ßroadcastEnsineerin - AmericanRadioHistory.Com

FIELD REPORT
NEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS
Fujinon's
PL 19 -90 Cabrio
The lens bridges the cinema and ENG worlds.
BY DRFW LAHAT
recision Productions+Post,
based in Los Angeles, produces
commercials, EPKs
and online content for networks
and corporations alike. Our
work ranges from EFP -style interviews
and documentary work to national
campaigns with high production
values and a cinematic look.
For many years, this translated into
very different camera packages. ENG/
EFP gear was finely tuned for fast,
grab'n'go work, while cine gear came
in a half -dozen cases and dictated
a different mode of operation. The
challenge was when clients and directors
began asking for a mixture of
both, which started to happen more
often than not.
Digital cameras such as the
Panasonic VariCam offer a hybrid approach
but still feature a 2 /3in sensor.
Part of the problem is the lens. Despite
rapid improvements in digital
technology, optics remain stubbornly
bound to the laws of physics, and bigger
sensors mean big, heavy lenses and
various compromises. The thought of
having to lug a mammoth zoom lens
around is enough to make ENG crews
write off cine gear altogether.
The Fujinon PL 19 -90 Cabrio
(ZK4.7x19) promises to bridge the
"glass gap" and offer cine lens performance
with ENG ergonomics. It is a
true cinema lens, covering the Super
35 sensor size with a PL mount. Its
focal length translates to a versatile
4.7X zoom factor, and the aperture
maintains a constant T2.9 throughout
the focal range. Better yet, the
lens is 9in long and weighs 6lbs. This
is a blessing for handheld work since
comparable cine zooms weigh twice
as much, if not more.
The most innovative part of the
Handheld operation of cinema cameras has always required plenty of rigging and
help from camera assistants and focus pullers. With the Fujinon PL 19 -90 Cabrio,
much of that is gone, and the simplicity and immediacy of ENG is returned.
lens is its integrated, yet detachable,
servo unit. The handgrip form factor
makes ENG operators feel right at
home. Three servos control focus, iris
and zoom, and connect to standard
Fujinon zoom and focus demand
units - unheard of in the film world.
On the cine side of things, the pitch
gear is 0.8 and not Fujinon's usual 0.6,
and the servos send ARRI LDS and
Cooke /i metadata (useful for motion -
control and 3 -D rigs). Two switches
disengage the servos for manual operation,
and the whole handgrip can
be easily detached from the lens for
fully manual work. (It self -calibrates
when reattached.)
With assistance from local outfits
Evidence Cameras and Dependent
Media, we were able to test the Cabrio
on a variety of cameras, including
an ARRI ALEXA, Sony PMW -F3,
RED EPIC and even a Panasonic
GH2 DSLR. The initial impression
was that this is a high -end
professional tool. The construction
quality is excellent, with smooth and
accurate ring rotation.
Optically, the lens is on par with any
professional cine zoom. The 5K resolution
of the RED EPIC made it the most
demanding camera in our test, and the
Cabrio passed with ease. Wide open,
the lens exhibited minimal chromatic
aberration, which was eliminated
when stopped down. Distortion was
present but surprisingly minor, and
breathing was minimal. From the test
bench to the set, we got solid, sharp
footage with accurate colors.
Handheld
While the lens makes for a great
lightweight zoom, it truly shines
when used with a shoulder -mount
camera. Handheld operation of
motion picture cameras has always
required plenty of rigging, with
elaborate mounts, handgrips, remote
control units, and help from
72 broadcastengineering.com March 2013