It’s a measurement that specifies how your lens interacts with your camera. Hd. The higher the millimeter (mm) number, the more "zoomed in" the image appears. Since wide lens exaggerates distance to camera, to create more intense effect of moving toward or away from camera, you need to use a wide angle lens. 10 – 24mm. The reason this effect is possible is because it is using the relationship between how the lens compresses the image and the physical movement of the camera in unison to warp the visual perspective. Longer focal lengths exaggerate lateral movement. The main advantages of prime lenses or fixed focal length lenses are their size and weight as well as their maximum aperture or f/stop. A longer lens might show only their face, which is a smaller field of view. Photographing using prime lenses with large apertures also means you can get a shallow depth of field which is useful for portraiture where you might want a softer or blurred background (also known as bokeh). Of course, for closeups and tight shots, we'll go longer with a 50mm or 60mm prime lense. On a practical level, focal length determines field of view, or how much of a view will. Field of view is the amount of space you see on the image plane. It is not a measurement of the actual length of a lens, but a calculation of an optical distance from the point where light rays converge to form a sharp image of an object to the digital sensor or 35mm film at the focal plane in the camera. What is focal length? Wider focal lengths exaggerate the appearance of distance between objects. This is often used for landscape and architecture as it enhances the existing shapes and leading lines of the image to create visual interest. I'm currently working with a Hollywood director and he likes to film almost everything using a 21mm prime lense. They can make distant subjects appear closer. The far objects appear even smaller, and the closer objects even larger, than they would normally appear to the human eye. DZOFilm Pictor 20 to 55mm T2.8 Super35 Parfocal Zoom Lens (PL Mount and EF Mount), Rokinon 35mm T1.5 Cine DS Lens for Micro Four Thirds Mount, Sirui 50mm f/1.8 Anamorphic 1.33x Lens (MFT Mount), Rokinon 24, 35, 50, 85mm T1.5 Cine DS Lens Bundle for Canon EF Mount, Rokinon 12mm T2.2 Cine Lens for Micro Four Thirds Mount, Rokinon 24, 35, 50, 85mm T1.5 Cine DS Lens Bundle for Sony E-Mount, SLR Magic CINE 18mm f/2.8 Lens (Sony E-Mount), Sirui 50mm f/1.8 Anamorphic 1.33x Lens (Sony E-Mount), Rokinon 14mm T3.1 Cine DS Lens for Canon EF Mount, Venus Optics Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe Lens for Canon EF (Cine-Mod Version), Rokinon Cine DS 6 Lens Kit with Canon EF Mount, Rokinon 85mm T1.5 Cine AS IF UMC Lens for Micro Four Thirds, SLR Magic 10mm T2.1 Hyperprime Cine Lens (MFT Mount), DZOFilm DZO 20-70mm T2.9 MFT Parfocal Cine Lens, DZOFilm Pictor 20-55mm and 50-125mm T2.8 Super35 Zoom Lens Bundle (PL Mount and EF Mount, Black), SLR Magic Cine 35mm f/1.2 FE Lens for Sony E-Mount, Rokinon 50mm T1.5 AS UMC Cine DS Lens for Canon EF Mount, Rokinon 85mm T1.5 Cine DS Lens for Canon EF Mount, Rokinon 35mm T1.5 Cine AS UMC Lens for Canon EF Mount, Rokinon 24, 35, 50, 85mm T1.5 Cine DS Lens Bundle for Micro Four Thirds Mount, DZOFilm Pictor 50 to 125mm T2.8 Super35 Parfocal Zoom Lens (PL Mount and EF Mount), Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4 G OSS Lens Kit with Chiaro 95mm UV Filter, Rokinon 16mm T2.6 Full Frame Cine DS Lens (Canon EF Mount), Canon CN-E 18-80mm T4.4 COMPACT-SERVO Cinema Zoom Lens (EF Mount), Rokinon 35mm T1.5 Cine AS UMC Lens for Sony E Mount, Rokinon 35mm T1.5 Cine DS Lens for Sony E-Mount, Sirui 35mm f/1.8 Anamorphic 1.33x Lens (MFT Mount), Sigma 18-35mm T2 High-Speed Zoom Lens (Canon EF), Meike 12mm T2.2 Manual Focus Wide Angle Cinema Lens (MFT Mount). This shot establishes the scene, but also has some level of intimacy — as you might have noticed, the filmmakers used a long focal length to isolate Michael and Holly and drown out other distractions — their interactions here are the focus. They are often used to shoot buildings, large rooms and open spaces, and birds-eye views, as they curve straight lines to dynamic effect. The background appears to whip past the actor due to image compression. When it comes to narrative filmmaking, your focal length will allow you to capture footage with different visual properties based on your lens choice.