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Case Studies
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR LENS AND ITS FEATURES
By Gordon Tubbs, Assistant Director, Broadcast and Communications Division at Canon U.S.A., Inc
Third in a series of three articles
Welcome to the final installment in our series of columns on video lenses. As you recall, in the first column we reviewed the basic science and mechanics that all pro video and broadcast grade lenses share: the moving lens groups that makes a zoom lens zoom, and the specifications which differentiate them. The following month we took a look at how lens manufacturers build on those basics to constantly improve the art of visual storytelling, with advanced optics and evolving features that allow the lens to deliver ever-improving imagery via powerful digital controls.
But the work that manufacturers like Canon do to push the state of the art with lenses is only a small part of the story. While we focus on perfecting the technology, the true excitement is when it goes out into the real world and starts capturing the news, shooting a documentary, or fulfilling a director’s vision. With this column, we explore the most exhilarating aspect of all this lens research and development: putting it into the hands of camera operators, and watching the extraordinary work they do with our glass.
There’s more to consistently capturing the best imagery than just affixing a lens to a camera. Let’s examine how to make the most out of your lens and its features – taking care of the lens throughout its life, and understanding everything it can do for you. From ultra-pro shooting tips to everyday maintenance and protection, a little advice can make a world of difference for preserving your lens’ precision optics and functions, while raising the art of video shooting to a whole new level along the way.
Quick Tips from the Pros
Once we put these lenses in the hands of professional shooters, we’re constantly hearing back from them about how they make the most of them out in the field. We asked some advanced Canon users to share their favorite lens tips and tricks with you, and got some informative answers.
Tom Campbell, internationally recognized marine wildlife Cinematographer, President of Tom Campbell’s Film/Video Productions: “One digital feature I really appreciate is Zoom Track. Because we often use the lenses inside of a waterproof housing, we’re limited as to the width of what we can shoot. Canon lenses’ Zoom Track feature allows you to push or pull the lens to a certain point, punch a couple of buttons and lock it at that point. So when you’re using it in servo mode, it’ll go out to the exact point you set it, and extend in width to the exact point you need it to go. That’s a really nice feature to have, and underwater it’s essential because if you go extend the width too far and go beyond the dome, you get ‘vignetting’, which shows up as dark spots on the corners.”
Michael Bryant, producer/director for State of Mind Productions and the upcoming motocross reality series, “The 5th Dragon”: “When you get mud splattered in the gears, don’t try to blow it out – you’re just blowing it back in. If I’m in the field and can’t get it to a lens technician, I keep a Noxzema cucumber facial mask handy, rub it into the gears, and then peel it off. That has saved me many times.”
Paul Atkins, independent director/cameraman, nature cinematography specialist: “We use cloth baby diapers to clean the lens! Wash them a lot – about five times -- with fabric softener, until they have a very soft consistency. Have one with you all the time, because that is the best, softest thing to clean the lens with.
"I do a lot of underwater work with the camera in a waterproof housing. If you tilt in and out of the water a lot, the problem is you get water spots on the lens. There’s all sorts of tips that people will tell you will work, like anti-fog to put in front of the housing, but they all leave a stream of droplets. The only thing that really works is spit! That’s the divers’ old way of knowing the inside of your mask won’t fog. Spit on the lens and wipe it off as a cycle three times, until the water runs off in a continuous sheet. People always ask me how I do that shot, and spit is the only thing that works."
There are as many possibilities for making the most out of lenses as there are people using them. Creating something that people are compelled to see is where the art and technology of video today are merging, and since all imagery touches the lens first, that’s where the innovation should start.
Educate Yourself
From an operational standpoint, lenses had been the same for decades: zoom, focus and iris were all an operator had to worry about mastering. But now, lens manufacturers have put a great deal of energy into developing digital features that make these products full-fledged production tools. Fortunately, they follow it up by making sure that camera operators know how they can be used, allowing them to be more creative and get the most possible out of their lens. In order to make new moves, record new kinds of visuals and expand your horizons, it’s important to take the time to investigate all the capabilities of your lens.
At Canon, one way we’ve addressed the multiple digital features available on our portable lenses is to offer an interactive CD that shows how Digital Drive functions like Shuttle Shot, Frame Preset, Speed Preset, Zoom Track, Zoom Curve Adjustment and many more can be used and set. We live in a world where no one wants to have to “crack the manual” to use their technology, but it is well worth the time to use materials like this, put together by the experts who designed the lens, in order to investigate each feature and determine which ones are the most appropriate for your work.
Once you’ve become familiar with each function, take additional time to practice using them, just like you would practice any other art form. Soon you’ll be able to fly through these advanced functions without thinking about them, which should be your goal. It takes time, practice, and lots of on-the-job use to get to that level, but once you do you’ll be realizing the full benefits of the amazing technology that today’s lenses are loaded with.
Lens Care: Maintenance and Protection
As we’ve already seen, a lens is a very complicated piece of machinery, with fragile optical components and complex electronics that have to be designed to handle anything from climate-controlled shooting for corporate video, to motorcycle races in the desert and everything in between. Ideally, lenses get constant pampering and upkeep, but not every application allows that.
The myriad of digital lens components has proven over time to be extremely reliable, and there is no particular maintenance that end users need to do to contribute to their successful operation. From a mechanical/optics standpoint, however, maintaining and cleaning your lens is extremely important. Although there’s nothing that can be done by the end user to clean the lens internally, the external lens surface should be cleaned using a cleaner and cloth that’s suitable for high end optics. Be careful! The wrong grade of cloth can scratch the lens surface and coatings, and so can the wrong substance – contrary to popular belief, eyeglass and window cleaners are not up to standard. Ask your lens manufacturer for their recommendations on the best products to use on your lens.
As a preventative maintenance issue, it’s also a good idea to take the lens off the camera and clean the rear element. If you rarely switch lenses on your camera, do this every six months. Dust and dirt can get to the rear element, and cleaning it will improve the overall quality of your picture.
The advanced design of today’s lenses has eliminated many of the past entryways for dust and dirt. Canon lenses, from Pro Video to HD broadcast, use a highly evolved Internal Focusing (IF) system that is sealed, meaning debris can’t get into the focusing unit. The zoom, however, is a different story: there’s no way to create a vacuum seal around the zoom’s variator and compensator lens groups and still allow them to move. This is a part of the lens that must be looked at by a respected lens service center that can take it apart and do a thorough internal cleaning. If you’re working in a pristine studio, you’ll need to do this less often than if you take your lenses out on a remote truck to cover rodeos.
The same technicians who you choose to do your deep cleaning can also apply much-needed lubricants to the lens’ moving parts, such as the rollers. Ultimately, having this service performed every couple of years will be less expensive than fixing the breakdowns that occur when these parts are ignored.
If you have portable lenses that see a great deal of outdoor use, protection filters can also cut down on the risk of physical damage from an accidental hit, as well as helping to keep dirt off the lens. These are sometimes called sky filters or haze filters, and it’s certainly more economical to replace a filter than the front element of a lens. It’s all part of a preventative maintenance mindset that you should have for your lenses – one that will save you money and greatly extend the useful life you get from these precision instruments.
Ultimately remember that it’s all about the viewer. Involving them with the magic of what takes place onscreen by maximizing your lens for the prettiest, most interesting pictures possible.
Gordon Tubbs is Assistant Director, Broadcast and Communications Division at Canon U.S.A., Inc. He can be reached at gtubbs@cusa.canon.com
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