As a photographer slowly doing more video, I’m really starting to appreciate these 3 focal lengths, and how something like an 85 is just too tight for most video situations. 50mm is plenty for nice tight shots, and the 24mm is my favorite overall
Love all of the practical examples you give and the storytelling aspect. So many camera lens videos are just about bokeh, price, or focus speed, but not this. Excellent job!
It's 20, 50 and 85 for me. 20 for wide, 50 for medium and 85 for close up shots. Been rocking this 3 focal length for nearly 5 years and it's really versatile for me. But if I only got to choose two lenses, I'm gonna pick 35 and 85.
For whatever reason my 35 hasn’t got much love from me. I use a lot of 24,50,85. You have inspired me to start using my 35 again! I have really enjoyed filming more wide lately, too. Great points and video, thanks!!
Great video! I think it sometimes depends on what you’re shooting too. If people expect to have cameras pointing at them then getting closer up is an easy option. Love the 35mm. I’m a 35/85 kind of guy. If doing something where most people don’t know how to act with cameras I go to a littler longer focal lengths.
Bravooo, I loved your shoots. And Balanced light-color. I think you are gifted. in 62 old year, İ am trying to explore 24 mm. With 24 mm -one shot, as if story is told already, image is created, no need second shot.
I use my 40mm and 85mm lenses maybe 80% of the time, but I mostly do photo. For video, I agree that 24 - 35 - 50 is the best combo. 85mm when doing video starts to be a bit too long to easily focus and keep steady. It's doable but 50mm works much better while still being flattering for faces.
If you're on a budget, a 24-105 f4 Zoom will do just fine. You get a 24, 35, 50, 70, 85 and 105mm with constant f4 aperture (which is plenty for nice subject separation above 50mm) and never have to change lenses. I barely shoot wide open video anyway.
I have the 24-105 f4 (got it with the fx6 as a kit lens) and agree it’s a great lens for the reasons you point out. For someone who shoots wide open quite often though, I really like primes with higher apertures.
Agreed. The 24-105 is a beautiful super versatile lens. Especially because of the OSS. For prime shooting, I also have the Sony 35mm 1.8, Zeiss 55mm 1.8 and The Sony 90mm OSS. It's all I need for the FX6 and FX30.
Here you go Will at year 2024. Just started with Sigma lenses and went for 35 F2 as my first on a 35 - real sharp and focus snappy. Also got a 65 F2 and with that extra 15 from 50 gives great bokeh and color rendering. And surprisingly this Sigma 17 F4 is sharp from center to corners for a wide lens. I went for 3 compact and durably made lenses to pair with A7C2. Thanks for being a believer brother who makes quality sample photos and videos. Keep them coming.
I wanted to say "3 lenses" but time stamp shows 4! 😆 And then I saw - 24, 35 and 50. Yup - that's what I would go with too. With a potential 4th one (niche use) at 16mm to 20mm range depending on what's available (Canon has 16mm 2.8 RF, Nikon has the 20mm).
I agree. I started out by purchasing a 24-70mm which I think I will always need because it covers all of these focal lengths. My ideal position would be to own these as primes too. I think 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm are all great for filming people and situations while maintaining a close relationship with the subject. They are also good lenses for adding movement, ie. handheld parallax shots, etc. with minimal shake. Beyond 50mm, camera movements which I usually do quite well start to fall apart in terms of polish and consistency.
This video came across my page while looking for 50mm lens review for my ZVE1. Sony came out a new lens no which consist of your three focal length, Sony 24-50mm g lens. I guess, if i want one lens for the suggested focal length, i might as well just get this new sony lens as it is cheaper than GMII and lighter for my setup.😊
For me is 20, 35 and 50! 20 over 24 because I get a that lil much wider that’s all but I agree with you 1,000 I can go an entire day on 35mm and forget about the world.. I’m obsessed with the 35mm look, I can make it wide and I can make it close and Sony 35mm f1.8 with that smooth and almost zero breathing while focusing… Man I can talk about 35mm for days but I won’t lol.. great video!!!
I am using the 50mm for video always over the 85mm. However the best portrait lens is the 85mm for stills. 85mm is good for practical shots, fillers in a video with close up.
I found the opposite. The majority of what folks are offering up as focal ranges on primes are from 20, 24, 35, 40, 45, 50, 65 and 85. Then perhaps something longer if needed. When I’m doing documentary work in the jungles of Guatemala, there are two lenses I’m traveling with. The first being the Sigma Art 24-70mm f/2.8, which covers the range of preferred primes mentioned, and the Sigma Art 135mm f/1.8. That pretty much covers everything needed. Now, I just purchased the FF version of the 18-35 f/1.8, Sigma’s Art lens with a 28-45mm f/1.8 reach and that potentially could replace the 24-70 while providing a faster f/1.8, as many primes offer, but we’ll see. Each person and each shoot is job specific. And you of course recognize that. Fantastic video! Great job presenting content in an engaging and entertaining way.
What a treat this video was. I loved seeing your STUNNING footage and your thought process behind each of them. I wasn't expecting your focal range to stay inside of 24-50 but you made a heck of a case! I have a 20mm, 35, and 85 - and a 28-70 zoom. I can't quite bring myself to get a 50mm even though I do really love the focal length. The new 50mm 1.4 has my eye though! Perhaps an understated consideration is that an 85mm requires so much space from your subject to shoot when indoors, and I bet that gets hard in tight spaces like a Crossfit or even a talking head video. Great time to bust out a 50mm to get compression and that depth of field without needing so much space.
Really appreciate it Mark, thanks for the kind words. Great point at the end, as you’re right in saying because of tight spaces, it makes it hard to use the 85 well. Love your lens selection too.
absolutely beautiful footage, and very informative video! also not too long and straight to the point. Love that it doesn't focus so much on camera types and just on focal lengths!
I have 24, 35, and 50mm prime lenses that I can use on full-frame, APS-C, or micro 4/3 cameras. However, my full-frame cameras do not do video. I do most of my video with APS-C digital cameras with two zoom lenses and three prime lenses. The 16-55mm f/2.8 and the 50-140mm f/2.8 are the two zoom lenses I use. A 12mm f/2 or 12mm f/2.8 wide-angle, a 55mm f/3.5 macro or 105mm f/2.8 macro, and an optional long telephoto lens are the only three prime lenses I need to use for video.
35mm FF or 24mm S35 in a 2:35:1 aspect ratio is my favourite frame. Its gives you the face dimension of a 50mm ff and the wide background of the 35mm FF.
It's quite interesting this concept you referred of cinematic mode crop also giving the compression of a higher focal range, I hadn't thought about it but it makes complete sense. This 1.32x crop means that the 35mm cinematic ratio ends up with a equiv 46mm compression look. Even though the bokeh (because of cropping) doesn't match so well, it's still very impressive :)
So it ends up making the real advantage of the anamorphic lens the bokeh gain. This providing that they have the same be apperture, because spherical 24mm F1.4 cropped would have more bokeh than an anamorphic 35mm F2.9. And the anamorphic resolution is only advantageous in the sense that vertical pixels get more oversampled, since the horizontal ones lose quality on the 1.33x stretch, and I believe that's less useful that the possibility of where you to make the cinematic crop on the spherical lens, giving you better framing control in post.
Great video and close to my own recommendations. I'm working on S35 (2 Canon C300 mark III bodies) and for me, a 28, 35 and 50 are all I use. I have two of the 50s as those are used on talking head, 2 camera setups. I'm a bit of a rarity in as much as I now only use primes as a documentary filmmaker whereas many swear by zooms. The general argument is that zooms mean you'll miss less shots, but I tend to use my feet to get closer if I need to, and so far haven't missed anything. Used to use the Sigma ART 18-35 f1.8 and 50-100 f1.8, but I honestly much prefer working with primes now. I genuinely don't believe the myth of missing shots and this necessitating the use of zooms in documentary.
Yeah, I agree you can get pretty much everything with those lenses, except where there are specialized requirements. If you shoot a lot of video where you pretty much have full mobility with your subject then its easy to adjust. If you're in a situation like a show that has an audience and you can't be up in front blocking the audience, then a good zoom is your friend. That's what's funny so many "new" shooters show up to gigs with their sony and 24 or 35mm on a gimbal and that's great for certain shoots but shows, weddings, things where you need to stay out of the way completely blows them out of the water. So I always keep a good healthy zoom telephoto for such circumstances.
Great video 👌🏼 I shoot 90% on the Sony Zeiss 55/1.8 and the other 10% with the Zeiss Loxia 35/2. I’ve been looking into getting an 85 or 105 thinking I needed tighter but this video convinced me I need the 24 asap. Thanks for the insight!
Like your video. And I love the 24mm. Also for interviews. It would be my only lens if I had to pick one. I started with only the 24-105mm. And after the 24mm I bought the 55mm and changed to the 50mm 1.4. Now I only use the 24 and 50 combo (35 and 75 in crop). On occasion for more reach the 24-105.
Great insightful suggestions indeed. Added to which, minimalism is freeing when it comes to filmmaking. Our brain will begin to find solutions which perhaps otherwise it wouldn't, if we had a ton of gear to choose from.
i love my 501.2 its a beast but dang for low light and and separating your subject its just awesome.. for wide i use my 20mm2.8 and i do use my 851.8 but not often for video.
I love my 35mm f/1.2. I have shot so much with it, I agree it is the sweet spot. I have an upcoming documentary type shoot and the 35mm will be a good portion. My B-roll will be 24mm F1.4. I’m renting that lens for this shoot. I prefer the 35mm over any fixed focal length so I purchased that first.
Personally i love 24mm and 40mm, kinda odd but i love croping my photos to 4x3 so the end result kinda looks like 28mm and 50mm respectively, or for me at least. Recently i have been experimenting with aspect ratios and negative spaces. 😊
It really depends on the people for me. Professionals, sure they are use to cameras being close, but even then people have their comfort levels. In photography, I learned to be discreet and I try and do that with video, give people room to breath.
Thanks! Very nice. PolarPro basecamp system or Peter Mckinnon Variable ND 2-5 stop www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1601822-REG/polarpro_82_2_5_vnd_ed2_pmvnd_signature_edition_ii.html
Your suggestions are spot on for primes. On another note and more all around video friendliness.. I keep the 24mm to 70mm GM II zoom on at almost all times. It allows me to always be in the mode, but for interviews it is nice to slap on the 35 and 50mm primes fo sho! Question: Where are you shooting? Montana? That's where I'm located.
Man I really need to spend more time with the 24-70, I know it’s a great lens, I’ve just never loved shooting on zooms. A lot of these shots were in southern Colorado, but I did have a big shoot up in Glacier and Kalispell last year. Where in Montana are you?
hey man, great video, loved the content, your story telling and the tone of your voice is very relaxing which goes really well with the overall vibe of the video, keep it up! I just subscribed :D
Greetings from Northumberland. Great video and channel - subbed :) My current prime list runs: 14, 24, 50, 85, 100. And I have a bunch of zooms 🤐. But i'll often limit myself to 3 lenses for certain shoots. Keep it up!
24 1.4 on a7vi is the only lens I need for what I do. With the crop it becomes similar to a 35mm. Very small minimum focussing distance makes it the most versatile lens for me. Got the 50 1.2 after hesitating for a very long time about 2 months before the 1.4 was announced and now wish I had waited a bit longer. Beautiful lens but a) I cannot shot with this lens handheld with apse crop/60fps as minimal movement get so exaggerated and b) it's so heavy I will have to get a stronger gimbal to actually be able to shoot with it in a ways to avoid jitters and shakes, so I end up shooting everything with the 24mm anyway :D
24mm is usable like totally outdoor, not very versatile for street and urban setting as I do, but you don't shoot that open with wide anyway, I tend to use wide zoom. Prime only standard or slightly longer.
I dont know about 50 but the sony ziess 55 1.8 is pretty cool. I dont know if its because the 50 is too hyped or some thing cause I dont like it but as soon as it goes alittle bit more than 50 like the 55 or even the 60, im okay with that. also rather have the 20 instead of the 24. I want a wider field of view but can crop in if I need. I will agree with the 35 cause I dont know. everything looks magical at 35mm. I use my zoom lens alot at 35.
My three lenses (on Sony): Sigma 14-24mm 2.8, Rokinon 35-150mm f2-2.8, and Sigma 50mm 1.4. The Rokinon gives me both reach and a second prime, a 35mm f2. The only other prime I want is a Sigma dg dn version of 105mm 1.4 which hasnt come out yet.
The 35-mm recommendation is based on the full-frame system. So, on the MFT system, a 35-mm full-frame equivalent focal length would be 17.5 mm. With that 0.71x speed booster added though, it would be 24 mm I guess.
Looking at Your pictures is very pleasant 👌 good work 👏 I'm Canon shooter but it never mind... 🤔 My fav lens if i had choose between I have - 35/50/85/105 ...would be "nifty-fifty" 😉 Old EF50/1.2 renders creamy soft picture which i like and not have to use extra filters to get softness 👌 BTW what filters do U use? 🧐
Excelllent shots ! I'm actually switching from the Canon R6 and R to the FX3 and ZVE1 As far as lenses go, my 35mm usually sits on my camera and I also carry a 20mm and 85mm so that when I switch lenses I really feel like i didnt swap for nothing, there is a huge difference of perspective so it encourages me more to remove the 35... why do you prefer the 24 over the 20 ? I might also like the look of the 24 better but the 20mm makes more sense i feel if I come across a real estate shoot or if i'm in a very tight space... (also everybody rave about the 16mm so 24 might be too much, considering I have the 35.)
Out of all your footage, the ones I loved the most were the ones shot with an 85mm lens. It's such a great focal length for me. Right now, I'm using a 24mm and an 85mm, but I'm considering getting a 50mm lens next.
I think, at the end, whatever the lens you have in hand you will get the job done. But, if you have to choose strategicly 3 lenses, it's not gonna easy to make the decision. Or just for me. But, I had the only one lens before, the Lunix 42,5mm f1.7 (85mm equiv.) on my Panasonic Gh4 and I was very happy. Hmm!🤔 But If I have to choose 3 lens, I would choose: 20mm, 50mm & 85mm at F1.8 aperture all tres, I'll be fine. But, if I could get 35mm aperture a F1.2, I would choose: 20mm f1.8, 35mm f1.2 & 85mm F1.8. It would be great!😍 But, to choose just one lens, and go to get the job done, I think a 50mm F1.2 would be My better choice.
Super helpful video! I'm looking at lenses for an aps-c sensor. I really like the 35mm you showcased (I assume you have a full frame camera), so would a 23mm aps-c prime lens give the same effect?
If it's 24/35/50 you are after, wouldn't it just make sense to get the new 24-70 GMii? That's what I did recently and I'm serious considering selling many of my primes because the zoom lens is soooo good.
Great point. If you shoot on zooms, makes perfect sense to go that way. A lot of my shoots involve multiple cams, so I need several lenses which give different looks. I personally prefer primes over zooms as well. If you work well with zooms, do it! Because you're right, that lens is killer.
Great video and very interesting approach. The only lens I consider buying would be 90 mm macro lens, but I am not fully decided if it is gimmick or if I will really use it in everyday shooting. How do you deal with extreme close-ups?
The 90mm is a fantastic lens, I broke my copy of it two years ago. Used it for video and photo a whole lot. If you have lots of room it’s a great lens for video.
I am shooting on a 10mm, 18mm, and a 35mm which is 29mm, 54mm, and 101mm respectively. I am using the Original pocket cam for my head shots along with the Pocket 4K for my b-roll. My question to you, what has been your experience concerning focal Length and distance to subject?
What are your thoughts on 28 and 40? I also, do have 24, 35, 50 and 85, but thinking, that 24 and 35 can be replaced by 28, and 50 by 40. So it would be 28, 40 and 85 combo.
Killer video, I tend to go 85+ 99% of the time but, I know I need to bring that way down and build real composition. Maybe that’s the subject for the next video! Tricks for building composition when you favor high focal lengths.
I’ve noticed that too recently in my own work, a big reason why I favor now the 50. I tend to rush in and get too close instead of, like you said, building composition. Love that, thanks for the comment.
Thanks Will, I’m just about to buy a 5D mk ii and whilst people are raving about the 16-35mm zoom lens I’ve always been drawn towards having prime lenses..aside from the quality I think it forces me to have shot discipline and also create a simpler shooting experience…could you recommend any specific primes for this camera? best
Wouldn't a 40 mm be a sweet spot between 35 & 50? Here are the three lenses that I'm considering on an APSC system: 15 mm (23 mm equivalent), 27 mm (40 mm equivalent) & 56 mm (85 mm equivalent).
So for you the perfect lens would be the sigma 18-35mm f1.8, since you get FF primes from 24mm to 35mm and S35 primes until 50mm. All in one internal zoom lens (good for gimbal)
That is an APC lens on full frame it would give you about 27-52 f2.7. To get the equivalent APC lens to have a similar FOV to his set you would need 12-24 f1.2
Hello Will :) thanks for great advice. I own 35mm 1.4GM and also 85mm but I wonder if I have to but that 50mm. Have you tried to crop that 35mm in video what will happened ? I mean if its close to 50mm after crop. Regards Lubomir
As a photographer slowly doing more video, I’m really starting to appreciate these 3 focal lengths, and how something like an 85 is just too tight for most video situations. 50mm is plenty for nice tight shots, and the 24mm is my favorite overall
Love all of the practical examples you give and the storytelling aspect. So many camera lens videos are just about bokeh, price, or focus speed, but not this. Excellent job!
My man. Thank you!
It's 20, 50 and 85 for me. 20 for wide, 50 for medium and 85 for close up shots. Been rocking this 3 focal length for nearly 5 years and it's really versatile for me. But if I only got to choose two lenses, I'm gonna pick 35 and 85.
Those are the only 2 lenses I have sigma 85 1.4 and sony 35 1.4
yeah these feel too close
@@takoflame4948 what ?
@@donovanpatron the ones in the vid.
@@takoflame4948 not too close for me, but you do you. Doesn’t work for everyone.
For whatever reason my 35 hasn’t got much love from me. I use a lot of 24,50,85. You have inspired me to start using my 35 again! I have really enjoyed filming more wide lately, too. Great points and video, thanks!!
Thanks Steve! Understand that, I go through times when I use my 24 or 50 much more than the 35. Depends on the project I'm working on as well.
35mm is my fav video lens right now. it’s so beautiful for close and wide shots
Agree!
Thank you for sharing your great footages you've made! They're awesome. Thanks for the video!
Great video! I think it sometimes depends on what you’re shooting too. If people expect to have cameras pointing at them then getting closer up is an easy option. Love the 35mm. I’m a 35/85 kind of guy. If doing something where most people don’t know how to act with cameras I go to a littler longer focal lengths.
100% - it totally does depend on what you're shooting. All depends on subject and setting.
Bravooo, I loved your shoots. And Balanced light-color. I think you are gifted. in 62 old year, İ am trying to explore 24 mm. With 24 mm -one shot, as if story is told already, image is created, no need second shot.
Thanks Turgut! Agree on the 24, it’s more useful than most think it is.
The color grading for EACH clip is insanely crisp.
Yo thank you!
I use my 40mm and 85mm lenses maybe 80% of the time, but I mostly do photo. For video, I agree that 24 - 35 - 50 is the best combo. 85mm when doing video starts to be a bit too long to easily focus and keep steady. It's doable but 50mm works much better while still being flattering for faces.
You know it. Yeah photo can change things up a little bit.
24-70 is critical to video for all of the reasons you stated in your video. Most of the usable focal lengths for video is in a 24-70 lens.
If you're on a budget, a 24-105 f4 Zoom will do just fine. You get a 24, 35, 50, 70, 85 and 105mm with constant f4 aperture (which is plenty for nice subject separation above 50mm) and never have to change lenses. I barely shoot wide open video anyway.
I have the 24-105 f4 (got it with the fx6 as a kit lens) and agree it’s a great lens for the reasons you point out. For someone who shoots wide open quite often though, I really like primes with higher apertures.
I'd go with this option as well, unless somehow I need wider aperture for more background separation.
Agreed. The 24-105 is a beautiful super versatile lens. Especially because of the OSS.
For prime shooting, I also have the Sony 35mm 1.8, Zeiss 55mm 1.8 and The Sony 90mm OSS. It's all I need for the FX6 and FX30.
I love the 35mm. It really is a lens that can get most of it done.
Here you go Will at year 2024. Just started with Sigma lenses and went for 35 F2 as my first on a 35 - real sharp and focus snappy. Also got a 65 F2 and with that extra 15 from 50 gives great bokeh and color rendering. And surprisingly this Sigma 17 F4 is sharp from center to corners for a wide lens. I went for 3 compact and durably made lenses to pair with A7C2. Thanks for being a believer brother who makes quality sample photos and videos. Keep them coming.
My plan for trio prime lens is 18mm, 45mm and 85mm or 90mm. Hope can get all this lens
I wanted to say "3 lenses" but time stamp shows 4! 😆
And then I saw - 24, 35 and 50. Yup - that's what I would go with too. With a potential 4th one (niche use) at 16mm to 20mm range depending on what's available (Canon has 16mm 2.8 RF, Nikon has the 20mm).
Agree!
I agree. I started out by purchasing a 24-70mm which I think I will always need because it covers all of these focal lengths. My ideal position would be to own these as primes too. I think 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm are all great for filming people and situations while maintaining a close relationship with the subject. They are also good lenses for adding movement, ie. handheld parallax shots, etc. with minimal shake. Beyond 50mm, camera movements which I usually do quite well start to fall apart in terms of polish and consistency.
Totally agree! Need to try out the 24-70 myself, know it’s a great lens but typically stick to primes.
This video came across my page while looking for 50mm lens review for my ZVE1. Sony came out a new lens no which consist of your three focal length, Sony 24-50mm g lens. I guess, if i want one lens for the suggested focal length, i might as well just get this new sony lens as it is cheaper than GMII and lighter for my setup.😊
For me is 20, 35 and 50! 20 over 24 because I get a that lil much wider that’s all but I agree with you 1,000 I can go an entire day on 35mm and forget about the world.. I’m obsessed with the 35mm look, I can make it wide and I can make it close and Sony 35mm f1.8 with that smooth and almost zero breathing while focusing… Man I can talk about 35mm for days but I won’t lol.. great video!!!
Skip the 35. Just use your 24 in crop mode.
I am using the 50mm for video always over the 85mm. However the best portrait lens is the 85mm for stills. 85mm is good for practical shots, fillers in a video with close up.
I literally just made this exact same comment.
I found the opposite. The majority of what folks are offering up as focal ranges on primes are from 20, 24, 35, 40, 45, 50, 65 and 85. Then perhaps something longer if needed. When I’m doing documentary work in the jungles of Guatemala, there are two lenses I’m traveling with. The first being the Sigma Art 24-70mm f/2.8, which covers the range of preferred primes mentioned, and the Sigma Art 135mm f/1.8. That pretty much covers everything needed. Now, I just purchased the FF version of the 18-35 f/1.8, Sigma’s Art lens with a 28-45mm f/1.8 reach and that potentially could replace the 24-70 while providing a faster f/1.8, as many primes offer, but we’ll see. Each person and each shoot is job specific. And you of course recognize that. Fantastic video! Great job presenting content in an engaging and entertaining way.
I'm just looking to buy my first camera and lenses and your vid is 🔥 and helpful 🙏
Glad I could help!
Great overview - Thank you!
What a treat this video was. I loved seeing your STUNNING footage and your thought process behind each of them. I wasn't expecting your focal range to stay inside of 24-50 but you made a heck of a case!
I have a 20mm, 35, and 85 - and a 28-70 zoom. I can't quite bring myself to get a 50mm even though I do really love the focal length. The new 50mm 1.4 has my eye though!
Perhaps an understated consideration is that an 85mm requires so much space from your subject to shoot when indoors, and I bet that gets hard in tight spaces like a Crossfit or even a talking head video. Great time to bust out a 50mm to get compression and that depth of field without needing so much space.
Really appreciate it Mark, thanks for the kind words. Great point at the end, as you’re right in saying because of tight spaces, it makes it hard to use the 85 well. Love your lens selection too.
absolutely beautiful footage, and very informative video! also not too long and straight to the point. Love that it doesn't focus so much on camera types and just on focal lengths!
Great video... Well done on the thumbnail, too. You got me! The 35 is the only prime I don't have... But maybe I need to reconsider.
Thanks Brian!
Thank you sir great info beautiful video footage. How much to do a music video???
I have 24, 35, and 50mm prime lenses that I can use on full-frame, APS-C, or micro 4/3 cameras.
However, my full-frame cameras do not do video. I do most of my video with APS-C digital cameras with two zoom lenses and three prime lenses.
The 16-55mm f/2.8 and the 50-140mm f/2.8 are the two zoom lenses I use.
A 12mm f/2 or 12mm f/2.8 wide-angle, a 55mm f/3.5 macro or 105mm f/2.8 macro, and an optional long telephoto lens are the only three prime lenses I need to use for video.
28 and 50. I have two vintage Minolta lenses, the 50mm is F1.4, the 28 is F2.8, and rarely do I feel like I need anything else.
Love that you use the vintage lenses, those are special
35mm FF or 24mm S35 in a 2:35:1 aspect ratio is my favourite frame. Its gives you the face dimension of a 50mm ff and the wide background of the 35mm FF.
So what's the advantage of an anamorphic lens?
@@perzeon no croping the sensor=no resolution lost. Its more of a analoge old film thing. Now, just style.
It's quite interesting this concept you referred of cinematic mode crop also giving the compression of a higher focal range, I hadn't thought about it but it makes complete sense. This 1.32x crop means that the 35mm cinematic ratio ends up with a equiv 46mm compression look. Even though the bokeh (because of cropping) doesn't match so well, it's still very impressive :)
So it ends up making the real advantage of the anamorphic lens the bokeh gain. This providing that they have the same be apperture, because spherical 24mm F1.4 cropped would have more bokeh than an anamorphic 35mm F2.9. And the anamorphic resolution is only advantageous in the sense that vertical pixels get more oversampled, since the horizontal ones lose quality on the 1.33x stretch, and I believe that's less useful that the possibility of where you to make the cinematic crop on the spherical lens, giving you better framing control in post.
@@perzeon You nailed i. 👍 lots of cinematographers shoot spherical with a cropped frame, like Roger Deakins.
Great video and close to my own recommendations.
I'm working on S35 (2 Canon C300 mark III bodies) and for me, a 28, 35 and 50 are all I use. I have two of the 50s as those are used on talking head, 2 camera setups.
I'm a bit of a rarity in as much as I now only use primes as a documentary filmmaker whereas many swear by zooms.
The general argument is that zooms mean you'll miss less shots, but I tend to use my feet to get closer if I need to, and so far haven't missed anything.
Used to use the Sigma ART 18-35 f1.8 and 50-100 f1.8, but I honestly much prefer working with primes now. I genuinely don't believe the myth of missing shots and this necessitating the use of zooms in documentary.
Yeah, I agree you can get pretty much everything with those lenses, except where there are specialized requirements. If you shoot a lot of video where you pretty much have full mobility with your subject then its easy to adjust. If you're in a situation like a show that has an audience and you can't be up in front blocking the audience, then a good zoom is your friend. That's what's funny so many "new" shooters show up to gigs with their sony and 24 or 35mm on a gimbal and that's great for certain shoots but shows, weddings, things where you need to stay out of the way completely blows them out of the water. So I always keep a good healthy zoom telephoto for such circumstances.
Sick video, happy to see you uploading even more content!
Thank you! Def more coming
Great video 👌🏼 I shoot 90% on the Sony Zeiss 55/1.8 and the other 10% with the Zeiss Loxia 35/2. I’ve been looking into getting an 85 or 105 thinking I needed tighter but this video convinced me I need the 24 asap. Thanks for the insight!
Heck yeah man! I was shocked how much I loved the wider focal lengths when I purchased the 24mm. Thank you!
I have the 55/1.8 and also the Batis 25/2 and Batis 40/2 - The Batis lenses are a great value used. Worth a look!
Great vid mate. Tend to agree with you 👍🏼
Thanks bud
Like your video. And I love the 24mm. Also for interviews. It would be my only lens if I had to pick one. I started with only the 24-105mm. And after the 24mm I bought the 55mm and changed to the 50mm 1.4. Now I only use the 24 and 50 combo (35 and 75 in crop). On occasion for more reach the 24-105.
Great insightful suggestions indeed. Added to which, minimalism is freeing when it comes to filmmaking. Our brain will begin to find solutions which perhaps otherwise it wouldn't, if we had a ton of gear to choose from.
GREAT point. I tend to get overwhelmed or indecisive when I have too much gear or too many options. Love it.
@@willthedp I'm glad you agree.:) Wishing you growth and progress in life.
i love my 501.2 its a beast but dang for low light and and separating your subject its just awesome.. for wide i use my 20mm2.8 and i do use my 851.8 but not often for video.
24mm Indoor & Landscape
35mm for Portrait
50mm Portrait & Getting Ready Wedding
85mm Close Up & Speeches
So if the 4k 60k crop to get 24mm is 16mm right?
It’s probably close but I don’t know for sure
@willthedp in sony a7cii to 4k 60fps is 1,5 crop. I agree 24mm its sweet spot to get wider.
Great video and great samples. Would love to see a video on your colour grading techniques!
I’ll add it to the list!
I love my 35mm f/1.2. I have shot so much with it, I agree it is the sweet spot. I have an upcoming documentary type shoot and the 35mm will be a good portion. My B-roll will be 24mm F1.4. I’m renting that lens for this shoot. I prefer the 35mm over any fixed focal length so I purchased that first.
Nice touch at the end.
New sub.
You've an engaging nature.
Might hold off on the 85 so. I'll play with the 24 & 35.
Love the shots you got from all the lenses! I definitely feel the same about the 35mm🤌👌
Great video. I love these three primes. I do have some longer primes I like to use in specific situations.
Personally i love 24mm and 40mm, kinda odd but i love croping my photos to 4x3 so the end result kinda looks like 28mm and 50mm respectively, or for me at least. Recently i have been experimenting with aspect ratios and negative spaces. 😊
Very insightful video.🙏🏽
It really depends on the people for me. Professionals, sure they are use to cameras being close, but even then people have their comfort levels. In photography, I learned to be discreet and I try and do that with video, give people room to breath.
Fantastic work. I own 20mm G, 35 GM & 135 GM as it suits me the most. ND filter recommendation for the 35 GM , please.
Thanks! Very nice. PolarPro basecamp system or Peter Mckinnon Variable ND 2-5 stop
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1601822-REG/polarpro_82_2_5_vnd_ed2_pmvnd_signature_edition_ii.html
Your suggestions are spot on for primes. On another note and more all around video friendliness.. I keep the 24mm to 70mm GM II zoom on at almost all times. It allows me to always be in the mode, but for interviews it is nice to slap on the 35 and 50mm primes fo sho! Question: Where are you shooting? Montana? That's where I'm located.
Man I really need to spend more time with the 24-70, I know it’s a great lens, I’ve just never loved shooting on zooms.
A lot of these shots were in southern Colorado, but I did have a big shoot up in Glacier and Kalispell last year. Where in Montana are you?
@@willthedp I live in Missoula.
Great tutor
I love 35mm
Thank you!
hey man, great video, loved the content, your story telling and the tone of your voice is very relaxing which goes really well with the overall vibe of the video, keep it up! I just subscribed :D
Also the 50mm is great for product stuff, it's my 90% most used lens and then the 24mm
Yo that means a ton! Thank you. Agree on the 50 for product content.
I love your videos bro! Really like how it feels! 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Greetings from Northumberland.
Great video and channel - subbed :)
My current prime list runs: 14, 24, 50, 85, 100. And I have a bunch of zooms 🤐. But i'll often limit myself to 3 lenses for certain shoots.
Keep it up!
Appreciate it! I feel ya on limiting yourself, if I have too many options it gets hard for me to make a decision. Thanks for the sub
24 1.4 on a7vi is the only lens I need for what I do. With the crop it becomes similar to a 35mm. Very small minimum focussing distance makes it the most versatile lens for me. Got the 50 1.2 after hesitating for a very long time about 2 months before the 1.4 was announced and now wish I had waited a bit longer. Beautiful lens but a) I cannot shot with this lens handheld with apse crop/60fps as minimal movement get so exaggerated and b) it's so heavy I will have to get a stronger gimbal to actually be able to shoot with it in a ways to avoid jitters and shakes, so I end up shooting everything with the 24mm anyway :D
24mm is usable like totally outdoor, not very versatile for street and urban setting as I do, but you don't shoot that open with wide anyway, I tend to use wide zoom.
Prime only standard or slightly longer.
Great video with lots nice shots! By the way, let’s say if I want a 35mm lens on my Fuji Xt3 APSC camera, should I get the 24mm lens instead? Thanks 🙏
Dude awesome job! I’m trying to make my video quality better! I will def keep all this in mind
Thanks Layton!
Very informative. Nice job!
Thanks!
I dont know about 50 but the sony ziess 55 1.8 is pretty cool. I dont know if its because the 50 is too hyped or some thing cause I dont like it but as soon as it goes alittle bit more than 50 like the 55 or even the 60, im okay with that. also rather have the 20 instead of the 24. I want a wider field of view but can crop in if I need. I will agree with the 35 cause I dont know. everything looks magical at 35mm. I use my zoom lens alot at 35.
Great video mane! I use the same 35mm lens too! One of the best in my opinion!
Thank you! It's a killer lens, images from it are very clean. Cheers.
My three lenses (on Sony): Sigma 14-24mm 2.8, Rokinon 35-150mm f2-2.8, and Sigma 50mm 1.4. The Rokinon gives me both reach and a second prime, a 35mm f2. The only other prime I want is a Sigma dg dn version of 105mm 1.4 which hasnt come out yet.
This vocal is for full frame? or APSC camera?
Full Frame
I am on a BMPCC 4k with a Metabones EF-MFT ultra .071x. I am assuming the 35mm recommendation would change based on the MFT setup. Is that the case?
The 35-mm recommendation is based on the full-frame system. So, on the MFT system, a 35-mm full-frame equivalent focal length would be 17.5 mm. With that 0.71x speed booster added though, it would be 24 mm I guess.
Looking at Your pictures is very pleasant 👌 good work 👏
I'm Canon shooter but it never mind...
🤔 My fav lens if i had choose between I have - 35/50/85/105 ...would be "nifty-fifty" 😉
Old EF50/1.2 renders creamy soft picture which i like and not have to use extra filters to get softness 👌
BTW what filters do U use? 🧐
I think you are spot on!
This has set me on the right path! thank you
I have a 14, 24, 35, 85 wondering which prime lens I should get next.
Excelllent shots ! I'm actually switching from the Canon R6 and R to the FX3 and ZVE1
As far as lenses go, my 35mm usually sits on my camera and I also carry a 20mm and 85mm so that when I switch lenses I really feel like i didnt swap for nothing, there is a huge difference of perspective so it encourages me more to remove the 35...
why do you prefer the 24 over the 20 ?
I might also like the look of the 24 better but the 20mm makes more sense i feel if I come across a real estate shoot or if i'm in a very tight space... (also everybody rave about the 16mm so 24 might be too much, considering I have the 35.)
I've never used the 20mm, but since it's so wide there may be distortion from it, that's why I went with the 24mm GM.
Out of all your footage, the ones I loved the most were the ones shot with an 85mm lens. It's such a great focal length for me. Right now, I'm using a 24mm and an 85mm, but I'm considering getting a 50mm lens next.
Thanks for this kind of videos dude!!!
Of course man!
This is a great video dude!! ❤❤
Good video! 👏👏
Thanks!
I think, at the end, whatever the lens you have in hand you will get the job done.
But, if you have to choose strategicly 3 lenses, it's not gonna easy to make the decision. Or just for me.
But, I had the only one lens before, the Lunix 42,5mm f1.7 (85mm equiv.) on my Panasonic Gh4 and I was very happy. Hmm!🤔
But If I have to choose 3 lens, I would choose:
20mm, 50mm & 85mm at F1.8 aperture all tres, I'll be fine.
But, if I could get 35mm aperture a F1.2, I would choose:
20mm f1.8, 35mm f1.2 & 85mm F1.8. It would be great!😍
But, to choose just one lens, and go to get the job done, I think a 50mm F1.2 would be My better choice.
Lovely! I'm a beginner, just bought my 35mm APSC nikon :)
Great review, my man. Now to go spend my loot on the 35mm. 🍻
Haha thanks! Even the 1.8 version is 🔥
For video if you had just one prime and one zoom lens which would you choose?
I’d have to go 35, but it would be between that and a 50
Super helpful video! I'm looking at lenses for an aps-c sensor. I really like the 35mm you showcased (I assume you have a full frame camera), so would a 23mm aps-c prime lens give the same effect?
If it's 24/35/50 you are after, wouldn't it just make sense to get the new 24-70 GMii? That's what I did recently and I'm serious considering selling many of my primes because the zoom lens is soooo good.
Great point. If you shoot on zooms, makes perfect sense to go that way. A lot of my shoots involve multiple cams, so I need several lenses which give different looks. I personally prefer primes over zooms as well. If you work well with zooms, do it! Because you're right, that lens is killer.
Great video and very interesting approach. The only lens I consider buying would be 90 mm macro lens, but I am not fully decided if it is gimmick or if I will really use it in everyday shooting. How do you deal with extreme close-ups?
The 90mm is a fantastic lens, I broke my copy of it two years ago. Used it for video and photo a whole lot. If you have lots of room it’s a great lens for video.
Thank you, nice vid!
You’re welcome
I am shooting on a 10mm, 18mm, and a 35mm which is 29mm, 54mm, and 101mm respectively. I am using the Original pocket cam for my head shots along with the Pocket 4K for my b-roll. My question to you, what has been your experience concerning focal
Length and distance to subject?
Hello Willwalker, Can you recommend a good videography lens for vertical video.
I’d go 24mm
@@willthedp Thanks. would you say that a 35 mm would be too zoomed in?
What are your thoughts on 28 and 40? I also, do have 24, 35, 50 and 85, but thinking, that 24 and 35 can be replaced by 28, and 50 by 40. So it would be 28, 40 and 85 combo.
Killer video, I tend to go 85+ 99% of the time but, I know I need to bring that way down and build real composition. Maybe that’s the subject for the next video! Tricks for building composition when you favor high focal lengths.
I’ve noticed that too recently in my own work, a big reason why I favor now the 50. I tend to rush in and get too close instead of, like you said, building composition. Love that, thanks for the comment.
Thanks Will, I’m just about to buy a 5D mk ii and whilst people are raving about the 16-35mm zoom lens I’ve always been drawn towards having prime lenses..aside from the quality I think it forces me to have shot discipline and also create a simpler shooting experience…could you recommend any specific primes for this camera? best
Wouldn't a 40 mm be a sweet spot between 35 & 50? Here are the three lenses that I'm considering on an APSC system: 15 mm (23 mm equivalent), 27 mm (40 mm equivalent) & 56 mm (85 mm equivalent).
I have got RF35 and is considering to buy another one or two. How do you think of 35 plus 70-200 and shooting at 70mm?
Man I'm not going to tell you exactly what you should buy. If you want to try out that combo, try renting before buying.
@@willthedp thanks
I have 35mm g master. Love it..
So for you the perfect lens would be the sigma 18-35mm f1.8, since you get FF primes from 24mm to 35mm and S35 primes until 50mm. All in one internal zoom lens (good for gimbal)
That's a apsc lens if I'm not mistaken :)
That is an APC lens on full frame it would give you about 27-52 f2.7.
To get the equivalent APC lens to have a similar FOV to his set you would need 12-24 f1.2
@@MathiasAmling Technically it is... but you can use it FF up 24mm :)
@@perzeon ah wow I didn't know that :) :)
Need is such a strong word. If you are starting out, get a 24-70 f2.8.
He’s talking about primes.
good work!
I a beginner and I already have a canon 40mm 2.8 prime lens.....do I need really need a 35mm?
Can confirm, 85mm is my most used lens for photography but If I had my choice, I wouldn't touch it for video.
Yoooo. I just discovered your channel and Im subbing.
Are referencing full frame or super 35 (APS-C) sensors for these ideal focal lengths? I use a C100 MK-2 which has a super 35 sensor. Thanks.
I’ve just check your info and see you are a full frame user. Question answered. Divide by 1.5 for Super 35.
Hello Will :) thanks for great advice.
I own 35mm 1.4GM and also 85mm but I wonder if I have to but that 50mm.
Have you tried to crop that 35mm in video what will happened ? I mean if its close to 50mm after crop.
Regards
Lubomir
very helpful, thank you!
Great vid!