OSF specialise in supplying camera, lenses and grip equipment to the film, TV, commercial and promo industry and could be the industry’s best kept secret. There’s nothing cinematographers love more than perfecting a distinctive look that will help tell the story for their director. In the age of digital sensors which tend to render all … Read more
Discover how Leitz’s ZOOM lenses can help cinematographers elevate the images they craft to the next level. Have you tried the Leitz ZOOM lenses yet? For years we’ve been asked for recommendations on which existing zoom lenses pair best with Leitz cine lenses. Although some zooms were sharp like the Summilux-C lenses, or had a … Read more
Optical design is the philosophy of IB/E Optics, who share an insight into their rich collaboration with TRIBE7.  During the early days of its existence, IB/E Optics was responsible for a lot of industrial lenses and creating heads up displays for BMW and Audi. A dream come true for Klaus Eckerl, IB/E Optics’ CEO, was … Read more
Hawk offers the widest range of anamorphic and spherical motion picture lenses in the industry. Discover their distinctive lens series, which offer maximum creative flexibility in the hands of the cinematographer. “Hawk as a company feels homegrown, like a family, the effort and craftsmanship they put into their lenses is amazing. Everything is done in-house – building … Read more
No.9 Optics is fusing the charm and character of century-old glass with cutting-edge contemporary design. The Gestalt principle of the ‘unified whole’ refers to something being greater than the sum of its individual parts. In 2022 Ben Mitchell, managing director of Focus Canning and Edward Koehler, former design and production manager of Van Diemen, partnered … Read more
Push the boundaries of imagination with PAVO S35 2X Anamorphic Primes DZOFILM, the renowned optical technology company, is delighted to announce the release of its latest offering, the PAVO S35 2X Anamorphic Prime series. This outstanding collection comprises six meticulously crafted front anamorphic cinema lenses with focal lengths ranging from 28mm to 100mm and a … Read more
LENSING A LEGACY The optics look good for a European focus on lens technology as the brand-new European Lens Summit is set to unite the industry’s glass experts and enthusiasts in London from 20-21 May.  The inaugural European Lens Summit is a chance for cinematographers, lens technicians, camera assistants, rental firms, owner-operators and experts in … Read more
Lens maestro – and Cooke’s Chief Optics Advisor – Iain Neil reflects on his 40-year career developing some of the industry’s most iconic glass. Cooke’s Chief Optics Advisor, Iain Neil, arrived at his position after numerous industry breakthroughs, patents, inventions, and Academy Awards – most recently the Gordon E. Sawyer Award, given at the last … Read more
ARRI Rental offers several exclusive lens series that are manufactured in-house, as well as global lens customisation services. ARRI Rental’s in-house lens development programme began with the release of the ALEXA 65 as a rental-only camera in 2015. Featuring a sensor the same size and shape as a 65mm film frame, it was – and … Read more
When teaming up with debut director Nazrin Choudhury on Red, White and Blue, cinematographer Adam Suschitzky opted for a range of ARRI technology to help him develop the short film’s powerful visual language. The working relationship between a director and cinematographer while making a film is crucial in both creative and practical terms. This is … Read more
MORAL DILEMMA Production: The Sleeping Beast Cinematographer: Elen Lotman ESC Director: Jaak Kilmi Production type: Fiction feature film Overview of production: The film is the story of a group of children spending their summer in a sleepy hamlet, where their only entertainment is simply hanging around and climbing in an abandoned manufacturing facility, until they … Read more
DARK SECRET Production: The Quiet Girl Cinematographer: Kate McCullough ISC Director: Colm Bairéad Production type: Feature film Overview of production and the visual approach you adopted: Director Colm Bairéad adapted the script from Claire Keegan’s novella Foster. Prep began just after the first lockdown when we had that lovely hot summer, so we sat out … Read more
FRAMING FANTASY Production: The Hourglass Cinematographer: Aman K Sahota Director: Alessio Morreale Production type: Short film Lens(es): Panaspeeds (Large Format) and Leitz Macro 90mm Lenses supplied by: Panavision Camera: Sony Venice Look you needed to achieve: Inspired aesthetically by videogames in the fantasy adventure genre, we wanted to create a look which felt whimsical in … Read more
CREATIVE JOURNEY Production: Papercut Cinematographer: Simona Susnea Director: Edward Heredia Production type: A six-minute short film for the BBC Young Creatives Scheme. A hybrid of drama and dance. Lens(es): Meru Anamorphic Lenses supplied by: One Stop Camera: RED Dragon Look you needed to achieve: Low key and sombre, wintery feeling, soft lighting through the windows. … Read more
LOVE FOR LENSING Production: Fishing for Love Cinematographer and director: Jason Ryan Production type: Music video Lenses: A set of Nikon 35mm still camera AI and AIS manual prime lenses from the ’70s: 20mm, 28mm 50mm, 85mm and 105mm. I also used a Tokina 35mm still camera 80-200mm manual slide zoom, and used a Metabones … Read more
ECLECTIC CHARACTER Production: Amica commercial Cinematographer: Arseni Khachaturan Director: Miles Jay Production company: Smuggler Lens(es): ARRI Heroes, ARRI DNA, Hawk 150-450, ARRI 50mm-110mm Lenses supplied by: ARRI Rental Burbank, ARRI Rental Vancouver Camera: ARRI Alexa 65 Look you needed to achieve: Director Miles Jay wanted to shoot each spot in two shots. We used long … Read more
SUPPORTING THE STORY Production: Blood Cinematographer: Björn Charpentier SBC Director: Brad Anderson Production type: Thriller/Horror Overview of production and the visual approach you adopted: We wanted a movie where at the beginning everything was normal and the further we go into the story the look starts to evolve. Our reference was The Poltergeist. … Read more
RAW ELEGANCE Production: Athena Cinematographer: Matias Boucard AFC Director: Romain Gavras Overview of production and the visual approach you adopted: The entire movie is shot in several long takes. I wanted the best lens for each take, and if I had to change lens sets during the shot or during the production, I wanted no … Read more
Find out how a free online resource developed by a dedicated London-based cinematographer can help with selecting the ideal lenses and filters for your next project.   The Lens & Filter Library (LFL) is an online tool providing a database of lens and filter tests to filmmakers for their evaluation. It has been shot and compiled … Read more
A director/DP and a VFX supervisor share their insight into selecting the perfect lens for a volume shoot. Relationships between camera crews and effects people have sometimes been strained by the occasionally contrary demands of the two disciplines. If there’s been a prominent upheaval in that world recently, it’s virtual production (VP). There are many … Read more