Creative uses of long lenses?

[Inazuma]

I'm about to receive a Tokina 80-200mm f2.8 for use in a fight scene (the compressed image will make the fake hits look more realistic). The last time I had a lens of this length was years ago when I used a 12x compact camera :p Other than for portrait shots, what can I use this lens for? I bought it for a very small price, but I want to make the most use of it.

[captou]

It should also be good for wildlife and also portraits from afar (i.e. when people don't realise you are taking a picture but please don't abuse that feature  :D )

[fuzzynormal]

If you want to portray a character struggling to move forward, trapped, not making progress, stressed that they're not going to get where they need to be in time, etc.  ...even though he/she is moving toward the lens, a long lens shot is a good way to show that metaphorically.

 

"The Graduate" comes to mind.  The character runs toward the lens but never seems to get closer.

 

Of course, this cinematic trope is used as a joke in "The Holy Grail."

[andy lee]

go watch all the Tony Scott Directed films as he shot almost always on the long end of lenses often with x2 extenders ,

Top Gun , Days of Thunder and my Favourite for long lenses - the Taking Of Pelam 1 2 3 (the remake not the DP Owen Roisman original classic) that gave his films that fast style , long lenses are great for movement shots

 

also watch all the Sergio Leone Dollar Trilogy with Clint Eastwood -  (he used and Angenieux 25-250mm f3.8 to shoot the entire movies the odd shot on fast primes at night but 90% on that one Angenieux )  long lens extreme closes ups where Sergio's trade mark

he shot 2 perf Techniscope on spherical lenses.

 

I prefer long lenses any day to wides !! long lenses are alot more cinematic looking . harder to use creatively as you need very good sturdy rigs for them, as you cant just hand hold these and expect it to look nice!!

[Guest fe4a3f5e8381673ce80017d29a8375f1]

I prefer long lenses any day to wides !! long lenses are alot more cinematic looking . harder to use creatively as you need very good sturdy rigs for them, as you cant just hand hold these and expect it to look nice!!

 

Watch out Andy - you're sounding suspiciously like someone who should be using a full-frame camera!!!  ;)