WXYZ, the ABC affiliate in Detroit, has purchased 15 Fujinon HTs18X4.2 BERM HD lenses with 2X extenders as part of its switchover to HD electronic newsgathering (ENG).
The lenses are being used to outfit the station’s team of camera operators with HD equipment and are being used with JVC GY-HD250 cameras for ENG, sports and special events production.
According to Earl Watkins, WXYZ chief photographer, the Fujinon lens was the best fit for the station’s new HD field format for ENG because of its performance and how its longer length than the station’s previous lenses helps to counterbalance the hard drive attached to the camera for recording.
The HTs18X4.2 BERM was developed specifically for use on the JVC camera at the request of the Scripps Broadcasting Group, which owns WXYZ. Fujinon chose the glass used in the lens to compensate for the smaller 1/3in imager used in the JVC GY-HD250 camera.
WXYZ and other Scripps stations have upgraded to a digital workflow by storing video on Focus Enhancement FireStore disk drives and editing on Macintosh laptops running Apple Final Cut Pro software.
For more information, visit www.fujinonbroadcast.com.
