably one of the biggest misconceptions about achieving a cinematic look is that telephoto lenses and shallow depth of field are necessary components of it. Ever since 5D technology came out and extremely shallow depth of field became easily achievable, almost every low-budget independent film has gone down the path of shooting a lot of long, shallow depth-of-field shots in an attempt to make their film “more cinematic.” But ironically, because so many filmmakers over the past 5 years have become obsessed with the ultra-shallow depth of field effect and taken it to the extreme, it’s now become a thing of the past to make it with a DSLR (or maybe even a DSLR) One of the biggest giveaways of the movie. Unfortunately, shooting with wider lenses (and even with some stock lenses like 35mm) has become a lost art. This is a real shame because the 28mm wide-angle lens is one of the most commonly used lenses in the history of film, so one of the keys to unlocking the look of a film when shooting digitally is the 28mm wide-angle lens.
Before we discuss the seemingly magical 28mm focal length, it’s important to realize why shooting long shots/shallow depth of field throughout a movie can be far from cinematic.
Any 35mm film camera is capable of achieving extremely thin depth of field in any situation. But how many blockbusters or big independent films can you remember where the rest of the shot teetered on the edge of being out of focus like so many micro-budget films do? Every film is different and every DP has his or her own way of working, but generally speaking, most substantial films are shot between f4 – f8 most of the time. Shooting at this aperture allows for optimal lens performance and smoother focus, which is very different from shooting wide open at 1.4 aperture on a full-frame digital SLR camera. Of course, for inserts, extreme close-ups, low-lights, and other special shots, shooting wide open may be necessary or the right choice in many situations—but not for the majority of the film.
So what is the correct focal length for the rest of the movie? Where is the sweet spot? Ultimately it’s up to the filmmaker, but for many, the 28mm lens is the secret ingredient. In fact, Spielberg, Scorsese, Orson Welles, Malick, and many other A-list directors consider the 28mm lens one of their most used lenses, and in some cases their favorite . While on paper it may not look or sound like the most exciting lens choice, keep in mind that the 28mm lens has been the gold standard for shooting movies for over a century, being used to capture some of the Most famous moments. If you really want to imitate the look of a movie, then a 28mm lens is a focal length that you simply cannot ignore.
When we watch a movie, we want an experience that mimics reality in many ways, but is also fantastical and surreal. This is where lenses like the 28mm come into play. It’s just off center. Just a little wider than our normal field of view, but not so wide that it’s distracting. It’s so different from “normal” focal lengths like 50mm that we subconsciously feel like we’re in a new world, but it’s also close enough to reality that we don’t get disoriented by any noticeable distortion. Choose, for example, 12mm. Conversely, shooting with a medium telephoto lens (such as a 65mm) will also move away from the center of our normal field of view, but it will never be as versatile as a 28mm lens. If you have to shoot an entire movie with a single lens, it’s much easier to use 28mm than 65mm, unless you’re shooting something very specific. The 28mm lens allows you to capture wide-angle, close-up, landscape and more photos while maintaining a unique and original look. In some situations, 65mm can put you in a difficult position, making setting up, prime, or medium and wide angle shots quite difficult. That said, a normal focal length like 35mm or 50mm seems to be the more natural choice since that field of view is closest to human vision, but the ability of 28mm to add a bit of surrealism to the picture is exactly what we want.
The last thought I want to leave you with is that shooting with a wide angle lens is a great way to ensure that you as a DP or director are not slacking off. If your scene is poorly lit or in a crappy location, it’s easy to just use a long lens and frame all the ugly stuff. Blur the background and get a pretty good image. But that’s not always the answer, and often it’s the easy way out and doesn’t yield the best results. You can’t fool yourself in every shot, and you especially shouldn’t try to use a long lens for convenience if your scene doesn’t require it. By shooting with a wider lens, you’re forced to think more thoroughly about your lighting, composition, and production design. This is a very good thing for many independent filmmakers who often save money in these areas. Personally, I prefer to shoot shots with beautiful art direction and lots of detail using a wide-angle lens and deep depth of field, rather than shooting with a long lens and shallow depth of field because the environment basically disappears into the bokeh.
The bottom line is, there are no shortcuts to achieving a cinematic look. The only way to truly achieve the look you’re going for is by following the practices that have been used and implemented in film since the early days of cinema, one of which is utilizing a 28mm lens. Yes, it may mean setting up more lights, carefully blocking out the scene, and taking time to art direct so that you can shoot with a wider lens and still capture a beautiful image, but once you put in the extra time and energy, you’ll find you’ll be glad you did.
Keep in mind that in order to simulate the magical 28mm field of view, these lenses are best suited for cameras equipped with Super 35mm sensors, or APS-C in DSLR terminology. 28mm lenses on full frame cameras will provide significantly wider focal lengths than the examples above, conversely on cameras with larger crops (such as MFT cameras) they will translate to longer focal lengths.
A 28mm lens on a Super 35mm sensor is really the sweet spot, so if you’re using a full frame camera or a sensor with a lot of crop, you’ll want to look for a lens that offers 28mm, taking the crop into consideration.
Here’s a rough guide to what focal lengths you might want to look for on several popular sensors:
full frame – 40mm
Super 35mm – 28mm
micro four thirds – 20mm
Over 16mm – 14mm
Below are three 28mm focal length lenses that I recommend.
#1 – SIGMA 28MM F1.8 – B&H $449
It’s the perfect choice for shooters who need a faster 28mm lens for low-light shooting.
#2 – Zeiss 28MM F2.0 – B&H $1283
An excellent and sharp Zeiss lens that is well built and worth the higher price for those looking for a long term solution.
#3 – Nikon Nikkor 28MM F2.8 Manual Lens – B&H $539
Perfect for Nikon shooters or any photography instructor who prefers Nikon glass. The lens offers full manual control in a rugged body while producing gorgeous images.
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