The Genesis GV80 is a luxury SUV that prioritizes design, technology, and performance. When I was hired to DP a commercial for the company, I knew I needed a set of lenses that could elevate its signature features while simultaneously delivering beautifully sharp imagery across the board. Additionally, I knew our schedule was going to be pretty tight.
We only had four hours to shoot this commercial and since we were planning on shooting later in the day for the best lighting, it was super important for me to have a lens set that was fast and had a similar build and look, regardless of which focal length I chose. For these reasons, I chose the Sigma Cine FF High Speed Primes and I couldn’t be happier with the results!
Watch the commercial
Why Sigma Cine High Speed Primes?
The Sigma Cine FF High Speed Primes were perfect for this project because they’re full-frame, incredibly sharp, consistently color accurate, and deliver a beautiful bokeh across all focal lengths. Having a lens set that remains consistent is vital when shooting commercial work because it allows me to choose a focal length that best serves the story without worrying about having any shifts in the color rendition.
For this commercial, my glass of choice was the 24mm T1.5, 40mm T1.5, and the 85mm T1.5. Each of these lenses (and all lenses in the High Speed line) had the focus gear in the same position which proved to be incredibly time efficient when having to swap lenses. The ability to quickly change lenses without having to reposition our focus motor meant more time on crafting our look and less time having to rebalance our steadicam and adjust our motors.
24mm T1.5 FF
I chose the 24mm T1.5 as my wide-angle lens because I needed a focal length that could capture the car in its entirety while also producing a nice falloff from the background. The 24mm proved to be wide enough to capture the vehicle in all its essence, while also giving us room to draw the viewer in towards the car without edge distortion. I loved the way this lens captured our hero shot of the Genesis GV80 as our talent walked toward the car.
40mm T1.5 FF
When I needed a lens that could showcase the car’s interior while subtly compressing space to draw the viewer in, I turned to the 40mm T1.5. It was wide enough to highlight the car’s premium design, yet still ideal for creating elegant, portrait-style frames of key features. This focal length also gave me the flexibility to push a dolly through the vehicle which helped elevate the overall storytelling within this piece.
85mm T1.5 FF
I absolutely love the 85mm T1.5 for beauty shots! This was my go-to lens for details on design and beautiful portraiture of the talent. The depth of field on this lens is so creamy and smooth, it really draws your focus to the subject. I used this lens to highlight design details of the car such as the Genesis logo and a hero moment of our talent enjoying the car’s luxury design. Definitely my favorite lens!
Overall, I’m so happy that I chose these lenses because it truly allowed for such a smooth production. The client was also incredibly impressed by what we were able to capture in such a short amount of time. The Sigma Cine FF High Speed Primes‘ consistent T1.5 aperture proved invaluable when working on a tight schedule while the uniform focus motor placement allowed us to move quickly and stay true to our vision. Combined with consistently beautiful imagery across all focal lengths, the lenses helped us deliver a result true to the Genesis brand.
Based on the feedback from this project, the Sigma Cine High Speed Primes are a lens set I’ll confidently turn to for future commercial work!
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