Camera Basics

In this lesson, we focus on setting up cameras and render settings in Cinema 4D — an essential step in presenting your modeled and animated scene professionally.

We begin by checking the Render Settings, ensuring the output resolution is set correctly. In this case, the scene is configured to HD (1920×1080), which is the standard 16:9 aspect ratio used for most video projects. We also switch from the outdated Standard renderer to Redshift Renderer, which is included with Cinema 4D and provides modern, high-quality rendering capabilities. While advanced Redshift settings are covered later, the key takeaway here is making sure your renderer is set correctly before moving forward.

Next, we look at how cameras work in Cinema 4D. By default, Cinema 4D uses a Default Camera, but it’s best practice to create your own dedicated camera objects. A new camera can be added via:

• Create > Camera

• Or from the Camera menu in the interface

When you create a new camera, it automatically inherits your current viewport view — which makes it quick and intuitive to lock in framing. To view through your new camera, simply click the small camera icon next to it in the Object Manager.

An important quirk to remember: Camera movements cannot be undone with Ctrl + Z. You must use Ctrl + Shift + Z to undo camera positioning changes.

We then explore some of the most important camera settings. The Camera Type is set to Perspective by default, which is what you’ll use most of the time. However, creative options like Fisheye and Isometric can produce stylized looks.

The most important setting is Focal Length.

Focal length controls the lens look of your shot:

• Lower focal lengths (e.g. 20–35mm): create a wider field of view with more distortion.

• Higher focal lengths (e.g. 100–200mm): compress the image and produce a flatter, more cinematic look.

In this lesson, a 200mm focal length is used for the final render to create a more condensed, stylized composition — something worth experimenting with in your own scenes.

We also look at framing and composition tools.

Under the camera’s Display tab, you can enable Composition Guides, which help you visually structure your shot. Available guides include:

• Grid overlays (useful for centering or rule of thirds)

• Adjustable grid cell counts

• Diagonal guides

• Crosshair

• Fibonacci / Golden Spiral overlays

These tools make it easier to refine your layout and improve the visual balance of your scene. Finally, it’s emphasized that camera setup is an iterative process. You’ll often adjust framing, focal length, and composition multiple times as your scene develops — and that’s completely normal.

Workflow tips covered in this lesson:

• Always check your resolution and renderer before rendering

• Create dedicated cameras instead of relying on the default camera

• New cameras inherit your current viewport view

• Use longer focal lengths for a more cinematic, compressed look

• Enable composition guides to improve shot layout

• Expect to refine your camera setup as your project evolves

Shortcut Recap

• Click camera icon in Object Manager – Look through selected camera

• Ctrl + Shift + Z – Undo camera movements

• H – Frame all objects in the scene

Additional Resources

• Full Jumpstart course and additional resources