PANELLISTS
20
April October 2012 2016
Camera lenses that to productions ’ exact
Noriko Gunji is new president and CEO of Canon Singapore
Canon Singapore , the regional headquarters for Canon in South and South-east Asia , has named Noriko Gunji as president and CEO . Previously vice-president of Canon China , she will be based in Singapore , and will oversee and lead Canon employees and business partners in the area of sales , marketing and operations in 18 markets . Gunji takes over from Kensaku Konishi , a Canon veteran who has served as president and CEO of Canon Singapore since 2010 . Konishi will move to Malaysia in his new assignment as chairman and CEO of Efficient MailCom , a company of the Canon Singapore group .
Orban releases iMix 5.1 headphone monitor
Designed for critical monitoring and quality control , Orban said the iMix 5.1 monitor is the first surround headphone system in the world that does not rely on an artificial ambience or special encoding to create 5.1 surround in headphones . Designed to be used by broadcasters , production houses , content creators , recording studios , mastering houses and HDTV networks , the iMix 5.1 monitor eliminates the need for proprietary surround encoding to render a discrete 5.1 sound stage , added Orban .
Next Month @ Creation
Power , Lighting and Camera Support Systems
PANELLISTS
Joseph Jerome T Francia
Vice-President & Head of International Operations GMA International
Amitabh Kumar
Director , Corporate Zee Network
To capture the most compelling images , camcorders need to be paired with lenses that can help deliver the required cinematography formats .
Millette Manalo-Burgos writes more .
As camcorder technology gets enhanced , the lenses that go with these cutting-edge content creation tools are also evolving . Take camera lenses , for instance . Sean Dooley , sales manager of ARRI Australia , tells APB that among the new technology advancements being incorporated in camera lenses are anamorphic capabilities . In cinematography , the anamorphic format is the technique of shooting a widescreen picture onto a standard 35mm film or other visual recording media with a non-widescreen native aspect ratio .
“ Anamorphic production is new for TV drama production ,” says Dooley . And because ARRI has recognised that there is a growing demand for this format , it is now offering lenses to production professionals to make it easier for them to shoot for television using this traditional cinema-style technique .
“ The motion picture industry worldwide has seen a significant increase in the demand for anamorphic lenses over the past half decade of production ,” he explains . “ Since their introduction in 2013 , the ARRI Master Anamorphic lenses have expanded to a nine lens set and represent a significant step forward in anamorphic lens design .”
Dooley points out that the Master lens ’ combination of “ compact size , minimal weight , very high speed and exceptional optical design with minimal distortion ” has resulted in these lenses being adopted by productions not just in high-end film and commercial making , but TV drama as well .
Dooley adds that ARRI ’ s Master lenses produce images that are sharp cornerto-corner even at wide-open apertures . “ The Master Anamorphic lenses can be used in scenarios where , previously , only
The ARRI Master lens ’ combination of compact size , minimal weight , very high speed and exceptional optical design with minimal distortion has resulted in these lenses being adopted by productions not just in high-end film and commercial making , but TV dramas as well .
a spherical lens was deemed practical . VFX lens mapping is now significantly less complex and costly and production can use the same camera package that they have been comfortable with , only now with the cinematic , anamorphic look ,” he says .
In addition , ARRI offers a set of replacement front and rear elements that induce more flaring , ghosting and veiling flare into the image , should a cinematographer wish to heighten the emotional impact of the shot , sequence or project by introducing a level of technical ‘ imperfection ’.
“ Also , with the introduction of 16:9 anamorphic desqueeze modes in our Alexa Mini and Alexa SXT cameras , it is now possible to use anamorphic lenses in scenarios where a very fast turn-around time is required by production or for broadcast scenarios ,” he reveals .
ARRI also offers lenses that are optimised for visual effects ( VFX ) — the Ultra Wide Zoom ( UWZ ) 9.5-19 / T2.9 . This is another example of how ARRI is pushing the boundaries of lens design , says Dooley . “ The UWZ is a distortionfree extreme wide-angle zoom with an optical performance that surpasses most high-end cine prime lenses .”
Optimised for the requirements of VFX applications , the UWZ is ideal for plate shots or any other situation where maximum image quality is vital . Distortion is at a level of less than 1 % at 9.5mm and less than 0.1 % at 18mm , which means that straight lines stay straight , even at close focus . This optical performance has now been carried over to the AUWZ — the ARRI Anamorphic Ultra Wide Zoom 19-36 / T4.2 , which is a perfect match for the Master Anamorphic range , Dooley notes .
“ Compromises such as heavy distortion , pronounced breathing and poor resolution and contrast have always been major problems with existing lenses on the market . Now , for the first time , anamorphic productions can incorporate visually stunning wide-angle perspectives into their storytelling ,” he says .
And while ARRI ’ s anamorphic and VFX lenses are compelling prospects for production professionals , Dooley points out that cinematographers in Asia- Pacific are also very enthusiastic about ARRI ’ s other lenses offerings , including the Master Prime and Ultra Primes .
“ The Master Prime and Ultra Prime lens sets are the go-to standard for regional rental houses serving cinema , TVC and TV drama production ,” he explains . “ The Master Primes offer 15 focal lengths from 12mm-150mm and the Ultra Primes boasting 14 focal lengths from 12mm-180mm , all deliver precision and accuracy with a cinematic look . With reality and documentary television now striving for the cinema look , these lens sets are gaining even greater returns for their owners .”
For another camera lens provider , Fujinon , the technology to monitor is 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ). Simon Becker , key account manager , Fujinon Broadcast and Professional , tells APB : “ With many camera manufacturers producing 4K / UHD cameras , Fujinon has developed lenses such as the UA80x9BESM and UA22x8BERD , which not only meet , but also exceed 4K / UHD optical performance .”
Becker highlights the features that make these lenses cutting-edge : High resolution , high contrast and high dynamic range ( HDR ). There is also particular emphasis on the development of