I've heard about different types of lens' for the camera, but I'm not quite sure exactly how they work.
For instance what will using a 32mm lens give you as opposed to a 17mm lens? What happens to the image as you go up in lens number, and down in lens number? What do most directors and cinematographer use when making a movie? What is a zoom lens, and why else would you use it besides needing to zoom in?
Much Thanks.
Basically, the larger the number (the "focal length"), the larger the image will appear. For instance, if you filmed using a 25mm lens, and then switched to a 50mm lens (keeping everything else the same), the image will be twice as large with the second lens. With a zoom lens, you don't have to manually switch lens -- you can change the focal length just by zooming in and out.
I think people generally use the zoom lens, but since I'm not in the business yet I don't know for sure.
Coming Out of Left Field
http://bostonian71.blogspot.com
Movie Help Web
http://www.moviehelpweb.com/
On films you normally use fixed lenses because the image is better: there's less glass in the way to reduce light, introduce image artifacts and cause internal reflections. To 'zoom in', you'd switch to a different lens.
All that said, you go to all that trouble to make great lenses and then the DoP sticks a stocking over them to soften the image, so it's a bit of a theoretical advantage in many cases :).
What size of lens' are normally used in movies?
According to one of my books, a 25mm lens is considered standard for 16mm cameras, and a 50mm lens for 35mm cameras. That being said, I think it really depends on what you're trying to shoot.
Coming Out of Left Field
http://bostonian71.blogspot.com
Movie Help Web
http://www.moviehelpweb.com/
