Which three?

[Andrew Slankard]

Alright so I'm looking at getting a 3-piece CP.2 kit for my 5D, I'm not sure which focal lengths would be best. If you had to choose three lenses, what would be your three out of the following?

18mm
21mm
25mm
28mm
35mm
50mm
85mm

I'm primarily going to be shooting a series of "short films" that feature "confessional/interview" shots and narrative shots, if that helps shape your decision...

Thanks for your help.

[Jon Fairhurst]

I'd go with 25, 35, & 85.

At work, we have the ZE 21, 35, and 85 for the 5D2. The 21 gets into no-man's-land between a normal wide and effects wide. It's fantastic for photos, but not quite as wide as I'd like for extreme shots and too wide to be transparent for general use in narrative film.

The 35 is our go-to lens. The 85 is great for two-shots, portraits, and interviews. The main hole is the lack of close focus. The 85 doesn't focus closer than one meter.

Another approach is 28, 50, 100. The 50 is more neutral than the 35. The 35 has just a touch of "attitude". And the 100 does close focus. The 28 would give a more conservative look for wide shots.

So, 25, 35, and 85 for a more dynamic look (maybe with a ZE 100/2 or 100L for the odd close shot), and 28, 50, 100 for a more conservative look - including close focus.

[Andrew Slankard]

Originally Posted by Jon Fairhurst

I'd go with 25, 35, & 85.

At work, we have the ZE 21, 35, and 85 for the 5D2. The 21 gets into no-man's-land between a normal wide and effects wide. It's fantastic for photos, but not quite as wide as I'd like for extreme shots and too wide to be transparent for general use in narrative film.

The 35 is our go-to lens. The 85 is great for two-shots, portraits, and interviews. The main hole is the lack of close focus. The 85 doesn't focus closer than one meter.

Another approach is 28, 50, 100. The 50 is more neutral than the 35. The 35 has just a touch of "attitude". And the 100 does close focus. The 28 would give a more conservative look for wide shots.

So, 25, 35, and 85 for a more dynamic look (maybe with a ZE 100/2 or 100L for the odd close shot), and 28, 50, 100 for a more conservative look - including close focus.

Thanks for the input Jon, you've given me some things to consider, I appreciate it!