The lens is the eye through which you see your movie’s world. But for many the lens is almost an afterthought when compared to the camera on which it’s mounted.

In this presentation, filmmaker Noam Kroll takes us through the critical issues in choosing a lens: the emotion and story perspective conveyed by different lens focal lengths, the editorial effects of mixed lenses, and–on a practical level–how to quickly get your head around crop sensor numbers and effective focal length. You’ll also learn about F numbers and what a lens’ aperture values mean for your depth of field.

When you’re done you’ll know when to reach for your 17-55 zoom, when to stow it in favor of a 50mm prime, and when that 50mm prime is actually an 80mm.

• Primes vs. Zooms
• F-Stops & Depth of Field
• Common Focal Lengths
• Crop Factors
• Choosing the Right Lens for your Scene