Three Unique Lenses to Elevate Your Compositions

Standard lenses are crucial to every filmmaker, but sometimes you have to go outside the box to make your compositions interesting.

Depending on the sensor for frame size, creatives will usually stick with lenses between 28mm and 85mm. Some creatives will shoot entire projects on a 35mm or 50mm. Just ask George Lucas about his time shooting A New Hope. 

But sometimes creatives have to step outside those bounds to jumpstart their creativity. Here are three different lenses from our Deals of the Week that will push you to find unique and different compositions for your next project without breaking the bank.

Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm f/2

Without getting too wild right off the bat, the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 65mm f/2 is a macro lens with an interesting focal length of 65mm. It'll cover a full-frame sensor but unfortunately only works on Sony E-mount. 

However, the lens boasts outstanding sharpness with a 1:2 magnification ratio afforded by the 12.2" minimum focus distance. A manual focus and aperture ring with 1/3 click stops offers a tactile experience when finessing your image while the 10-blade diaphragm is present for smooth bokeh. Electronic contacts transmit data to the camera for use of advanced functions such as in-body image stabilization. The 65mm focal length is a unique perspective and breaks the mold when trying to compose a portrait-style look, either in video or photography. 

Venus Optics Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D

The Laowa lenses from Venus Optics have always been unconventional. This 12mm f/2.8 is a great example of this, offering full-frame coverage with near-zero distortion.  

This makes it a great option for landscape, architecture, or getting that Terrence Malick look if you're into narrative. This lens also features a precise manual focus design along with a floating optical system to maintain accurate rendering throughout the focus range, from 7.09" to infinity.

Unlike the Voigtlander, the Laowa comes in four different lens mounts, with Canon EF and Nikon F being the most popular. If you still shoot on Sony A or have a Pentax K camera, you're in luck too. 

IRIX 45mm f/1.4 Lens

IRIX is another company making waves in the photography and cinema lens market. This 45mm, which is also available in a cine format, is a counterpoint to the Voigtlander with its 45mm focal length. It sits perfectly between the 35mm and 50mm that is so popular in narrative projects, but finds a middle ground that not many lens manufacturers want to explore.

The f/1.4 is also super fast, giving this lens a leg up in low-light environments. The optical design incorporates a series of specialized elements to reduce a variety of aberrations to produce sharp and color-accurate imagery.