Primes for 16mm Camera

[Timothy David Orme]

I know I've asked questions like this similar, but I've just about figured everything out. So, the most common prime lens for a 16mm camera is a 25mm (or so they tell me). How much bigger do that do people go? I've got a 12.5 and a 25mm and I'm looking to get a 9mm and 16mm. How important is a 50mm or a 75mm lens for your everyday, standard production (I know, whatever that is).

 

Also, I currently don't have a zoom and I was wondering how important people think that is, aside from when you're actually going to be zomming during a take. Would that be a good way of me getting a longer lens, by getting a zoom and using it for longer/wider shots?

[Brian Drysdale]

I rather like the 35mm - a 75mm, 85mm or 100mm are useful for exteriors.

 

The zoom gives you the option of a range of focal lengths and is usually the basic lens that comes with a camera kit. Certainly it's a lot handier when shooting documentaries when you can quickly change the focal length. However, the high quality primes are better for image quality than the zoom lens.

[Tim Carroll]

I know I've asked questions like this similar, but I've just about figured everything out. So, the most common prime lens for a 16mm camera is a 25mm (or so they tell me). How much bigger do that do people go? I've got a 12.5 and a 25mm and I'm looking to get a 9mm and 16mm. How important is a 50mm or a 75mm lens for your everyday, standard production (I know, whatever that is).

 

Also, I currently don't have a zoom and I was wondering how important people think that is, aside from when you're actually going to be zomming during a take. Would that be a good way of me getting a longer lens, by getting a zoom and using it for longer/wider shots?

 

I like using primes up to 25mm, and then a zoom from that point on. Although if I ever found a nice 50mm, I think I would pick one up. But the Cooke Kinetal 50mm are very orange because of lens coating aging, and the Schneiders I have seen have not been that great. Would like to find a nice Zeiss 50mm, in Arri mount.

 

-Tim

[Donald Mckinnon]

Tim,

I am somewhat of a newbie but I've owned my own pkg for about a year and a half(older Aaton LTR with full set of Optar lens-8,9.5,12,16,25,50) and I have found that I use the 12,16, 25 and 50 the most. The 50 is a great for closeups and in my estimation neccesary for what I like. The 12 is about as wide as I want to go and the 8 and 9.5 are sometimes too wide and the distortion is not always acceptable. I usually rent a good zoom that will get me up to a 100mm. It's nice to have that longer lens when you need it but as far as I am concerned my lens set matches very well and I try to stay on my primes as much as possible. It is usually noticable when I use the zoom.

Anyways, that is my two cents.

Donald Mckinnon

[Charles MacDonald]

I like using primes up to 25mm, and then a zoom from that point on. Although if I ever found a nice 50mm, I think I would pick one up. But the Cooke Kinetal 50mm are very orange because of lens coating aging, and the Schneiders I have seen have not been that great. Would like to find a nice Zeiss 50mm, in Arri mount.

 

-Tim

Lens coat aging, or Thorium element?

 

Some of the Assahi Pentax Still lenes will get a terific yellow/orange cast, which clears up if you leve them in the sunlight for a few days. Something about the radiation given off from the Thourium that was added to the glass to get the right refractive index...