Lenses are complex pieces of cinematic equipment and choosing the right ones for your project can be pretty difficult if you don't know a whole lot about them. Should you use a prime, zoom, wide, normal, telephoto lens? How do these different types of lenses effect your image? How much light do they require to get a good exposure? The list of questions goes on and on, but Darious Britt drops a serious knowledge bomb with his latest video, which is chock full of pretty much everything you need to know about lenses and how to use them.

Seriously—where were Britt's videos when I started learning about filmmaking?

Years ago when I was shopping around for my first lens, I found it difficult to educate myself on which lenses would fit my needs as a broke, amateur filmmaker. Do I get a zoom or a prime? What's the difference between an f1.4 and an f1.8? Are cheaper lenses really worth it—are they going to make my images look like shit—how shitty—should I save up and splurge on something more expensive? I ended up buying some $400 plastic zoom lens, went home and read something about primes, went back to return my zoom, and ended up buying a prime off of eBay. And I had no idea if that was a good decision or not; I just did it and hoped for the best.

But that is a common frustration among new filmmakers when it comes to learning about lenses. There is so much to learn, even on an introductory level, and very few resources offer a comprehensive overview of pertinent information. Britt's video is a fantastic one for those who just want a simple and direct explanation about what the different types of lenses are, what they can and can't do, pros and cons, and what they do to your image. It's certainly a great place to start your research.

Source: D4Darious

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Cinematography & Cameras