Custom-made cine lenses, such as IRIX Cine Lenses, offer several advantages over normal still lenses for video, movie, and cinema shoots. Here are some reasons why cine lenses are preferred:
Optical Quality: Cine lenses are designed and manufactured with a focus on optical quality, ensuring superior sharpness, contrast, and minimal distortion. This is crucial for professional video and cinema productions where image quality is paramount.
Durability: Cine lenses are built to withstand the rigors of professional use. They are constructed with durable materials and are often weather-sealed, making them suitable for use in various shooting conditions.
Consistent Gear: Cine lenses are designed with a focus on consistency. This includes consistent gear positions for focus and aperture control, which is essential for smooth and precise adjustments, especially when using follow focus systems.
Tactile Control: Cine lenses typically feature manual focus and aperture control rings that offer smooth and precise control. This tactile feedback is essential for filmmakers who need to make precise adjustments while shooting.
Long Focus Throw: Cine lenses often have a longer focus throw compared to still lenses. This allows for more precise focusing, which is crucial for achieving the desired cinematic look.
Lens Breathing: Cine lenses are designed to minimize lens breathing, which is the apparent change in focal length that occurs when focusing. This is important for maintaining a consistent composition, especially when focusing between subjects.
Minimal Focus Shift: Cine lenses are designed to minimize focus shift, ensuring that the point of focus remains consistent throughout the focus range. This is important for maintaining sharpness, especially when shooting at wide apertures.
In addition to these advantages, the manual focus capability of cine lenses offers added value for filmmakers. Manual focus allows for precise control over the focus point, enabling filmmakers to achieve creative effects such as rack focusing and selective focus. Manual focus also encourages a more deliberate and thoughtful approach to focusing, which can lead to more engaging and cinematic shots.