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5 killer Canon Lens for video

6/26/2012 ISO 1200 Magazine 4 Comments



 When we are first starting out its often easy to shoot with the same lens over and over again. that could be because we only have one lens, it's your favorite lens or because you aren't sure what to use when, but there are a ton of options and just knowing what's available out there can help you in a particular scene or project you are working on.

5 killer Canon Lens for video


We always stress to put story first and uses lenses that best fit the scene. while we typically carry our faithful Canon prime kit with us we are always looking to tailor our gear to each shoot so that we are able to make the most out of it. that may mean taking advantage of a specific lens property or the size/weight of a lens and more often than not we find ourselves bringing specific gear that could really makes a difference. (Watch Filmmaking Tutorial: Get the most out of your DSLR)

Let's take a look at 5 lenses we love from Canon for video, all of which all been instrumental in our biggest productions over the years. while you've likely heard of some of these lenses before, we'll share some unique applications in how we used it.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here in L.A. there are a large number of manual focus Nikkors being used for video on Canon DSLRs. Along with the usual CLA of the used lenses they are also declicked so the fstop can be smoothly pulled during filming. Unless "IS" is required most stay away from Canon lenses.

David Bean said...

A couple of those lenses are horrible for video. The 24-105 and the 100-400 in particular.

The best lenses for video are prime lenses, both for color quality and optics.

And if you were going to use a zoom the 24-70 is wayyyy better than the 24-105 and the 70-200 is wayyyy better than the 100-400.

Why would you even want a 400mm lens for video anyway. That thing would be so shaky it you couldn’t hold a good shot.

Also, most pro’s don’t zoom in ever on video, but instead move the camera in and out.

Anonymous said...

The choice of lenses comprises 3 modes - Technical, personal and job types. The choices here shown are obvious good ones, technical speaking. Personally I miss here the 50mm 1.4 and the 70-200 2.8. The 50 gives you the best framing size. Just one step in front or back and you get the standard cine frame, and with 1.4 you can work it low light and get also the extreme Dof that a 2.8 can't. The 70-200 for me gives me one of the best image around. It's fantastic, the limitation is the size and weight. No prime is better than this one. (except in aperture. And zoom lenses are great to use in situations you have to use one cam to get different framings fast. Not always I'm doing fiction and in events a close up sometimes needs also a mid shot or a wide shot to compliment it. That's the nature of the job determining the choice of lenses. (by Vico Ughetto)

Rainy said...

Similar to the first comment, I find that manual lenses are quite good for video. Also, usually cheaper. The good manual focus ring alone is a huge advantage. Here is a good write-up on what to look for in lenses for video. Nikkors are a good options, so are Pentax Super Takumars. Rock solid and smooth.