Joe Incardona
MEMPHIS
When Media Source made the leap to high-definition in April 2008, we purchased a Fujifilm (formerly Fujinon) HA16x6.3 BERM HD lens to use with our P2-based Panasonic HD cameras. We also installed an HD edit suite with an Apple Mac Pro with Final Cut Pro, along with an 8 TB storage system.
What convinced me to purchase the Fujifilm lens was a number of online reviews by DPs who had experience with it. The consensus was that for smaller HD production houses such as mine, this lens would give you the most bang for the buck, as it's almost like having two lenses in one. It's a wide enough lens and also a good everyday lens that's long enough to move in on close-ups.
I started in television news in 1985, and just about all the best videographers I worked with have held Fujifilm ENG lenses in high regard.
A colleague from my news days had a saying that stuck with me: "It's all about the glass." This has definitely been the case with Fujifilm lens products.
We are using our Fujifilm lens constantly, as we do a mix of corporate communication videos, commercials, and also a mix of broadcast/entertainment/news shoots. We also use the lens in our studio for green screen shoots, as well as a monthly news magazine show that we produce for a large public utility company here.
FAST LENS AIDS ENG OPERATIONS
One of the most outstanding features of the HA16x6.3 BERM lens is that it's very fast for an ENG field camera lens. With the lens wide open to f-1.7, and using lighting with a daylight color temperature, we can achieve a beautiful shallow depth of field if we practice the "7-7" rule. That means putting at least seven feet of separation between the lens and our subject, and having a nice looking background with some interesting objects lit well at least seven feet behind the subject.
The lens' 2x extender has also enabled us to get some unique landscape/outdoor shots, which was a major factor during a demanding three-day shoot in Hawaii for a series of HD stock footage location shoots for a large hotel chain. One of my favorite shots during the job was based around a beautiful fruit and cheese tray, garnished with an array of native Hawaiian flowers, along with a bottle of champagne and fluted glasses.
In looking at the high-definition field monitor, I could see, with amazing clarity, the individual bubbles in each of the champagne glasses. And at the same time, the lens captured the amazing blue of the Pacific Ocean in the background, as well as people walking along the boardwalk on the beach. What's really amazing is that the boardwalk and the beach were two blocks from the hotel, and we were on the 18th floor of the building. Our Fujifilm lens proved once again that it's really "all about the glass."
Joe Incardona is president of Media Source, and has owned the company since 1994. He has also worked as a reporter for stations in Oklahoma City and Memphis. He may be contacted atjoeinc@memphismediasource.com.
For additional information, contact Fujifilm at 973-633-5600 or visitwww.fujinon.com/broadcast.
