Two camera innovations from Blackmagic Design also saw the light of day at NAB: a new variant of the top model in the URSA series, and the "URSA Broadcast ENG Kit". The first brings an OLPF filter for moiré/aliasing reduction (e.g. when shooting virtual sets wquipped with LED walls, etc.), the second product is a set of accessories for URSA Broadcast series cameras, greatly facilitating the creation of rigs for ENG/handheld/shoulder shooting. Available now!

Among the new Blackmagic Design products introduced at NAB 2023 are devices supporting the modern SMPTE 2110 standard for IP video: 2110 IP Converter 3x3G and a trio of DeckLink IP series cards. The former allows 3G-SDI signals to be converted to the SMPTE 2110 IP standard and features a 10G Ethernet interface (supporting up to three simultaneous 3G-SDI video channels) and a sleek front panel with a color LCD display (for signal monitoring, menu browsing and diagnostics). The DeckLink IP family currently includes three PCIe cards for uploading and playing back up to 1080p60 video within an IP infrastructure: DeckLink IP HD (three channels, RJ-45 Ethernet interface), DeckLink IP HD Optical (also three channels, 10GBASE-LR/SFP+ optical port) and DeckLink IP/SDI HD (2 channels, RJ-45 interface, 3G-SDI and sync output). All of these new products will be on sale during June this year.

Choosing a lens and lost in the parameters? Let's find out everything that's key to choosing the right lens.

How to choose a lens: A basic guide to choosing

How good the image you take depends largely on the lens you choose. So how do you choose the one that best suits your needs?

Right off the bat, we'd like to set the record straight that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all lens. It always depends on what you plan to do with the lens and what your requirements are. You'll need a different lens when you're shooting presentation videos, and a different lens when you're embarking on a career as a professional pet photographer.

What parameters should you look for when choosing a lens?

So what do you need to consider when choosing a lens? Whether you're looking for guidance on how to choose a Canon, Panasonic or even Sigma lens, the rules are pretty much the same. The following parameters should always be taken into account:

Focal length

The first thing you should think about when choosing a lens is the focal length. Lenses are then divided into fixed focal length lenses and zoom lenses or variable focal length lenses.

The focal length is given in millimetres and indicates the distance between the optical centre of the lens and the camera sensor. A short focal length (for example, 24 mm) provides a wider range and allows you to capture scenes with a large range, while a longer focal length (for example, 300 mm) provides a larger zoom and allows you to record subjects at greater distances.

Fixed focal length lenses are simpler in design so less can go wrong with them, simply put they tend to be of better quality and with better luminosity. That you have chosen and don't need to read any further? Unfortunately, every advantage is redeemed by a negative, in this case less responsiveness. Zooms, on the other hand, offer the advantage of being able to replace several fixed lenses at once, and they don't move around as much when traveling.

According to focal length, lenses are classified as follows:

- Fisheye (approx. 8-15 mm): Extremely wide-angle lenses that deliberately distort perspective

- Ultra-wide-angle (approx. 14-24 mm): Use them for landscapes, architecture and interiors.

- Wide-angle (approx. 24-35 mm): Useful for landscapes, architecture and reportage.

- Medium focus (35-100 mm): For natural views and portraiture.

- Normal (prime) lenses (50 mm): Match the angle of view of the human eye.

- Telephoto lenses (100-300 mm): Suitable for portrait, reportage or landscape.

Lens lenses are used for lenses with a wide range of lenses, for example

Another factor you should consider is the lens's luminosity, i.e. the ability of the lens to transmit light. Specifically, this is the ratio of the lens aperture diameter to the focal length. The aperture value also affects the depth of field. For shallow depth of field (out of focus background) you need a bright lens, for high depth of field you can get by with a smaller aperture.

Theluminosity is indicated by the letter f and a numerical value. Lenses with a lower number (e.g. f/1.4) let in more light than lenses with a higher number (e.g. f/4). In general, fixed focal length lenses have a better aperture than zoom lenses.

Translated, this means that the lower the number, the less time it takes to expose and the less risk of the image being out of focus. If you want to shoot or take photos in low light conditions, you can't do without a lens with a good aperture.

Image stabilization

If you're not going to be using a tripod all the time, you'll appreciate the ability to turn on image stabilisation to compensate for minor hand movements. Image stabilisation comes in handy at long focal lengths, for example, when you have to use longer shutter speeds and there's more chance of image blur, both when taking photos and videos. Of course, it won't fully replace a tripod, but it will still help a lot with shake elimination. The downside of stabilisation is that you pay extra for it and the lenses are also heavier.

Camera compatibility

You already have a clear idea of what you need in a basic camera. Now you still need to choose a lens that will be compatible with the camera body.

There are lenses for both full frame and Super35 or APS-C sensors. The main difference is the physical size of the image sensor. Full frame (full frame) lenses can be used on APS-C sensors, but there will be a change in the angle of view compared to full frame, specifically this change corresponds to the focal length multiplied by 1.6. And what do you mean by that? For example, such a lens with a focal length of 50 mm will behave like an 80 mm lens. If you were to use an APS-C to full frame lens, you would not render the entire sensor area and you would have black edges on the footage, or in the worst case, just a circle in the middle of the black box.

To make it not quite so simple, different brands use different bayonets (the system of attaching the lens to the body). The brands that make cameras and lenses (Sony, Canon, Nikon...) have specific bayonets. Lens manufacturers (e.g. Sigma) then make lenses in several variations to be compatible with the camera manufacturers' bayonets. So read the product descriptions well, which always include this information.

Many roads lead to our Prague showroom. One of them is by car.We are located at 291/21 Michelská Street and we are open for you from 9:00 to 17:00. And if you don't have a car, you can reach us by bus or tram from several directions - from Kačerov, Nusle or Vršovice. Get off right in front of our entrance. From tripods to cameras to streaming products, we're sure you'll find everything you're looking for. We have up to 7,000 products in stock for immediate collection, and if you choose personal collection on our e-shop, you will receive a call within 90 minutes. At Syntex, we have something for everyone, from beginners to major film productions. We'd love to have you stop by; we'll be happy to help you with your selection.

Team Syntex

The Blackmagic Camera 8.1 update implements the ability to shoot vertical videos (9:16, 4:5, etc.) using the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K/6K G2/6K Pro cameras, e.g. for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, etc. The user interface also adapts to vertical shooting: frame rate information, guides and other data are displayed correctly. Also new are shooting single frames to Blackmagic RAW (instead of CinemaDNG) even during video recording/playback, wider Canon lens support for the 6K/6K G2/6K Pro variants (zoom support for Canon EF-S 18-135mm, ability to map Canon CN-E lens user button, finer aperture setting changes), support for the new Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K OLPF camera, as well as improved compatibility with Zeiss Milvus and Otus (EF) lenses for Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K. Download here.