FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | Shoot dynamic driving scenes | Review by Lee Jong Won
Jong Won is a videographer who specialises in creating automotive videos. His projects cover cars, racing and other related topics. He has shot commercial videos for Hyundai Motor's Avante N, as well as other cars. Jong Won is also active on YouTube with his popular channel, “Seoul Tuner”.
Igniting a nitrous-fuelled passion for cars and videography
For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with cars – so it made perfect sense that when I embarked on my career, it would involve mixing my passion for cars with my videography skills. I particularly enjoy creating videos that feature dynamic driving scenes and high-performance sports cars.
In this showcase, we'll give you an inside look at how I shot one of my favourite videos using the zoom lens with Sony's FX3, FX6, and Alpha 1 cameras.
Choosing the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II zoom lens
You may be wondering why I selected the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II zoom lens as my only lens for the entire shoot, while using three different cameras. If you watch the video, you'll see how this shoot involved many angles and views – from wide angle to telephoto shots, and everything in-between.
In fast-paced automotive videos, wide angle views add speed and excitement to driving scenes, while telephoto ranges show off the details on the car and people's expressions. I feel that compared to a prime lens, the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II zoom lens is an outstanding all-around performer in all these situations.
Preparing for the shoot
2 cars. 3 cameras. 1 high octane video.
This shoot was completed in one night – from late in the evening to early morning. The FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM IIFX3, and FX6 were mounted on two camera cars – a crane car (also known as the “Russian arm”) and a chase car (that was equipped with a speed rail).
There were also some indoor shots, and in these confined spaces, shooting was done with the Alpha 1.
I chose the cameras from Sony's Cinema series are they are relatively lightweight (for this category of cameras) and can be set up quickly. This was important as the site was small, and we needed to film with minimal staff on-site. The outstanding autofocus on these cameras allowed us to shoot more efficiently as it reduced the setting time, and the number of people needed for the shoot.
Meet the cast
Our models for this shoot were racer Kwon Bom and skateboarder Lee Younghee.
Precautions when shooting automobiles
When filming high-speed car chases and races, safety is always my number one priority. The size, speed and sheer mass of these vehicles means that any issues that come up, could result in serious accidents.
In these shoots, teamwork is crucial. Everyone involved with a scene – from the actors to drivers, camerapersons, crane operators, head technicians, and others – must have a good understanding of how all the shots are being filmed, and must have decided on the movements of all vehicles, equipment, and persons in advance. This is often done using simulations before the actual shoot.
Lights. Camera. Speed!
Benefits of shooting with the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II
This is where the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II came into its own. The lightweight and compact build of this zoom lens offered us additional portability and manoeuvrability while shooting scenes, which was a big benefit.
What's more, with an aperture value as bright as F2.8 across its entire angle of view range, this lens capture subjects – persons and vehicles alike – with detail and clarity. I found that compared to the conventional shooting method of swopping between different prime lens and shooting multiple times to achieve a variety of compositions, it was much more efficient to use the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II for all our shots.
Achieving dynamic contrasts for a picturesque cityscape
The lens' high-resolution and contrast also made tiny details in the city's landscape really pop, with clear delineation between dark and bright areas. I was also very satisfied with how the lens portrayed shots, without any distortions in the image.
Putting the brakes on flaring and ghosting
Night-time driving scenes bring unique challenges to the set – with the biggest issue typically being a flaring or ghosting effect that is caused by bright headlights. Thankfully, the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II has a Nano AR Coating II which suppresses ghosting significantly. I could clearly feel (and see) the difference when shooting front shots of the car at low angles.
Extreme closeups, incredible detail
It's not always easy (or possible) to get fantastic closeup shots of subjects in fast-moving vehicles, but we could do so with the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II zoom lens and its minimum focus distance of 0.21m at 24mm, and 0.30m at 70mm. Check out this extreme closeup shot with beautiful G Master bokeh!
Fast, furious, stable
The precise autofocus and image stabilisation of this lens allowed our camera to pass over the speeding car and capture breathtaking, stable shots of this scene at a telephoto range of 70mm. Here, the focus was precisely tracking the subject during monitoring, resulting in an incredible – and incredibly focused – shot.
The most memorable scene: High-speed tunnel chase
We shot this tunnel chase scene using a zoom dolly, and had to change the zoom quickly from 24mm to 70mm to get the shot we planned. This is an incredibly challenging scene, and while I expected there to be unnatural movements or issues with focus, the shots were very smooth and stable. So much so, that we managed to get the perfect shot in just two takes!
Advice for videographers with a need for speed
Shooting automotive scenes, especially car chases and races, can be dangerous. Before embarking on a shoot of this nature, I recommend organising a team that you can trust, rely on, and work effectively with.
Always make safety your top priority when shooting, so you can create memorable automotive videos that people will enjoy for a long time!
