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Articles on filmmaking technique, production planning, and industry knowledge.
Showing 8 of 8 posts
Field of View Calculator: How to Pre-Visualize Any Lens Before Renting It
Renting a lens without calculating its field of view on your specific sensor is the most expensive guessing game in cinematography. Two minutes with a field of view calculator tells you exactly what a 35mm looks like on your body versus a reference film, which lens matches the director's visual reference, and whether the rental is worth the cost.
What Circle of Confusion Should You Use for Your Camera?
The circle of confusion value in your DoF calculator is sensor-format specific. Using the wrong CoC produces inaccurate depth of field predictions on set. Here is exactly which value to enter for every common cinema and mirrorless camera.
DoF Calculator vs. Lens Markings: Which to Trust on Set?
Lens barrel DoF markings were engraved for 35mm film standards that predate digital sensors. On most modern cinema and mirrorless cameras, those markings are optimistic by 30 to 50 percent. Here is how to know when to trust the glass and when to trust the calculator.
Lens Spherical vs. Anamorphic vs. Vintage: How to Choose a Glass Signature for Your Film
Compares modern spherical, vintage adapted glass, and anamorphic optics across look, practical considerations, flares, focus breathing, chromatic aberration, availability, and cost per day.
Field of View vs. Focal Length: How to Choose the Right Lens for Every Shot
The same focal length renders completely differently across sensor sizes. This guide uses FoV math to show exactly what you get on five common camera formats, with a full table of standard focal lengths.
Crop Factor Explained for Filmmakers (It's Not What Photographers Think)
Film crop factor is calculated differently than photo crop factor. This post explains why, covers Super 8 through Full Frame with real numbers, and shows how to plan equivalent focal lengths across systems.
Shooting Anamorphic on a Budget: Lenses, Adapters, and What the Math Actually Says
Cuts through the marketing hype around budget anamorphic glass. Real desqueeze math, actual focal lengths, and honest comparisons between sub-$500 adapters and native anamorphic primes.
Depth of Field in Cinema: The Complete Practical Guide
A complete breakdown of how depth of field is calculated in cinema, how sensor size changes the math, and how to make confident focus decisions before the camera rolls.