Making the most out of your lens

When I first started videography, all I had was a 35mm lens. I thought that if only I had an anamorphic lens that most cinematographers had, I would be able to shoot well.

However, as I was travelling overseas, I realised that having just one lens that I’m familiar with allows me to create things that I never knew were possible. For me, I used a prime lens. It has better bokeh and focusing speed, and I’m more familiar with how much room I can work with. Most importantly, I get to travel light and explore more places.

I soon turned that mindset into a daily routine where if I get a new lens, I’d force myself to work with it for a period of time and discover the possibilities that I can create with it. Developing a unique shooting style when filming with just a FE 90mm F2.8 Macro OSS (SEL90M28G) or even a FE 24mm F1.4 GM (SEL24F14GM) for cinematography will bring a fresh perspective to my viewers.

Occasionally, I don’t get the luxury of time when shooting since changing lenses and setting them up is time-consuming. So, mastering a particular lens helps speed up the process of getting my shots right.

Practice makes perfect

If you keep up the practice of working with one lens and mastering it before you move on to the next, you’ll slowly accumulate your collection of lenses over time. In that case, you'll notice that you'll improve your videography skills and better understand which lens is best for each scene (time-sensitive shots, i.e., fireworks, festivals, weddings).

It’s also a great way of exploring your shooting styles when you use a more versatile lens from the start. So a tip from me would be: Start with a kit lens first! Master it well, and from there, you’ll know your shooting style. This will help you decide what your next lens will be.

Start by shooting with just a kit lens. If you can create footage shot on a kit lens that looks as good as a professional, you’ll realise that you can work with any gear and still make amazing content!