(ELMVALE, ONTARIO March 28, 2006) Since a little over a year ago when Water Productions, a Canadian sports television production company, made significant high definition equipment upgrades, the company has taken its new Fujinon HA18x7.6BERM HD ENG/EFP lens fitted to a Panasonic Varicam from one extreme weather condition to another, being buried in snow one day and hanging from boats the next. Miraculously, the gear continues to work.
"The Panasonic Varicam combined with the Fujinon HA18x7.6BERM lens is unlike anything we've had the joy of working with before," said Kevin Cullen, Water Productions' Owner and Host of "Sledsense," which airs on Outdoor Channel 2 HD, "Personal Watercraft Television," which airs on Outdoor Channel 2 HD, ESPN and Canada's A Channel, and "Grassroots Racing Televison (GRRTV)", the world's first motorsports show for kids that airs on Outdoor Chanel 2 HD. "Switching to HD was a big, yet wise investment for us. It's changed our company completely. Now, our phone never stops ringing."
Applied Electronics, a reseller based in Toronto, sold Water Productions the Fujinon HA18x7.6BERM lens, which has a long focal length (137mm, 274 with a 2X extender) and a wide angle of view (64.5 degrees at 7.6mm). The HD ENG/EFP zoom lens from Fujinon is ideal for high definition news and remote video production and designed to complement 2/3-inch high definition video cameras.
Their latest adventure for "Sledsence" took Water Productions to the 24th Annual Grand Prix Ski-Doo -- de Valcourt, Canada’s premier snowmobile race. The crew captured everything from close-up interviews in the morning to shooting 120mph snowmobile racing around the oval ice race track in the afternoon.
It rained on the first day of the race, causing high amounts of condensation. The following day, when they shot their B-roll, the temperature dropped to -22°C (or -8°F), with 40-mile-an-hour winds all day. "We were surprised every day, when we turned the camera on, and it worked," said Cullen. "Shooters tell me that when they use this lens, they’ve never worked with anything so controlled and so beautiful."
Prior to the trip to Valcourt, Water Productions ventured to Revelstoke, British Columbia, the "powder capital of the world," where visibility was extremely low due to fast, falling snow. "If we'd shot this with a DV camera, the picture would have come out all white, with only a little bit of definition. If shot with a BetaCam or in DigiBeta format, there would have been some definition," explained Cullen. "In the case of the Fujinon HA18x7.6BERM lens and Panasonic Varicam, what you see is what you get. We've never seen anything work like this in low light. Each time we play them back, it makes us say 'wow' every time."
One of the key concerns for the camera operator on Water Productions' location shoots is that of balance. On an episode of "Personal Watercraft Television," the shooter was running up and down the beach with the camera. "I didn't want to kill my cameraman's shoulders," said Cullen. "If you take the combination of the lens, battery and the camera, you'll see this camera is balanced perfectly. That was incredibly important to us."
To ensure the durability of the lens under such rugged conditions, Water Productions uses Fujinon's back focus chart to back focus the lens each day. There are a lot of running shots, where the shooter is seated on the side of a boat going 40mph. And in salt water environments, there is always salt in the air, which becomes trapped in the equipment. "When you come in from -40°C ( or -40°F) to 20°C (or 68°F), you expect a blast of fog," explained Cullen. "When you go into very humid environments, like we do with our watercrafts shows, the lens doesn't seem to fog as much. Fujinon is known for its unparalleled level of service, so when you’re shooting under such extreme conditions in remote areas, that is extremely important."
After torturing the lens with inclement weather, paint began to peal off of the lens. Cullen contacted Fujinon's Stosh Durbacz, Canadian Sales Manager, about the matter. "Stosh showed up at my house and gave me a loaner," Cullen said. “When my lens was serviced to his satisfaction, he came back with the original. This minor problem has turned into an incredible relationship with Fujinon because they treat their customers incredibly well, whereas other manufacturers we’ve dealt with in the past have not provided the same level of service."
A very prolific and well traveled production company, Water Productions will soon cover snowmobile tours in Dear Lake, Newfoundland; Reykjavik, Iceland; and Helsinki, Finland. After shooting in Helsinki in April, they'll fly to Anchorage, Alaska for a watercraft show. In May, they are scheduled to travel to Machu Pichu and Lake Titicaca in Peru.
About Fujinon
Fujinon is a major manufacturer and distributor of optics and lens assemblies for the broadcast, digital cinema and industrial markets. The company's line of television zoom lenses are used in virtually every segment of the broadcast industry, including electronic newsgathering, studio and field production, and high definition television. For more information about Fujinon broadcast and communications products, call (973) 633-5600 or visit our web site at http://www.fujinonbroadcast.com
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