Pro Video Cinematography: Choosing the Right Lenses

Best Lenses for 4K Professional Production

Max Wales

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you are curious enough to create images of your dreams with your favourite camera then you must buy lenses. Most of the professionals advise to invest on good quality camera lenses because they offer longer lifespan. You will be glad to know that lenses that have been designed years ago can be easily mounted on latest camera units and they still ensure outstanding results.

Those who are planning to buy new camera lenses may be little confused while making understanding for the basic specifications and features. If so, then the article below can be helpful for you as it contains details about best lenses for 4k cameras.

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How to choose the right lens for your 4k Camera?

1.Lens Mount

One of the most essential accessories for your camera lenses are mounts. All designers offer different mount systems for attaching lenses to the cameras so you can easily find a wide range of mount systems that are dedicated for DSLRs or to the mirror less systems like Micro Four Thirds, Sony E Mount, Nikon F and Canon EF. Few latest lenses also offer advanced features like making electrical contacts so that lens information gets automatically transferred to camera circuitry. It can also have a square type groove in the middle portion that works like a holder for filters.

2. Sensor Size

One more essential factor that demands your attention at the time of lens purchase is the camera sensor format. You can find a wide range of sensors in market ranging between Micro Four Thirds, Crop Sensors and Full Frame type. The full frame sensors use to be the largest ones and they are designed to cover the full frame and they ensure larger image size even on smaller sensors. But, in case if you prefer to use a crop type sensor on your full frame camera then it will deliver an image as per size of sensor only. The idea is to avoid using smaller sensors on a large format type camera but in few special cases when you want to access certain specific look then they can be connected.

3. Lens Adapters

If you have lens that is dedicated to work with certain specific mount type but now need to connect it on different mount then lens adapter can solve your trouble. You can find these adapters for all mount types but still there are few cons hidden behind their usage. Most of these adapters block the ability of digital communication between lenses and camera. The fact is that when you lose the digital contact then it is not possible to access autofocus feature; even the new lenses may also suffer with inability to adjust the aperture. Adapters also cause disturbance to the light that passes from lens to sensor that reduces the quality of exposure.

4.Focal Length

Here is one more important factor that you need to consider while buying camera lenses. Your will find camera focal length as first most parameter listed in the specification list of the device. This length is measured on millimetres scale and when it has lower value that means you will have wider viewing angle; naturally it will capture a wide scene. When lenses have longer focal length then viewers are able to find themselves nearer to the field they are shooting. Generally, the prime lenses offer fixed focal length value but zoom lenses offer a wider range.

Best Lenses for 4k Camera Professional Production

First of all, let us collect an idea about the major differences between still and cine lenses as it will help you to make better decision. The cine lenses are designed with robust construction and they offer lower tolerance range for all specifications. The biggest advantage of using Cine lenses is that they offer great quality even in bad weather conditions but due to all these advanced features, cine lenses are often found more expensive as compared to still lenses.

The details below will help you to be familiar with top 10 prime cine lenses as well as zoom lenses. Hope, this information will help you in making better selection for your new purchase:

Prime Lenses

1.Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary (E mount or MFT)

Price: $339.00 only

Sigma Prime Lens is currently available with two popular versions, the first one is Micro Four Thirds System and another option is APS-C Sony E Mount. This affordable yet fast lens offers great autofocus facility while ensuring sharp images even with at light conditions.

Specs

• Focal Length : 30mm
• Angle of View: 50.7 degrees
• Filter Thread: 52mm Front.
• Camera Mount Type: Sony E.

2.Veydra 35mm T2.2 Mini Prime Lens (MFT Mount, Feet)

Price: $899.00

Its imperial focus scale offers compatibility with APS-C/Super 35 and MFT Mount cameras. You will definitely love its 4k image quality and the 80mm front barrel diameter ensures great picture quality. It offers internal focusing design so it offers great results with rod mounted accessories as like matte boxes. With its 77 mm filter thread you can easily make connection to a filter on front lens.

Specs

• Focal Length: 35mm
• Length: 3.6”
• Front Outer Diameter: 3.15”
• Close Focus: 11”
• Aperture Range: T2.2 – T22
• Maximum Image Circle: 1.2”

3.Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario- Elmarit Professional Lens

Price: $997.99

Here is one more standard zoom option for your MFT system. With this professional quality lens you can avail great results for image stabilization whereas its robust quality makes shooting much easier even in tough conditions.

Features:

• Standard Zoom feature.
• It ensures much better color accuracy, sharpness and clarity for every click.
• Offers linear autofocus motor that improves AF performance with smoother details.
• Freeze, dust and splash proof design.
  Specs
• Focal Length: 12 to 60 mm.
• Mount and format compatibility: Micro Four Thirds.
• Angle of View: 84 to 20 degrees.
• Magnification: 0.3x

4.Schneider Xenon FF 25mm T2.1 Lens with Canon EF Mount

Price: $4,795.00

This lens is designed to serve professionals that are interested to capture 4K videos. In the name, the abbreviation FF denotes Full Frame and you will be happy to know that it can cover full image sensor without losing any information from sides. Users can avail bokeh effect from its high quality 14 blade type iris. This lens is designed to ensure minimum color shift whenever lenses are changed.

Specs

• Focal Length: 25mm
• Lens Rotation: 300 degree
• Minimum Focus Distance: 12.2”
• T-Stop: T2.1 to 22
• Filter Thread: M95
• Lens Mount: EF

5.Zeiss Compact Prime CP2.35mm/T1.5 Super Speed

Price: $4,920.00

This extremely fast and high quality cine prime lens can ensure you perfect details for cinematography space. One unique feature of this lens is the T1.5 aperture that ensures crisp details even in low light conditions. So cinematographers can easily experiment new things for every shot without making arrangements for artificial lights. Zeiss CP2.35 offers great exploration while ensuring deep coverage over wide space. We can call it a well designed cine prime lens for professional needs.

Specs

• Focal Length: 35mm
• Mount Type: PL mount
• Angle of View: 39 degree
• Aperture: T1.5 to 22
• Close Focus Distance: 12”

ZOOM Lenses

1. tokina cinema 11-16mm t3.0 with Micro Four Thirds Mount

Price: 1,290.11

Here is a wide angle type zoom lens that works perfectly with Super-35 sized or APS-C sensors and ensures perfect compatibility to Micro Four Thirds mounts. It is well known for high quality optical performance along with distortion free design where the metal housing allows easy optimization over digital and video cinema applications.

• Classic 4k image quality.
• Two aspherical lens elements.
• Multi layer coating that minimizes ghosting and flare effect.
  Specs
• Focal Length: 11 to 16 mm
• Zoom ability: 1.45:1 with rotator zooming system.
• Minimum Focus Distance: 13.78”

2. Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master (E Mount)

Price: $2,198.00

It is rated as an all rounder lens that offers best results with E mount and full frame cameras. Sony FE has fast f/2.8 aperture that ensures impressive results even in low light conditions whereas the Direct Drive SSM type autofocus system works fine with continuous autofocus type systems like Sony cameras. Features

• Offers high resolution with crispness in details.
• Ensures wide angle focus.
• Can manage chromatic aberrations while controlling color fringing.
• Nine blade type diaphragm.
  Specs
• Focal Length: 24 to 70mm
• Angle of View: 84 to 34 degrees.
• Magnification: 0.24x
• Image Stabilization: No
• Autofocus: Yes
• Elements/Groups: 18/13

3. Fujinon MK18.55mm T2.9 Lens (Sony E-Mount)

Price: $3799.00

Here is a lightweight zoom lens design for your E-mount camera. It offers independent control over three lens rings for zoom, iris and focus. The focus ring of Fujinon offers 200 degree rotation and the macro mode ensures close focusing abilities. You will find this lens color matched to most of the Fujinon lenses like XK, ZK and HK series and the light weigth design ensures easy functionality with all focal length ranges.

Specs

• Focus Rotation: 200 degree
• Image Circle: 28.5 mm diameter
• Iris Blades: 9
• Aperture: T 2.9 – T22
• Gear Mod: 0.8

4. Canon CN-E 18-80mm T4.4 Compact Servo Cinema Zoom Lens (EF Mount)

Price: $5,225

It is designed to work with EF mount cameras with compact and light weight design. This lens is designed with auto focus function and offers impressive image stabilization results. The auto chromatic aberration correction ability along with peripheral illumination correction makes it useful for professional needs.

Specs

• Focal Length: 18 to 80mm
• Image Circle: 31.4mm
• Front Lens Diameter: 84mm
• Mount Type: EF
• Filter Thread: 77mm

5. Zeiss 70-200mm T2.9 Compact Zoom CZ.2 Lens (Interchangeable Mounts)

Price: $19,900.00

These lenses ensure interchangeable lens mounts and their high quality cine housing with advanced zooming ability makes results more stable. It is a lightweight and compact choice for your steadicam and handheld application needs.

Features:

• Its 4k ready optics ensures great future proof lens performance.
• The 70 to 200mm focal length makes it compatible with most of the large range type mounting solutions offered by Zeiss.
  Specs
• Focal Length: 70 to 200 mm
• Close Focus Distance: 5’ from image plane.
• Aperture Range: T 2.9 to 22

Max Wales

Max Wales is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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