Cine Prime vs Cine Zooms For Documentary Work

The zoom vs prime lens debate is as old as filmmaking itself, but when we start to consider cinema glass the differences between cine zooms and cine primes are magnified. Today we’re talking about the age-old debate of cine zoom lenses versus cine prime lenses and particularly how they impact wildlife and documentary cinematography.

Choosing the right lens is a bit like selecting the perfect tool for the job. And in wildlife cinematography, it's a decision that can make or break your shots.

Starting off with Cine prime lenses, such as the Sigma 14mm T2 which is in my kit, these lenses are celebrated for their optical excellence. With a fixed focal length, they produce images with remarkable clarity and sharpness, without distortion. These lenses also commonly have wider irises or apertures offering better low light performance, and have wider focal range options, such as this 14mm T2. They shine in scenarios such as interviews, and high budget movies where sharpness and clarity are of sole importance, and where film crews have the ability and time to retake shots.

These cine primes are often sold and used in sets of 5 of more lenses, covering a focal range usually somewhere between 24 to 135mm. While cinema lenses are designed with efficient lens changes in mind, with features like having identical barrels and gear placement, they shine in the world of Hollywood where filming is conducted 1 shot at a time.

Using these lenses in the field for documentary work where we are following a set of characters or where nature or wildlife is directing the scene, we find ourselves constantly having to change lenses to keep up with the action as it moves, rather than being able to stay one step ahead of the action and focusing on our positioning and composition. 

Also these lenses are heavy, this 14mm for instance is almost 1.5 kilos. And in the world of documentaries and natural history, where majority of our gear is transported on our backs, carrying an extra 10kg in lenses around all day adds up really quickly.

I do have a few cine primes that I keep around for moments such as interviews, or when I need unique shots such as ultra wide angles or need to film in low light, but generally speaking cine primes are usually far more hassle than they’re worth when we’re not able to direct the shot, and the optical benefits are quickly overridden by impracticalities, and the reality that these lenses will result in you missing the shot entirely or capturing poor compositions as we’re too busy constantly changing lenses.

This is where Cine zooms come in, such as the widely used Sigma 18-35 and 50-100 T2 lenses that almost live on my RED RAPTOR, these lenses are celebrated for their adaptability. With these two lenses, I can seamlessly navigate through almost the entire prime lens line up and cover a spectrum of different focal lengths. These are still big ticket lenses and while they aren’t quite as sharp as the prime lens line up, they are renowned for their clinical sharpness, and they maintain a constant aperture of T2 throughout, which is extremely impressive.

In the realm of documentary or wildlife cinematography, where we aren’t shooting off storyboards and are very much following a set of characters, or are filming wildlife who never listen to my direction, this flexibility is incredibly beneficial. It enables us to effortlessly pivot from wide shots to intimate close-ups without missing a heartbeat, and without having to change lens every few shots. It allows us to adapt our cinematography to the moment at hand, and allows us to follow the action as it unfolds, rather than changing lenses to keep up.

The world of documentary and wildlife cinematography, is for a large part unpredictable. As filmmakers it’s our job to position ourselves in a manner that we are able to capture moments as they unfold, rather than in the world of Hollywood where we can direct the action shot by shot. Cine zoom lenses allow us to capture swift, unscripted moments far easier than prime lenses, where we would have to change lenses every few shots and every time something unexpected happened, where we would miss half the action.

In the world of documentary and wildlife filmmaking it’s almost a given that cine primes are the best tool for the job. BBC, Nat Geo and almost all high budget docs shoot mostly on cine zoom lenses, and it may surprise you to know that even a large part of Hollywood, including Game of Thrones was shot using cine zoom lenses as they keep sets moving far quicker, allowing DP’s to capture a few different shots in 1 take.

I’m definitely not trying to say that prime lenses don’t have their place, as I do keep a cine prime around for those specialist moments, where I need low light or a particular focal length that my zooms don’t offer. But for the most part, a set of cine zooms are far better suited to the unpredictable nature of wildlife and documentary filmmaking.