Let’s look at the cameras used to capture the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this follow-up to our first article, we’ll explore the Phase Two films.
A continuation of a journey through the production of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Read about the cameras and lenses of Phase One films here.)
I was curious to know which camera was used most throughout the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). So I took a deep dive into each of the films to find out.
In this roundup, we’ll be looking at the camera gear used in Phase Two (2013-2015) of the MCU, starting with Iron Man 3 and wrapping up with Ant-Man. Stay tuned in the following days for the conclusion of this series of breakdowns.
MCU Phase Two Cameras: “Now, before we get started, does anyone want to get out?”
Iron Man 3
Director: Shane Black
Director of Photography: John Toll
U.S. Release: May 2013
Camera Package:
- ARRI Alexa Studio
- Phantom Flex
- Canon EOS C300 (for VFX)
- Lenses
- Leica Summilux-C
- Fujinon Premier
- Angenieux Optimo Lenses
- Zeiss Master Primes
- Canon EF
- Codex, ARRIRAW
Iron Man 3 was the first film cinematographer John Toll shot digitally. In an interview with Definition Magazine, Toll says the following:
In a behind-the-scenes look from Canon, it was revealed that
Visual Effects Supervisor Christopher Townsend went on to tell Canon the following:
Thor: The Dark World
Director: Alan Taylor
Director of Photography: Kramer Morgenthau
U.S. Release: November 2013
Camera Package:
- ARRI Alexa Plus
- Phantom Flex
- Red Epic (some shots)
- Canon EOS 5D Mark II (second unit: crash camera)
- Lenses
- Panavision C-, G-Series, ATZ and AWZ2 Lenses
- Canon EF Lenses
- Codex, ARRIRAW, Redcode RAW
In a chat with The Location Guide, DP Kramer Morgenthau shared the following:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Director of Photography: Trent Opaloch
U.S. Release: April 2014
Camera Package:
- ARRI Alexa Plus
- Red Epic
- Lenses
- Panavision C-, E-, G-Series, ATZ and AWZ2 Lenses
- Codex, ARRIRAW
This is the first of four epic Marvel collaborations for the Russo brothers and cinematographer Trent Opaloch. When talking about working with the brothers, Opaloch reveals the following in an interview with Matthew Toffolo:
As for the pre-production and shoot:
Guardians of the Galaxy
Director: James Gunn
Director of Photography: Ben Davis
U.S. Release: November 2014
Camera Package:
- ARRI Alexa XT Plus
- Lenses
- Panavision Primo
- Cooke Xtal Express
- Angenieux Optimo
- Codex, ARRIRAW
This was the first Marvel film lensed by Ben Davis, who went on to shoot several additional MCU installments. Davis wrapped Guardians and immediately went to work on Age of Ultron.
In a spotlight on Variety, DP Ben Davis talks about shooting the many worlds of Marvel:
While on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy, Davis recalls meeting director Joss Whedon:
(Bonus, check out this tutorial on creating Guardians of the Galaxy-style titles in After Effects.)
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Director: Joss Whedon
Director of Photography: Ben Davis
U.S. Release: May 2015
Camera Package:
- ARRI Alexa XT Plus
- Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
- Canon EOS C500
- GoPro HD Hero 3
- Phantom Flex4K
- Red Epic Dragon
- Red Epic
- Lenses
- Panavision Primo Lenses
- Canon Cinema EF Lenses
- Zeiss Super Speed
- Panasonic Lumix G and Lumix GX Vario Lenses
- Codex, ARRIRAW, Redcode RAW, Canon Cinema RAW, Phantom RAW, CinemaDNG RAW
In a conversation with Studio Daily, DP Ben Davis talks about the scale of this production:
As for the planning, Davis tells British Cinematographer about his approach to the look of Age of Ultron:
As for the actual shoot, Davis is quick to credit his team of camera operators — Julian Morson on A-camera, Luke Redgrave on B, and Sam Renton on a third, when necessary. As for whenever Davis needs to grab a camera:
As for using the Pocket Cinema Camera, Davis revealed the following in a Blackmagic Design press release:
Ant-Man
Director: Peyton Reed
Director of Photography: Russell Carpenter
U.S. Release: July 2015
Camera Package:
- ARRI Alexa XT Plus
- ARRI Alexa M (fight sequences, helicopter)
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III (some shots)
- Phantom Flex4K
- Lenses
- Panavision Primo V, 14.5 to 150 mm
- Nova Lenses
- Canon EF Lenses
- Frazier lens
- Codex, ARRIRAW
In a great piece on ICG Magazine, many of the production staff share incredible insights. Cinematographer Russell Carpenter shares the following:
As for the look of the film, Carpenter went on to say the following:
Now, as for the incredible macro sequences featuring a shrunken Ant-Man, Carpenter talks about the need for outside help.
Rebecca Baehler joined the production, and she shared her microscopic insight:
That concludes the second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For the next installment — and a summary of the cameras most often used on Marvel films, check out Phase One and Three.
- The Cameras and Lenses Behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One
- The Cameras and Lenses Behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Three