Lens Considerations for Digital Cinematography

Metadata

Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY, USA
Doc Type: Journal Article
Content Type: Original Research
Abbreviated Title: SMPTE Mot. Imag J.
Volume: 124, No. 1, pp. 28–43
Abstract: Lenses have historically garnered higher attention within the motion picture film world than in television production. The cine lens has long been recognized as the central image creator and primary arbiter of the special look sought for different program genres. A broad lingua franca has emerged in attempts to describe such looks. Directors of photography and assistant camera operator speak of the personality of a cine lens. This discussion has intensified in the digital cinematography era. Four next-generation cine zoom lenses and six prime lenses are central to the first phase of the Canon Cinema electro-optical system (EOS) digital cinematography system. This paper focuses specifically on the primary considerations in the new cine zoom lens designs. All of the lenses have been designed to meet optical specifications that conform to contemporary 4K-resolution digital production standards. Reducing size and weight were prime design imperatives, which escalated the optical design challenges. The contemporary cine lens is bound up in complex technologies. The multidimensional performance aspects of the optical image projected by the lens onto the camera image sensor are inextricably tied to the multiple variables inherent to these remarkably complex optical systems. The paper describes contributions of separate optical performance parameters to the personality of the cine zoom lenses in the context of attempting to meet, to the degree possible, recommendations of international directors of photography for a cinematic aesthetic. The introduction of unusual optical design strategies to achieve these requests is outlined. Recognition of the growing application of high-performance cine zoom lenses as variable prime lenses became a central imperative to the design of the four cine zoom lenses—in terms of both their collective focal ranges and the unusually high-performance goals set for each.
Publication Date: 2015-01-01
DOI: 10.5594/j18498
ISSN: Print: 1545-0279 | Electronic: 2160-2492
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/j18498
Author(s): Fumiaki Usui
bio
Fumiaki Usui studied applied physics at Waseda University in Tokyo and joined Canon in 1988 as an optical design engineer. At Canon, he has been developing advanced optical technologies primarily for broadcast lenses and cinema lenses. From 1990, on the cinema lens front, he was deeply involved in developing the well-known Super16mm series cinema zoom lenses. In 2000, he started developing the 2/3 in. Digital Cinema Lens lines, including zooms and primes. Usui is currently involved in UHD (Ultra High Definition) optical technology development and was deeply involved in the development of Canon's latest 4K cinema lens lines, including the latest CN20×50 (50-1000mm) super telephoto 4K cinema lens.
Ryuhei Kamata
bio
Ryuhei Kamata joined Canon in 2002 as a sales staff for the broadcast and cinema lenses. In 2011, when Canon launched the new line of Cinema EOS products, including the cinema lens lines, he joined the U.S. division, where he has been involved in developing the cinema lens business in the U.S.
Laurence J. Thorpe
bio
Laurence Thorpe joined Canon USA Inc. in 2004 and is currently involved with developing its professional cinematography business. Before Canon, he worked at Sony Broadcast Company from 1983 to 2004. Thorpe also worked for RCA's Broadcast Division from 1966 to 1982, where he developed a range of color television cameras and telecine products. From 1961 to 1966, he worked in the Designs department of the BBC in London, England, where he participated in the development of a range of color television studio products. Thorpe is an IEE Graduate (1961) of the College of Technology in Dublin, Ireland, and received a Chartered Engineer (C. Eng.) and MIEE distinction in 1965 from the Institute of Electrical Engineers in London, England.
Copyright: © 2015 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

Image Quality: A Comparison of Photographic and Television Systems [Active]
A New HD Cine Zoom Lens for Digital Motion Pictures [Active]
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3. Gerchman Mark C. Maxwell Jon “Depth of Field in Cinematography: Why Size Matters,” Digital & Film Times , June 2006 . EXTERNAL
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7. Ray Sidney F. “Applied Photographic Optics,” in Aberrations—Defects in Imaging Systems , Focal Press : Burlington, MA , pp. 82 – 97 , 2002 . EXTERNAL
8. Wakazono Tsuyoshi Usui Fumiaki U.S. Patent Application No. 20120250162, submitted Oct. 4, 2012. EXTERNAL
10. Short Ralph Williams Don Jones Andrew E.W. “Image Capture Simulator Using an Accurate and Realistic Lens Model” IS&T/SPIE Conference on Sensors, Cameras, and Applications,” SPIE Vol. 3650 , Jan. 1999 . EXTERNAL
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Fumiaki Usui, Ryuhei Kamata, and Laurence J. Thorpe; Lens Considerations for Digital Cinematography, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 124, Issue: 1, January 2015); SMPTE, 2015. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/j18498

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Fumiaki Usui, Ryuhei Kamata, and Laurence J. Thorpe; Lens Considerations for Digital Cinematography, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 124, Issue: 1, January 2015); SMPTE, 2015. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/j18498

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<span class="citation">Fumiaki Usui, Ryuhei Kamata, and Laurence J. Thorpe; <cite>Lens Considerations for Digital Cinematography</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 124, Issue: 1, January 2015); SMPTE, 2015. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/j18498" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/j18498</a></span>

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Fumiaki Usui, Ryuhei Kamata, and Laurence J. Thorpe; <cite id="bib-10-5594-j18498">Lens Considerations for Digital Cinematography</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 124, Issue: 1, January 2015); SMPTE, 2015
<span class="doi">10.5594/j18498</span>
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