Lens with focal lengths from 300mm to 2000mm for extreme close-ups from safe distance with strong background compression.
Technical Details
Professional cine super telephoto lenses achieve focal lengths from 300mm to 2000mm with apertures between T2.8 and T8. The Cooke Anamorphic/i 300mm T2.3 weighs 8.2kg, while the Canon CN20 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 Cine-Servo is 3.8kg. Internal Focusing (IF) prevents changes in length during focusing, and floating elements compensate for spherical aberrations. Modern designs utilize ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass and fluorite lenses to reduce chromatic aberration. Cinema optics offer standardized 114mm front diameters for matte box systems and 0.8 module gears for follow focus systems.
History & Development
Nikon introduced the first commercial 1000mm mirror lens in 1959, followed by Zeiss in 1963 with the Mirotar 500mm. The film industry initially adapted super telephotos from sports photography – the iconic Canon FD 600mm F4.5 was used in "Rocky" in 1976. In 2008, Cooke developed the S4/i 300mm T2.8 specifically for cinema applications, and Fujinon followed in 2012 with the Cabrio series of variable cine zooms up to 850mm. In 2019, RED integrated crop modes for the first time with the Komodo, turning standard telephotos into super telephoto equivalents.
Practical Use in Film
Roger Deakins used an 800mm lens for the Istanbul chase sequence in "Skyfall" (2012) to isolate motorcycles against compressed cityscapes. "The Revenant" utilized 600mm lenses for wildlife documentary scenes without disturbing the bears. Super telephotos enable extreme close-ups from a safe distance from pyrotechnics or dangerous stunts. The strong background compression dramatically isolates subjects from their surroundings, while the shallow depth of field at wide apertures creates cinematic isolation. Disadvantages: Camera shake is exponentially amplified, and gimbal systems reach their weight limits.
Comparison & Alternatives
Standard telephoto lenses (85-200mm) still offer a natural perspective, whereas super telephotos from 300mm onwards significantly distort spatial perception. Crop sensors like the ALEXA Super35 extend effective focal lengths by a factor of 1.3-1.5. Modern alternatives include digital zoom functions in 8K cameras or extender systems that increase existing focal lengths by a factor of 1.4x or 2x. Mirror lenses (catadioptric) achieve extreme focal lengths in a compact design but produce characteristic ring bokehs and fixed apertures.