Chapter 6 "Lenses"

1. Chapter 6
LENSES

2. People are always blaming their circumstances
for what they are. I don’t believe in
circumstances. The people who get on in this world
are the people who get up and look for the
circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find
them, make them.
George Bernard Shaw

3. I. Types Of Zoom Lenses
A. Studio and Field Lenses (Elements*)
B. Zoom Ranges
1. Optical and digital zoom ranges
2. Studio and large field lenses
3. ENG/EFP lenses

4. 4. Range extenders
C. Prime Lenses: Fixed Lenses versus
Zoom Lens
D. Lens Format

5. II. Optical Characteristics Of Lenses
A. Focal Length (Optical Center):
Minimum Object Distance and
Macro Position
B. Focus: Presetting (calibrating) the
Zoom Lens

6. C. Light Transmission: Iris, Aperture,
and f-Stop
1. Iris
2. Aperture
3. f-Stop

7. 4. Lens speed
a. fast lens
b. slow lens
5. Remote iris control
6. Auto-iris lens

8. D. Depth of Field
1. Focal length
2. Aperture
3. Camera-to-subject distance
4. Using depth of field in production*
a. camera movement*

9. b. isolating important picture elements*
c. using a deep depth of field*
d. using a shallow depth of field*
e. rack focus*

10. III. Operational Controls
A. Zoom Control
1. Servo zoom control
2. Manual zoom control
3. Digital zoom lens

11. B. Focus Control
1. Studio cameras
2. ENG/EFP cameras
3. Digital cinema cameras
4. Remote control
5. Focus-assist

12. 6. Servo focus
7. Auto-focus

13. IV. How Lenses See The World
A. Wide-Angle Lens
1. Field of view
2. Object and distance distortion
3. Movement
4. Depth of field

14. B. Normal Lens
1. Field of view
2. Object and distance distortion
3. Movement
4. Depth of field

15. C. Narrow-Angle, or Telephoto, Lens
1. Field of view
2. Object and distance distortion
3. Movement
4. Depth of field and selective focus
(rack focus*)

16. V. Image Stabilization: Image Stabilizer
VI. Camera Angles*
A. Normal Angle (Line of Vision)*
B. High Camera Angle*

17. C. Low Camera Angle*
D. Canted Angle*
E. Subjective Camera Angle*

18. VII. Composing The Shot*
A. Organizing the Videospace*
1. Balanced and unbalanced groupings*
2. Triangular groupings*
3. Foreground-background groupings
a. over-the-shoulder shot
b. foreground treatment

19. B. Compositions to Avoid*
1. Profile shots*
2. Lack of headroom*
3. Lack of lead room*
4. Too much screen space*
5. Difference in subject height*

20. C. Using Body Cutoff Lines*
D. The “Essential Area”