February 2013 www.tvbeurope.com


Newsworthy: Fujinon ZK4.7x19SAM with ENG-style handle is a Cine and ENG-style PL-mount 19-90mm zoom


TVBEurope 29 Acquistion Focus: Camera Lenses


are surrounded by a circle of lights. The T5.6 XL can be used directly, straight through, as a Borescope, or with either a 90º or 45º bend as a periscope. The controls are at the rear for ease of use and the whole system has an arms-reach ergonomic maximum length of 800mm. “This makes a shoot more comfortable and efficient than with some systems, e.g. the camera operator has less need to reach into the zone where the subjects of the shoot (e.g. bees or ants) are situated,” says Pollitt.


Schneider Optics The Cooke 5/i 135mm lens


increasing higher theoretical resolution and sensitivity,” says Pollitt. “At first glance it might appear that the higher sensitivity of the cameras could lead to the use of slower and thus cheaper lenses.” But, there are problems due to the wavelength of light. “A 4K, 35mm, single-chip camera should not be used with a lens slower than f/8, otherwise the image will be degraded by diffraction effects.” “When we first introduced the


smaller, lightweight miniS4/i range (formerly known as Panchro By Cooke) at T2.8, there were rumblings at first, but digital cameras are so much more light-sensitive these days that 2.8 isn’t an issue any more,” says Zellan. “We don’t make compromises and don't ask our customers to either. We supply three different ranges of lenses - 5/i, S4/i and miniS4/i - which offer different stops and are priced accordingly. However, they are all of equal quality and all are colour matched so that the ranges can be combined,” he adds. “Size and weight are key


issues for camera operators, especially for 4K production,” says Koyama. “Canon has consistently managed to improve optical performance without increasing size or weight or impacting on operational functionality. We’ve achieved this through innovation and by using the most advanced optical technology such as aspherical lens design and ultra low dispersion glass.” Its latest 4K


Epic performance: A Schneider-Kreuznach 95mm Cine Xenar III lens on a Red camera


zooms, the CN-E15.5-47mm and CN-E30-105mm, are both lightweight and compact. Canon’s latest Field lens, the XJ95x8.6B has 10% more zoom ratio, greater focal length, increased wide angle and yet has the same weight and dimensions as its predecessor, the XJ86x9.3B. “There isn't a strict ‘one for


all’ formula for selecting the best glass to put in front of your camera (apart from: ‘You get what you pay for’),” says Sargeant. “With the less expensive lenses, it's not just the sensitivity that can take a hit. I've known such lenses to have greater issues with breathing, shading, focus control and overall sharpness, and, in few cases, vignetting clearly visible on the waveform monitor. Of course, if you are working from a well-lit set, ensuring that you have the very best lens isn't the most important thing as, to an extent, that extra luminance really helps the camera conceive the image you are trying to feed in to it.” Image stabilised lenses have been widely used in long Outside Broadcast lenses, which are particularly sensitive to vibration at their longest focal lengths, but the technology is no longer confined to long lenses. Canon’s HJ15ex8.5B KRS-V is a new ENG/EFP lens with a built-in stabiliser. “This has special applications in certain types of OB and is particularly well suited for sports such as marathons and cycling,” says Koyama. “We also launched


Auto Focus versions of our big Field lenses for special OB sports applications allowing camera operators to capture images that were never previously possible.”


Double vision


Although 4K and higher- resolution work is today’s big growth area, 3D is still a significant part of the market for some manufacturers. Fujinon, for example, offers matched pairs of lenses for 3D. “Demand for 3D is still


around but it does seem to have receded since the early hype,” says Zellan. Martin Scorsese’s 3D movie Hugo was the first to use lenses from all three Cooke ranges and won Robert Richardson a 2011 Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Canon’s standard 2/3-inch


Drive Unit, with a software upgrade, “has 3D settings so the operator can synchronise zoom, focus and iris without the need


for purchasing matched pairs. That’s why Canon has such a strong position in the 3D broadcast market,” claims Koyama.


Abakus is finding a lot of


interest in doing 3D miniature and model work, including wildlife, “such as ants being used as monsters, which obviously look more scary if they are in 3D,” says Pollitt. He has designed a new 3D lens with two paired objectives for use on a single digital large-sensor camera. It can also be fitted to the new Abakus XL borescope/periscope system or retrofitted to the old Optex Excellence system to bring 3D to a single camera periscope system. “It fits in the same space as the other Abakus XL borescope lenses, which have a range of focal lengths (10mm, 14mm, 20mm, 28mm and 40mm).” To minimise the need for


additional lighting, these lenses GOING WIDE FOR DIGITAL


You need specialist lenses for anamorphic, and Arri and Carl Zeiss have created the first anamorphic primes designed for digital cameras. The Master Anamorphic range was developed for the Alexa Studio, Alexa Plus 4:3 and Alexa M cameras, all of which have a 4:3 sensor, to allow users to shoot full Cinemascope (2.392:1) images. “It is not just the aspect ratio, but


the specific look of anamorphic. They have an oval bokeh and a very shallow


depth of field,” said Thorsten Meyworld, product manager optical systems, Arri. “The optical performance has never


been there in anamorphic lenses before,” added Anna Rausch, product manager Cine Lenses, Camera Lens Division, Carl Zeiss. They feature a newly developed iris with 15 aperture blades, a near-telecentric optical design to reduce colour fringing and shading at the image corners, and produce no anamorphic mumps (fat


face effect). A completely new focusing mechanism avoids time- consuming mechanical readjustments on set. The 35mm, 50mm and 75mm


versions will be available by NAB, while 40mm, 40mm, 100mm and 135mm lenses will be added at IBC. All the lenses are T1.9, for maximum bokeh, which Meyworld promises “is a T-stop you can use.” The maximum lens weight is below 3kg. – David Fox


manufactures Quarter Wave Retarder and Optical Flat Windows for mounting on the front of 3D rigs. The Quarter Wave Retarder can circularly polarise light coming into the lens with minimal to no light loss. “If a Quarter Wave Retarder is not used, there is a chance that cross polarised light can enter the reflected cameras' lens and create a disparity in the 3D image. This is most commonly seen in reflective surface shooting like shiny wet roads, cars, or water,” explains Avery.


“Optical Flat Windows are used to reduce damage and protect the sensitive mirrors used in 3D rigs. In the last couple of years this business has declined as more productions seem to be moving to traditional 2D movies shot in higher resolutions such as 4K, however 3D filmmaking still remains popular in certain markets and specific types of feature film production,” he adds. www.abakus.co.uk www.angenieux.com www.arri.com www.canon-europe.com www.cookeoptics.com www.fujinon.de www.procam.tv www.pyser-sgi.com www.schneideroptics.com www.zeiss.com/cine


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