We’re on a mission to find a functional lens for our A cam system to shoot our first 3D documentary.
And it’s almost time for the ultimate showdown: pitting three different models against each other, head to head … to head.
As I’ve explained, the winning candidate will ideally work with our Iconix 1/3-inch sensors, capture in HD, and allow us to film anywhere from 1 ½ -2 metres away from our subject to as far out as we want to go.
Easier said than done.
The Schneider Cinegon 5.3 mm lenses we ordered from New York are meant for a 1/3-inch sensor, but they’re not designed to shoot in HD, so I suspect the quality will be too low.
Our stereographer, Sean White, also tracked down a Fujinon 4.8 mm HD Prime lens to test. It’s a loaner, direct from the Iconix factory, but it’s designed for a 2/3-inch sensor, so the circle of light projecting onto the sensor will be cropped.
This cropping is a problem: it yields a 49.9 degree horizontal angle of view or smaller, when we want at least 65 degrees to get the types of shots we need to capture the prep and implosion of a condemned sports stadium in Salvador, Brazil for the explosive demolition series Blowdown.
The most promising lenses we found are from Germany – from Meuser Optik. They’re 3.4 mm, designed for a 1/3-inch CCD sensor, and HD capable.
Sean found them after several phone calls, chats with reps, and run around … it looks like they’ve been designed specifically to address the lack of appropriate lenses for the Iconix sensors.
And two of them have been shipped from Germany for us to test.
I’m reminding that this may just be too good to be true … but can’t wait to find out.
We’re going to rig the Iconix system and test all three out in one go so we can compare directly – specs, hype and assumptions aside.
Results TBA.
