American Cinematographer - November 2019 - 77

Versatility, speed and ruggedness are key
for this type of shooting. We work with
two primary cameras. First, the 2⁄3" 4K
ENG-style Sony PXW-Z450 is our A
camera. The Z450's 2⁄3" CMOS 4K sensor
has great sensitivity in low light, as well as
sharp, colorful images overall, and its
workflow is made even more flexible with
HDR (S-Log and Hybrid Log Gamma) capabilities. Compared to most larger-sensor
cameras, the Z450 is an ergonomically
perfect fit for the mobile camera operator, with no add-ons such as monitors,
cables or focus knobs that might be
knocked off or snagged by vines and
bushes.
For our B camera, which I operate,
we use a Sony PXW-FS7, which I feel is the
best of the lightweight Super 35mmsensor cameras that I've encountered -
although, for our purposes, it doesn't
quite match the versatility and ease of
operation of the larger, shouldermounted Z450.
Rugged, 2⁄3", ENG-style cameras
offer a great range of lenses and focal
lengths, plus precise motorized zoomlens control. They are ergonomic for both
locked-down tripod shooting and runand-gun handheld operating that can
follow the action as it unfolds. One
minute, we'll be set up with a big 46x Fujinon UHD zoom to capture shots of wild
horses or polar bears up to half a mile
away, and the next minute Todd will be
jumping off the back of a truck with a 13x
wide-angle zoom to follow Niall as he
tackles a wild colt that needs medication.
The shallower depth of field inherent in larger-sensor cameras can be an
issue when we're working with wildlife,
as it doesn't easily allow us to keep both
our host in the foreground and the animal
behind him in-focus simultaneously.
Aesthetically, of course, this can sometimes work, but when we have to rackfocus between the animal and the host -
even at an f/8 or more - we might miss
certain actions that otherwise would
have made the shot. The greater depth of
field afforded by the 2⁄3" cameras, on the
other hand, allows us to stay on the
action, keeping the host and, say, a large
gorilla some distance behind him both in
focus. And for those instances when we

pp Series host Niall McCann is framed with a king cobra; the depth of field inherent in the 2⁄3"
format helps the filmmakers keep both the host and his animal guest stars in focus. p From left: Producerdirector Peter von Puttkamer, McCann, cinematographer Todd Southgate, sound person Pete Wonsiak, and
photographer/camera assistant/grip Andy Dittrich at the Return to Freedom horse sanctuary in California.

do want a shallower depth of field, as
Todd notes, "We can get a decent soft
background or bokeh effect, especially
with the f/1.8 Fujinon lenses when we
shut down the light, usually by adding
max ND and the doubler, and getting
farther from the subject and pushing in."
When we're getting shots of polar
bears from hundreds of yards away in the
arctic, or of wild horses a half mile away
in California, we need some serious telephoto range, and we've been fortunate
to get access to Fujifilm's new line of Fujinon UHD lenses designed for 2⁄3"-sensor
cameras. In addition to the versatility
afforded by these quick and precise
motorized zooms, we can take advantage
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of zoom ranges that are either uncommon or simply unavailable with lenses
designed for larger-sensor cameras.
In particular, we've been using a
Fujinon Premier UA46x9.5B zoom, which
gives us a focal range of 9.5-437mm, or
19-874mm with a 2x doubler. Mounted
on our 2⁄3" Z450, the long end of that
zoom (using the doubler) gives us a relative angle of view equivalent to a
2,185mm lens in Super 35mm. The optics
in these Premier UA zooms are excellent,
providing crisp images - and with a
wide-open aperture of f/2.0, the 46x9.5B
offers impressive low-light capabilities.
Comparable zooms designed for Super
35mm sensors start at 50mm and max
November 2019

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American Cinematographer - November 2019

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