American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 17

AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER ASCMAG.COM

can add aberrations that are not in the lens. You
should not alter the camera's ISO settings, either,
since this can add noise and affect the resolution
of the image - and possibly bias the results.
The idea is to eliminate as many variables in the
test iterations as possible, except what you're
examining.
Instead, you're best served by adopting an
exposure-compensation methodology that does
not adversely affect any parameters of the lens.
Personally, I have found that altering the shutter
angle and/or frame rate is best for this test when
the model remains stationary.

My protocol for exposures:
* The key light is lit to a level of T5.6 at 800 ISO
at 24 fps (about 50fc).
* Exposure variations will be handled through
changes in shutter angle and frame rates only,
which you can apply based on the chart on
page 16.

On the chart, note that when you change
frame rate, the duration of time and speed of
movement also changes. If you switch to 12 fps,
you should roll for twice as long at each stage of
the test - including the length of time that you
turn on your spot-flare and veiling-glare lamps.
When you switch to 6 fps, you need to roll for
four times as long. Inversely, if you switch to 48
fps, you should roll for half the amount of time.
For zoom lenses, at the very minimum, you
should test the widest and longest focal lengths
possible within the testing environment, along
with one or two positions between those points.
For the most exacting results, test the zoom lens
at every marked focal length on the barrel.

Best Practices

handles flares. It's a lot of information packed
into a single frame.
It's always best to test more than one lens. If
you're only interested in the performance of one
lens, pick another that you know well to compare
it to, or one that's generally considered to be a
high-performance professional lens.
It's also important to note that lens characteristics differ when shooting film versus digital, and
when shooting with one particular digital camera
versus another. It's best to test with a camera
that you will be using - or if you're inclined to
add iterations to your testing, you can use multiple cameras and widen your knowledge base.
Future installments of Shot Craft will discuss
additional methodologies for camera and lighting
tests.

The generic lens-testing setup described here
provides a great deal of information overall:
how the lens handles skin tones; the sense of
dimensionality it presents; the bokeh, color
and sharpness it produces; and how the glass

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American Cinematographer - April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - April 2021

Contents
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - Cover1
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 1
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - Contents
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 3
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 4
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 5
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 6
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 7
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 8
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 9
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 10
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 11
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 12
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 13
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 14
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 15
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 16
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 17
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 18
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 19
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 20
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 21
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 22
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 23
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 24
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 25
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 26
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 27
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 28
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 28a
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 28b
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 29
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 30
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 30a
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 30b
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 31
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 32
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 33
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 34
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 35
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 36
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 37
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 38
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 39
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 40
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 41
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 42
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 43
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 44
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 45
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 46
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 47
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 48
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 49
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 50
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 51
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American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 53
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 54
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 55
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 56
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 57
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 58
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 59
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 60
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 61
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 62
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 63
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American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 71
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 72
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - April 2021 - Cover4
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