As one of Australia’s best known cinematographers Mark Wareham ACS is dedicated to his craft and this dedication also means always buying the right cameras and lenses to get the job done. Recently Wareham upgraded his range of lenses to include two of the new critically acclaimed Cabrio lenses from Fujinon.
Wareham explained, “I have been using Fujinon lenses for over twenty years in fact I used them on the very first series of Paradise Beach in 1993. I always felt that Fujinon lenses were pigeon holed and thought of only for certain types of shooting though. So when I first saw the new Fujinon Cabrio lenses it was like a revelation as I’d wanted a fast, high quality Fujinon lens for some time. As the digital revolution is almost complete with the increasing range of lightweight cameras available, I could see that these new Fujinon Cabrio lenses were perfect for almost every type of shoot so I immediately purchased a 19-90mm.”
Wareham began using the new 19-90mm Cabrio lens with some success and then discovered that more lenses were being announced.
He continued, “The 19-90mm Cabrio lens really was a revelation and worked so well on all the shoots we used it for. You can really see the vast and dramatic improvement in Fujinon lenses over the last few years. They also work well with proper motion picture cameras as opposed to lenses made for DSLRs which give you a totally different feel. I used the Cabrio on a Sony F5 and a Canon C300 “commando-style” cameras with excellent results and was very excited to hear that there was also an 85-300mm lens becoming available so I got a demo and placed an order.”
Wareham was particularly impressed with the Cabrio lenses’ sharpness, light weight and flexibility.
He added, “I now have the broad 19-300mm range, 2.9-4.0, with just two lightweight zoom lenses. They are an excellent compliment to my existing range of lenses and perfect for shooting docos, TVCs or high turnaround TV series – seriously I can see shows like Home and Away and 60 Minutes eventually changing to these types of lenses as the 19-90 is perfect for drama. I love the versatility they give me as I am not having to continually change lenses when using a handheld camera, Steadicam or crane. I’m also no longer weighed down by big, heavy lenses.”
The Fujinon PL 19-90 Cabrio (ZK4.7×19) features an exclusive detachable servo drive unit, making it suitable for use as a standard PL lens or as an ENG-Style lens. The ZK4.7×19 also features flange focal distance adjustment, macro function, and is LDS (Lens Data System) and /i metadata compatible. With a 19-90mm focal range and weight of only 2.7kg including servo motors, this lens has the longest focal range available in a lightweight zoom. While the PL 85-300 is similar in size and weight as the PL 19-90, its longer focal length makes it ideal for shooting documentaries, nature and wildlife, and car commercials, among other demanding production scenarios. The PL 85-300 offers a focal length of 85-218mm at T2.9 and 300mm at T4.0, with 200-degree focus rotation.
Mark Wareham ACS concluded, “Both Cabrio lenses are really high quality. This combined with their light weight and compact size means I can put both into a single case and be covered for most shots. I’m planning on using the lenses in an upcoming feature to shoot “in the street” scenes and the 85-300mm in particular for a multi-camera concert shoot. I initially believed these lenses to be perfect for documentary production that’s why I bought them but I now see them as great tools in drama and commercial applications. They open the way for all types of broadcast applications utilising the quality of the 35mm sensor.”