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Cinematography

Nikon Lenses: Sharp and Soft

September 10, 2009

I love lenses and examining the subtle differences with each one so I am confident in the resulting image.

Nikon lenses are sharp with a little softer contrast than the Zeiss lenses.

The older A lenses are nice because they have a wider focus barrel which makes it easier to mount your Zacuto zip focus gears or Red Rock Microfocus rings.

32 pitch focus rings for the still lenses are made by both Zacuto and Red Rock Micro and the choice is one of personal preference.

Be wary of the Nikon AI lenses because it is difficult to mount any gear system to the lens which makes it very tricky for your focus puller.

The 28mm is an amazing lens. It has low distortion and focuses to 18 inches.

The old Nikon glass is exceptional. Great contrast, very sharp.

The Nikon zooms are much sharper than the Canon. Sharpness is your friend with HD because it gives you the 3-dimensional quality of film.

By using the 65mm depth of field that you get with the 5D Mark II camera, you are able to pull your subject out of the background.

About Filmmakers Academy Cinematographer Mentor Shane Hurlbut, ASC

Director of photography Shane Hurlbut, ASC works at the forefront of cinema as a storyteller, innovator, and discerning collaborator, who brings more than three decades of experience to his art. He is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers, the International Cinematographers Guild/Local 600, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Hurlbut frequently joins forces with great directors: McG’s Netflix Rim of the World and The Babysitter, plus Warner Bros. We Are Marshall and Terminator: Salvation; Scott Waugh’s Need for Speed and Act of Valor; and Gabriele Muccino’s There Is No Place Like Home and Fathers and Daughters. His additional film credits include Semi-Pro; The Greatest Game Ever Played; Into the Blue; Mr 3000; Drumline; 11:14, which earned Hurlbut a DVDX nomination; and The Skulls. Notably, his television credits include the first season of AMC’s Into the Badlands.

Lens Theory

A filmmaker’s Theory of Everything designed for on set decision-makers

7 Lessons
1.3 hours of instructional videos

Lens Theory is an essential breakdown of understanding not only how the lenses resolve but also how they feel. What is the emotion of your story? Your lens is the soul of your creation.

In this course, you’ll learn how lens choice impacts the story to pull your audience in. Expect to find how a lens theory creates emotion in a scene, understand how lens language can convey specific characters, and utilize color temperature of a lens, the flaring of a lens, and the resolving power of a lens to create emotional impact.