Optical accessories from Fujinon: a glance in the other dimension

By Timur Musaev

Review contents:
Accessories for television lenses Optical accessories and converters from Okno-TV Company Canon Accessories Optical accessories from Cavision Products from Chrosziel Film & Video Optical accessories from Cinema Technologies Optical accessories from Fujinon: a glance in the other dimension Expanded possibilities of DSR-PD170

As a rule, in one lens it is impossible to combine the high focal length, broad angle of the field of vision and high multiplicity simultaneously. Not always the presence of the built-in extender and mechanism for macro shooting gives required scale of the picture. Using of withdrawal optical accessories allows to enlarge the angle of the field of vision (the wide-angle converter), to raise the maximum focal length (TV-converter). The versions of the optical accessories use for the same conditions of the shooting can be different and are defined solely by goal of the shooting, individual particularities and experience of the operator. The frame received by correct challenge of effect filter or optical extension, related to a glance in other dimension and a spectator gets the possibility to see the accustomed picture in unusual for shortening. The Fujinon Company disposes by broad assortment of withdrawal optical accessories, provided for different conditions of the shooting.

Converters and optical accessories Fujinon

These devices allow vastly increase the possibilities and functional flexibility of the lens.

Tele converter	Wide-angle converter

TV-converter is fixed on front part of zoom, enlarging range of the maximum focal lengths. The minimum distance to object is varied. The possibility of the focal length change is herewith saved. Unlike to built-in extenders such TV-converter does not bring to reduction of the lens speed. The aperture is not changed. The example of such TV-converter can be the TCV model.

The wide-angle converter fixed on front end of the lens, shifts the range of the focal length to the increase of the angle of the field of vision. The minimum distance to the object is decreased allowing shooting from closer distance. The possibility of the change of the focal length is herewith saved. Lens speed remains the same, since aperture is constant that saves the operator from need of readjustment of illumination. That is the main advantage of converter under extender. The Fujinon Company produce the wide-angle converters WCV with multiplicity 0.85x.

Wide-angle extension

Fish eye extension

Frame aspect ratio converter

The wide-angle extension is fixed at the front of the lens. The range of the focal length moves to increasing of the angle of the field of vision. The extension is fixed under installed minimum focal length (otherwise a defocusing can occur). If the sharpness adjustment is realized by mechanism for macro shooting, the change of the focal length becomes impossible. But if lens has no mechanism for macro shooting and the sharpness adjustment is carried out by regulator on back flange then after removing the extension the adjusting screw should be bring back into initial position. When use the wide-angle extension the lens speed does not change.

The extension fish eye is used for reception of the convex surface effect. Its use is possible under fixed focal length only. The sharpness adjustment must be carried out by mechanism for macro shooting.

In assortment of the Fujinon Company there is wide-angle accessories WAT (multiplicity 0.7x) and FAT (fish eye, multiplicity 0.55x).

In switchable CCD-camcorders when turning from 16:9 format to 4:3 format the angle of the field of vision is narrowed (the area of the picture is decreased). Fujinon offers the withdrawal converter of the picture format, which shortens the focal length of the lens, saving the same angle of the field of vision such as in usual camera of the 4:3 format. The minimum distance to object is decreased allowing shooting from closer distance. Lens speed remains the same (the aperture is constant).

The withdrawal extender with multiplicity 2x, installed between lens and camera, is characterized by little size and low weight. It double enlarges the focal length and is intended for shooting of remote object. It is necessary to note that its use is resulted to the lens speed decreasing. Depending on shooting conditions the withdrawal extender can be used in combinations with TV-converter.

For lens, provided for use with camera on base of the 2/3 and 1/2 matrixes, accordingly the withdrawal extenders Fujinon AE20B-2 and SE20B-2 are produced.

Fujinon macro shooting lens

The lenses for the close shooting vastly shorten the distance between lens and the shooting object. These accessories allow completely fill the frame by subject picture and are used for medical and scientific goals, as well as ideal suit for shooting small objects (e. g. plants). Unlike to built-in mechanism for macro shooting under use of the lenses for the close shooting the possibility of the scaling is saved. The maximum distance to object is a focal length of the lens, but minimum distance value depends on the lens type, with which it is used. The lenses can be fixed in thread for filter on lens or blind. The lenses of the Fujinon Company intended for close shooting have the ECL marking. They are characterized by focal length 800 mm and are produced with thread diameter 52, 72, 82 and 95 mm.

Fujinon Company produces the different modifications of extensions and converters for different lens. Depending on the lens kind the extension can be fixed either outside front ring of the lens, or in thread for filter installing. The marking of model of extension or converter of the Fujinon Company includes its type (for instance, TCV or WAT) and the diameter of the thread and type of the fastening (e. g. TCV-85B — TV-converter with thread diameter 85 mm; WAT-95SC — a wide-angle extension with thread fastening 95 mm). For some models of lens and extensions the connecting rings are also existed.

Light filters by Fujinon

It is very difficult to overestimate the light filter role. Preferably due to these devices the possibility to provide not only technical, but also psychological accuracy of the transmission of tone, color and object tones of the shooting object is appeared. However to using of light filters should be followed very carefully, since their wrong use can bring, instead of correction, to irreparable distortion of the color balance. Besides, light filters allow to avoid the standard errors during reporting shooting, when because of unevenness of the illumination the forehead of journalist turns out to be overlit, and facial expression seems glassy. But if it is necessary to shoot the blonde in bright sunny day, that here without light filter simply not to dispense!

Ultraviolet (UV) filter is used for delay of the ultraviolet radiation. In the middle zone in the morning and in the evening UV-rays completely detain in atmosphere and do not influence upon quality of the shooting. But the shooting at mountains without UV-filter is simply not to dispense. They do not influence to features of passing light through them and do not require the repeated adjustment of the color balance. They can be used as protective filters or as filters of the continuous use.

The filter Skylight is ideally suit for shootings in bright day. It is provided by weak pink color and is used for correction of the sky light, adding bluish-green tone to objects. It can serve also as protective glass for lens.

For the best highlighting of the shooting object the lenses with wide aperture are used, which at shooting practically does not diaphragm. For reduction of the light density (without the repeated balance of the color features) neutral filters (ND) are used. For this goal the filters ND2, ND4 and ND8 mostly are used, which reduce the luminous flux in 2, 4 or 8 times accordingly.

Effect filters Fujinon

To send the feeling of the delicate august evening, beautifully to snatch out subject from the total plan, to transform the usual town landscape with canal in Venice — all of this it is possible to reach by the competently selected effect filters. Depending on etching structure on their surface such filters give the different value of light beam and create different visual effects. To avoid the slanting of the mount their mounting in blind thread or in compendium should be made carefully.

The starry filter (Cross Screen) is provided by the following effect: two groups of parallel lines, located under direct angle one to another, give the effect of four crosswise dispersing beams. The filters of the similar grade are advisable to keep in purity, since any contamination can be as undesirable source of the light dissipation.

Snow filter (Snow Cross) complements any get in frame bright light point source (the sun, street lamps, etc) by long lines, getting through its centre. This filter diffuses the beams in six directions and creates the effect of the snowflake.

Solar filter (Sunny Cross) diffuses the beams, forming eight-beam star. Particularly ingenious is got using solar filter for high contrast scenes: e. g. at shooting of the night landscapes.

Softening or dissipating filter (Soft Focus) is used for softening of the picture (particularly in portrait shooting). The effect of this diffusing filter is based on imposition of multiple additional unfocused pictures on the main picture. The visual effect of this filter reveals itself in luminous halos on border of the light and shade, as well as in softening of the total contrast.

Polarizing filter use mostly for glare and reflection eliminating, which are formed on brilliant non-metal surface (the glass shop windows, water surface). Polarizing filter is screwed on the lens thread and is fixed in position, under which parasitic picture disappears. The effect of these light filters is based on the light transmission, polarized in one plane, and absorption of the light, polarized in plane, perpendicular to the first plane. This filter reduces the light beam and under its installation it is necessary to make the repeated adjustment of the lens color balance.

Light filters and effect filters form Fujinon

As it can be appeared, the filter is a trifle, however, as it was realized, in Russian regions it should not be sought! So, past summer the Belgian producer company Kanakna Productions is carried out in Russia the shooting of new project Pekinskiy express in reality-TV genre — fascinating TV trip over the most picturesque places of the European Russia, Siberia, Mongolia and China. At shooting of guides into train it were necessary to use the orange and neutral filters, which shooting group did not store. To get these filters was simply impossible! The situation was saved only by a curtain drawing on window. So to have in arsenal of TV Company a full set of branded light filters will not ever be unnecessary.

When undertaking the field and studio shootings the optical accessories from Fujinon will help to obtain the good result and look towards the highest level of the cameramen art.

Material is provided by D&K Corporation and Okno-TV Company