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Zeiss Lenses: Sharp and Snappy

September 8, 2009

Lenses are one of the most critical choices when you are mounting the Canon 5D Mark II to a lens. Do not treat this camera like it is a film body. Remember to mount the camera to the lens, not the opposite.

Zeiss Lens

Zeiss lenses produce a colder, contrasty feel. They are incredibly sharp which is an important feature in HD capture. When an image looks a little soft, you lose your depth and snap. A 32-pitch focus gear mounted to the lens makes it easier for your focus puller to deal with the after-market focus rings.

Be sure to use more fill light when using these lenses and also control your highlights. Increased contrast means that certain detail is lost such as the subtle features of a set, face or location will be lost in the highlights and the blacks.

Shane Hurlbut Talks Zeiss Lenses “Sharp and Snappy”

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.