The unique advantages of Canon's sublime Sumire Primes

Having a complete set of colour-matched lenses that allow a filmmaker to use the latest camera technology is fast becoming a critical part of every modern DoP's arsenal.

With a huge demand for a very cinematic aesthetic in everything from feature films, drama series and documentaries to commercials and music videos – plus the pressure to get it right first time and minimise time spent grading in post, it's vital to choose the right lenses.

A filmic feel and smooth bokeh

On the set of a luxury car commercial, Brett Danton needed to employ just about every technique a filmmaker needs for shooting action – from aerial shots with a large drone to fast panning and high-speed car-to-car tracking shots using a camera car mounted with a large Russian arm.

The standout shots were of the Jaguar filmed from the moving camera car, with the Canon EOS C500 Mark II fitted with a Canon CN-E35mm T1.5 FP X lens. "The Sumire Primes bring a filmic feel and give nice flares," explains Brett. "Using a Sumire to shoot the car coming towards you at dusk, with its headlights on, softens the image. The highlights on the metalwork gleam and there are flares from the headlights."

Although Sumire Prime lenses are manual focus, they use Canon's innovative Dual Pixel AF system to give a visual representation of whether the subject is sharp – something Brett quickly learnt to rely on. "I used the focus assist – it's another tool to have in your toolbox," he says.

When Steve Holleran was tasked with putting the new Canon EOS C300 Mark III through its paces, he was quick to fit it with Sumire Primes to film Boneyard Ballet, which he describes as a "magical journey following a ballerina dancing through an abandoned 747 jumbo jet in an airplane boneyard… a visual ode to the art of flight – human and mechanical."

The shoot involved contrasting environments: bright desert sunshine and the gleaming metal of the planes outside, and then low-light conditions inside one of the scrapped airliners. The wide maximum apertures of the Sumires, along with the 11-blade rounded iris for smooth bokeh, gave the film a very special look.

"It was delicately balanced – not too sharp, not too soft," Steve says. "It looked exactly as it did when I conceptualised the piece. That to me is cinematic – and that's why I like Canon glass." He used all seven lenses in the Sumire Prime range, but focused particularly on the 14mm and 35mm focal lengths "to take advantage of the scope of the 747 and the massive boneyard".

A traditional cinematic look with modern optical quality

As any DOP will verify, picking the right lens is not just about choosing the highest-resolving lenses with the highest contrast. These can be accused of giving a sterile, less natural look to a film.

To assist a smooth workflow for DOPs, the Sumire Prime range offers the same reduced focus breathing as Canon's EF-mount cine primes and are operated manually, allowing for precise change of focus. Operators won't have to adjust gear positions when changing between the lenses, which all offer a 300-degree focus rotation.

The Sumire Prime lenses can be changed from PL mount to EF mount at Canon authorised service centres and are compatible with all Canon Cinema EOS full-frame and Super 35mm 4K cameras, including the Canon EOS C700 FF, Canon EOS C500 Mark II, Canon EOS C300 Mark III, Canon EOS C300 Mark II and Canon EOS C200.

The advantages of the Sumire Prime series are most apparent when used with the latest Canon Cinema EOS cameras. As well as all the mechanical details, such as the consistent 300-degree focus rotation, 114mm front diameter that takes 105mm filters, lack of focus breathing and consistent nuanced, warm look across the range, the Sumires are designed to work alongside Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF system. This gives a visual guide as to whether the image is in focus, and an indication of which way to turn the focus ring in order to get it sharp – a powerful tool for camera operators or remote focus pullers. Filmmakers can achieve a soft, cinematic look with the backing of strong optical engineering – Sumire Primes take the classic look of cinema and bring it up to date.