Canon cinema lenses and me

Cinematographer Martin Christ has won numerous awards for his work over his 25-year career. Through his production company, Christ Media Film Production, Martin makes documentaries, news features and reports for television, travelling all around the world in search of new stories to tell.

And from a full-frame DSLR to both Super 35mm and full-frame cinema cameras, along with a wide range of CN-E prime and zoom lenses, Canon has been Martin's go-to brand throughout.

Weight and easy handling are less of a concern when the camera is mounted to a crane. And this is exactly the kind of scenario you'll find when shooting big-budget commercials, for which Martin prefers to use prime lenses.

For a high-end truck trailer commercial, Martin was equipped with the full-frame Canon EOS C700 FF, and the full-size range of Canon CN-E prime lenses, from the CN-E14mm T3.1 L F to the CN-E135mm T2.2 L F. That's a lot of glass, so what did each lens do and what was his experience of switching between them?

"We had driving shots, talking heads, impressions from the factory, plus some critical conditions such as huge windows in the office scenes and hard sun reflections in the car paint," recalls Martin. Such a range of shots required multiple lenses that could transition well for a consistent look.

"I like the colour consistency of CN-E primes and their smooth bokeh – it was important to have a shallow depth of field for a clear futuristic look. As a DoP you know that a wide-angle lens can distort faces, so we used the Canon CN-E50mm T1.3 L F and CN-E85mm T1.3 L F lenses for talking heads. To get those dynamic shots in the factory, we used the Canon CN-E14mm T3.1 L F to CN-E35mm T1.5 L F lenses with a Primo-Dolly. In the pit we even used the 14mm lens and there were almost no distortions – there is much less distortion using full-frame. For driving shots, we also used the longer primes: 85mm and 135mm."

Canon's CN-E lenses are more expensive than Canon EF lenses, but EF lenses do also work on cinema cameras such as the Canon EOS C300 and EOS C700 FF. So what justifies the extra outlay and why is it so important for Martin to work with cinema lenses?

"For shooting features, it's mostly about brilliant skin tones. The CN-E primes deliver those tones, very soft and well balanced, kept across the aperture range," he says.

That final look is also complemented by the way the lenses handle. "I do a lot of focus pulling, so for me it is important that focus breathing is nearly absent. There's no focus breathing with these lenses, and they have highly accurate markings on both sides, meaning you can easily use any wireless or follow focus with precision. For me and my first AC, it is important that the focus throw is buttery smooth," explains Martin.

And with the latest Canon cinema cameras offering limitless creative control and exceptional 4K full-frame image quality, things are looking good for future productions. "I think if you like to achieve the cinematic feel, CN-E primes should be your choice," Martin says.