Shooting video from a helicopter can be a complicated and sometimes even harrowing experience, but with the right lens, it’s possible to get some amazing footage.
On a recent shoot in Africa for the New York-based design and production company UV Phactory, DP Brian O’Carroll used his new Thales Angenieux 26x7.8 mm AIF HD ENG/EFP telephoto zoom lens to capture aerial footage.
Using a Panasonic VariCam HD camera, O’Carroll shot 15 hours of footage in 36 hours of airtime during 12 days in and around Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, South Africa. The set-up for the aerial assignment involved installing the camera and lens in a Gyron gyro-stabilized nose mount attached to the front of the “Squirrel” Eurocopter, piloted by Gert Uys. O’Carroll controlled the lens from inside the helicopter.
Strong winds and banking maneuvers causing extreme physical vibration presented some restrictions and forced O’Carroll to pull back on the zoom at times, but when the helicopter was stable, he was able to push the lens to the limit.
O’Carroll has used Thales Angenieux lenses with his film cameras and was attracted to the 26X HD video lens. The lens maintains sharp focus, “even on the long end,” he said.
For more information, visit: www.angenieux.com.
