Three Canadian DPs recently rented a complement of Premier PL Mount zoom lenses from Fujinon (www.fujifilmusa.com) to shoot a new sci-fi television series that will appear on NBCUniversal's Syfy, CTV and Lifetime channels.
Mike McMurray, David Perrault and Rudy Blahacek, all veteran DPs, rented their equipment from Sim Video‚ a Toronto-based broadcast equipment supplier.
McMurray, CSC, has been using the Premier PL lenses to shoot "Warehouse 13," an American fantasy/drama series for Syfy.
Perrault, CSC, has also been using the zoom lenses to shoot "Alphas," a new action thriller series for Syfy featuring five ordinary people who acquire superhuman physical and mental capabilities.
Blahacek has been using the Premier PL 18-85 T2.0 lens for almost two years to shoot several projects including: "Score: A Hockey Musical," a film featured at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival; "Salem Falls," a TV miniseries set to air on Lifetime in 2012; and "The Listener," a sci-fi TV series now in its second season on CTV, Canada's leading broadcast network.
In choosing equipment for these productions, they selected Fujinon's Premier PL 18-85 T2.0 zooms, Premier PL 24-180 T2.6 lenses; and Premier PL 75-400 T2.8-3.8 models. The Fujinon PL mount product family offers focal lengths ranging from 14.5mm to 400mm.
In its more than 30 years in business, Sim Video has expanded from its Toronto headquarters, adding locations in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Atlanta, Halifax, and Beijing, China. The company also rents high-end cameras, including the Arri Alexa, Red Epic, Phantom HD, Sony F35 and F800.
Rob Sim, president of Sim Video, said the Fujinon Premier PL zoom lenses provide television productions with the same caliber of quality expected from the highest performing prime lens. Having the flexibility of a zoom means fewer lens changes on set, which speeds up the overall pace of production.
