Preset Cine look with wide angle lens

[Robert Watcher]

The widest lens I have for my Olympus camera is an old 4/3 11-22mm f2.8 (22-44mm equivalent) with adaptor to fit my micro 4/3 bodies.

After watching a Youtube video last night referring to shooting with a 21mm lens cropped to a wide format, I decided to make use of that style tonight when Anne and I headed down to the Main Street for some relaxation in a little outdoor restaurant.

While shooting my Olympus E-M1 Mkii with RAW files being saved to one card (so I have full size colour images if I need) —- and my custom setting jpgs going to the second card ——- I set the camera up so it shot in Black and White with a 16x9 crop. With the lower light I shot at 3200 to 6400 ISO to keep the aperture set for adequate dof and well as to add some character to the results. Once the files were uploaded to my iPad, I did run the final selection through a B&W preset that I have created for my street pics.

 

[Robert Watcher]

 

[Robert Watcher]

 

[Robert Watcher]

 

[Robert Watcher]

Perhaps others will enjoy this video that I mentioned, as well

 

[Robert Watcher]

 

[Robert Watcher]

 

[Asher Kelman]

A great idea! 21 mm as a goal but 22mn is pretty close. The video is so helpful!

But what’s your B&W setting and do you ever add vignettes or only in studio settings!

 

[Robert Watcher]

There is a Monotone preset. That is what I have it set at. The processing in Snapseed is to add vignetting, texture, contrast or any other adjustment I feel like at the time. There are also 2 Contrasty Black and White settings available as Art Filters in Olympus cameras, that have looks similar to Kodak TriX with lots of contrast and grain baked into the files. I’ve used that setting a lot in the past and will probably use it on an outing or two here in Tulum.

 

[Robert Watcher]

Here is the file as developed in the camera using the Monotone setting, without any adjustments or sharpening added - just resized for web

And then the same file run through Snapseed app on my iPad, with a grungy black and white Preset that I have applied to these images taken last night.

I have created and saved about 20 or 30 different presets (called Looks) that I often use as starting points for a look that I am after on any particular sequence of images I’ve shot during an outing.



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These were my exposure settings

 

[Asher Kelman]

The “Manhattan Out” book recommended is exceptionally expensive!

​

There’s only one left, so if a one wants it, hurry!

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

Won’t be the same experience, but can view the pages here

 

[Asher Kelman]

The book ope fully will guide me further as to what is possible in addition to your inspiring work, so I grabbed the last one available at Abe Books for $300.

When my wife sees the payment, I can defend it with the idea that I can recover 3 times the price on Amazon!

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

The book hope fully will guide me further as to what is possible in addition to your inspiring work, so I grabbed the last one available at Abe Books for $300.

When my wife sees the payment, I can defend it with the idea that I can recover 3 times the price on Amazon!

Asher

Wow

 

[Asher Kelman]

Wow

I was seduced and it’s like buying a mint Canon white lens for 66% off. Not much of a risk!

I had a bargain price 300 min 2.8 L and after 5 years of lugging it around and realizing that despite its beauty it was too heavy, I sold it for 30% more to a delighted fellow!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

The books recommended in the video seem superbly! Several rare, in dens demand and this for most of us, prohibitively expensive.

But in this case, if one is planning a multi-year commitment to street photography in this style, this book appears to be worth the cost! You follow his dedication, years in two great cities, Boston and New York from “Grime & Crime”, [in my words] to “Rich with Slime”!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Won’t be the same experience, but can view the pages here

Robert,

You have done a huge service and I appreciate the time you took to make this video! The sounds of the paper turning are distinctive, LOL but the images are easy to enjoy if one pauses after the click!

…and it’s free!

Asher

 

[Jerome Marot]

I am not really sure why this is called "cine look". Moreover, I don't think that cinema uses lenses that wide, as things would appear weird when the camera is moved. But there have been wide-angles used in cinema, for example "Das Boot" by Wolfgang Petersen or "À bout de souffle" by Jean-Luc Godard. I should check what lenses were used.

As to the videos and using wide-angle lenses for street photography: what is great with that setup is that one can include several elements in the frame, which respond to one another. For example:

 

[Robert Watcher]

I only used the term Cine to describe my use of a panoramic crop and preference when possible of having subjects at the edges of the frame. Up close and personal with multiple levels of interest at times. Cine means nothing here. Just a title I chose for the fun of it.

Generally Cine in movies is much wider than the panoramic 16x9 format and I really like that look and have squeezed the content to fit a 2.35:1 vertical at times. Cine wide formats don’t always work as well with small web displays as they do when printed or projected large, but they are different.

Way back in my Super 8mm film days, I loved working with anamorphic lenses to squeeze a wide angle of view into the squarish film format and then stretch it back out for projection. It was fun, especially when projecting on a large screen.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I tried trained and supervised chat GPT assistant!

“Let’s go straight to it—two iconic films, two very distinct uses of wide-angle lenses, and very different motivations behind them:

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1. Das Boot (1981, Wolfgang Petersen)​

Cinematographer: Jost Vacano
Lens Type: Ultra-wide-angle lenses (10mm–25mm range)
Format: Arriflex 35 BL camera system (35mm film)

Why these lenses:​

• The submarine set was extremely narrow and claustrophobic—built to scale.
• Vacano used 10mm and 14mm lensesfor many interior shots to:
  • Exaggerate the tightness of space
  • Make the viewer feel physically trapped with the crew
  • Maintain deep focus, keeping everything from foreground sweat to background rivets sharp
• He often used a handheld camera with ultra-wide lenses and fast primes to follow characters running through the narrow hull.

Result: the camera becomes a panicked crew member—wide-angle distortion pulls you into the chaos.

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2. À bout de souffle (Breathless, 1960, Jean-Luc Godard)​

Cinematographer: Raoul Coutard
Lens Type: 28mm and 35mm wide-angle lenses (some sources mention occasional use of 25mm)
Format: Eclair Cameflex camera (16mm modified for 35mm film)

Why these lenses:​

• Godard and Coutard were working with low budget, lightweight gear on the streets of Paris.
• Wide-angle primes helped them:
  • Shoot handheld and quickly, often with available light
  • Create jump cuts and fast movement without losing subject framing
  • Keep the mise-en-scène visually active—everything is in view
• Wide lenses also allowed Godard to shoot improvised dialogue scenes in cars or small hotel rooms with minimal lighting.

Result: The wide-angle creates a sense of restless, journalistic immediacy—the world is always moving, always on edge.”

Hope this helps expand the perspective given in choice of lenses that Jérôme shared on what might be meant by wide angle cinematic use!

Asher

 

[Jerome Marot]

One can still visit the submarine set of "Das Boot" in Munich. I did so a while ago and I thought wide angle lenses must have been used. Thanks for the clarification.