The 40mm lens has an extremely rich history in film and is used (almost) only by a handful of filmmakers.
much like a sought after 28mm focal lengththe 40mm lens offers an intangible quality—albeit for entirely different reasons.
28mm lenses are slightly wider than the natural viewing angle of our eyesight, which adds a layer of stylization that can work wonders. They distort reality by manipulating your perceptions just a little, enough to transport you into another world.
However, the 40mm lens does exactly the opposite. They create the most realistic perspective – one that’s nearly identical to human vision. The 35mm focal length is generally considered the most “normal” lens. But according to many DPs (and I agree with them), 40mm is actually the closest to our field of view. At least when paired with a Super 35mm camera.
Of course, you don’t always want to recreate reality exactly, but when you do, 40mm is usually your best choice. The ultimate example is the late Gordon Willis.
Gordon Willis
For those who need a refresher on some film history: Gordon Willis was an Academy Award-winning cinematographer known for his work on countless feature films, including all the president’s people and godfather Trilogy, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
His aesthetic is very unique, but it’s not because his shots are overly stylized. He’s known for keeping stories at the forefront of the audience’s experience and finding ways to keep the camera out of the way.
He often relied on what became known as the “Gordy Forty” – a 40mm lens to shoot the entire film.
By shooting everything with a single lens (and choosing the most natural focal length), the viewer never feels manipulated. Every shot feels lifelike and real, rarely taking the focus away from the scene.
It’s an impact that viewers feel, even if they don’t realize it.
But Gordon is certainly not the only DP to use the 40mm focal length. It has been used extensively (and in some cases exclusively) in many famous films over the decades.
Film shot entirely with 40mm lens
Thousands of movies have used 40mm lenses to capture a single shot or scene, but a handful of movies have been shot entirely using the 40mm focal length.
Below are 6 examples of videos shot at least 95% with a single 40mm lens. There are almost certainly other films that could be included, but most are not as well documented as the following 6:
- Chinatown
- royal tenenbaum
- Rushmore
- son of saul
- godfather
- 1917
Although these films both exclusively used 40mm lenses, they have very different looks. Differences in lens type (anamorphic/spherical) and shooting format (large format/super 35) completely change the effect produced by any lens.
Several films on this list, such as “1917,” which was shot on the Alexa large format, definitely deviate from the classic 40mm look that Gordon Willis and others were going for. To me, this is where the real magic of 40mm is, where it shines.
But the versatility of 40mm is undeniable. It’s somewhere in the middle in the best way, making it usable on almost any format or aspect ratio (even capturing entire feature films). This is part of the reason why it’s used as the only lens for a variety of project types.
If you are an owner/operator, it is a very worthwhile focal length to have. Especially if you have multiple cameras with different capture formats.
Pair with Super 35mm for the most natural look, with large format for wide angle shots, and with Super 16 for telephoto shots.
Right now I’m shooting a feature film entirely using one lens. But I used a 50mm focal length. you can Read more about the project here.
Anamorphic widescreen comparison. spherical
It’s worth noting the difference in field of view between an anamorphic 40mm lens and a spherical 40mm lens. This is one of the main factors that differentiates the look of the aforementioned films.
Like other anamorphic lenses, a 40mm anamorphic lens will produce a wider image than a spherical lens. The de-squeezing of anamorphic widescreen also brings about many other differences – from the appearance of bokeh to the field of view. Overall, anamorphic lenses are more stylized than spherical lenses, but there are some exceptions.
The above list of films includes films shot in anamorphic and spherical 40mm. This is why you see clear visual differences between movies, e.g. Chinatown or Troyal tenenbaum family (deformation) and godfather or 1917 (spherical).
Both types of lenses can certainly produce beautiful visuals, but the aesthetics will be significantly different. Not to mention the impact on you aspect ratio.
For DPs like Gordon Willis who want the most natural look, a 40mm spherical lens is the best choice.
40mm glass on Super 35
Many 40mm lenses are available for use with a variety of film formats or sensor sizes – from Over 16mm to full frame. But for the most “honest” look, I recommend pairing a 40mm lens with the Super 35 recording format. Again, this is the sweet spot.
Most classic films were shot with a 40mm spherical lens (e.g. godfather) was shot on 35mm motion picture film. That’s how Gordon Willis shot his movies, and it’s certainly what he felt was the most natural pairing.
On a full frame sensor, a 40mm lens looks more like a 28mm lens on a Super 35. On a Micro Four Thirds sensor, a 40mm lens looks more like an 80mm telephoto lens.
As mentioned above, this makes the 40mm lens super versatile, which is nice. But if you’re after the classic 40mm natural beauty, you certainly need to take the crop factor (or lack thereof) into account.
You can try simulating a 40mm film look by using a 60mm lens on a full-frame camera, or shoot with a 30mm lens on a Micro Four Thirds camera. Both will give you an “equivalent” 40mm field of view. But the results will never be exactly the same.
If you really want to capture the most classic 40mm look, pair the lens with a camera that records in Super 35.
What are your thoughts on the 40mm focal length? Please leave a comment below!
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