Rick Thompson, partner in Indianapolis' Richmarc Productions, a full-service 1080 HD production house, has added the Fujinon HAc15x7.3 Compact C series HD variable-prime lens to its lens arsenal.

A long-time Fujinon lens user, Thompson said he made the decision to purchase the cine-style lens after testing it at the NAB Show in 2008. “On every factor we considered, this lens was a home run. It’s a film-style lens in every way, and it meets Fujinon’s standards for excellence in HD glass.

“The 15x variable prime is a powerful combination for us,” adds Thompson. “It delivers the high resolution, clarity and performance of prime lenses with the versatility of a zoom lens. On set it means less time spent changing lenses or adjusting the camera to get a composition right and more time shooting fantastic pictures. We get more work done in less time.”

The HAc15x7.3 is a lightweight, high-performance zoom lens with minimized focus breathing and flat f-stop for 2/3-inch B4-mount cameras. It offers a 15x zoom ratio, 7.3-110mm focal length, and constant T/2.0 throughout the zoom range, resulting in excellent relative illumination and sharp, high-contrast images.

Richmarc has used Fujinon lenses on a variety of productions, ranging from commercials shot in the studio to high-end productions in the field. A crew recently took the HAc15x7.3 on location to produce a campaign for Indiana State University. Initial concerns that the close quarters in the classroom setting could impact depth of field were soon allayed, according to Thompson. On a later shoot at a supermarket location, he combined Fujinon’s 5mm prime with the 15x and found the footage cut seamlessly as if it were shot entirely with prime lenses.

“With any zoom, I am always concerned about the wide end and possibly needing a few primes just in case,” Thompson said. “Even at its widest end, the 15x has no distortion or loss around the edges, has the close focus we need, and performs like it’s wider than it is. With the 15x, we save money on rental lenses that may or may not get used.”

Thompson said he actually had more latitude with the lens than expected. “The HAc15x7.3 provides sharp, elegant color and contrast without ramping,” he noted. “Its zoom track is dead on. The barrel rotation for follow focus is what we had when we shot film, including the markings. The 15x eliminates focus breathing and removes geometric distortion.”

Reliability also stood out to Thompson as a major selling point. “I have Fujinon lenses in my inventory that have never needed service, and they continue to perform without any hitches, clicks or complaints. When clients come to me with limited budgets these days but still expect high-end quality, I know I can rely on our Fuji cine-style zoom. We use it as a ‘value-added’ selling point to clients,” he said. “The affordable cost and high-quality 15x offers a cost-to-performance combination account executives and creative directors can appreciate. This 15x lens truly gets us back to our film roots in every respect: quality, performance, reliability.”