![]() So hopefully you understand the image circle concept. A 100mm lens has the same focal length regardless of its lens type the difference is just how big of an image circle it projects. Focal length is unrelated to image circle, which is a big point of confusion for many of us. The focal length of the lens is exactly the same we just get more of the image with the larger image circle. If it were a Super35 type lens, we would get the outside image if it were Super16, we would get the image outlined for that, and so on. This photo was taken on a 50mm (focal length) lens. In the graphic above, you see Super35, Super16, 2/3”, and 1/2" image circles on top of each other. A 2/3” type lens has an image circle of around 11mm, and a 1/2" lens image circle is around 8mm. Lenses designed for smaller formats, usually in video cameras, are often referred to in inches. An average ‘Super 35mm’ lens has an image circle diameter of around 32-35mm, while an average ‘Super 16mm’ lens has an image circle diameter of around 15-18mm. The size of the projected image circle is based on the design of a lens. Lenses are designed to project out a circular image onto a sensor or film plane. When we describe a lens as being designed for Super35 or 16mm film, we are actually talking about the image circle of a lens. You can have a 35mm (focal length) Super 16mm lens for instance, and a 16mm (focal length) Super 35mm lens. This can be confusing in itself, as we talk about lens focal length in millimeters as well. ![]() Super 35mm lenses are designed to work with Super 35mm film or sensors that are around the same size Super 16mm lenses are designed to work with Super 16mm film or the like sensors, etc. ![]() When we talk about a lens, we often describe it by the film format or sensor size that it is designed to work with. The best place to start is lens ‘image circle’ and exactly what that means. So this article is all about lenses, image circles, sensor sizes and resolutions. But they bring up some really interesting points, which all modern cinematographers need to understand when choosing a lens, camera, and recording format. These are both great questions, which we can generally answer with a simple yes or no. We frequently get questions like this: “Does my 16mm lens cover the Blackmagic Cinema camera sensor?” or “Does my lens cover 6K on the Red Dragon camera?” It’s no wonder that we get these inquiries, as there is an endless stream of new cameras coming out, all of which have different sensor sizes and specs. At AbelCine, one of the most common questions our techs get these days is about lens coverage with different cameras.
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