ABC affiliate WVEC-TV broadcasts everything from hurricanes to war zones captured using Thales Angenieux lenses.
Phillip Wright, the director of photography for the Belo subsidiary and former combat cameraman for the Navy, has experience shooting in these types of unpredictable conditions.
In a calmer assignment, Wright worked on a series of promotional spots for the main anchor team and chief meteorologist for the station-- serving the Norfolk, Va. area--and used the Thales Angenieux 12 x 5.3 high resolution lens. Wright loves the natural look he can get with the lens.
"The contrast and blacks look great--not crushed or washed out," he said.
The lens has a wide 79-inch angle with a long zoom range, as a fast f/1.7 aperture and only weighs a mere 3.9 pounds. A rectangular sunshade minimizes light obstruction and is compatible with 16:9 formats.
For HDTV and 35mm production applications, Thales offers the Optimo series, the HD series, cine-style, wide angle and studio lenses.
