As today’s churches become increasingly media-savvy, we’re seeing installations that rival broadcast television operations. Not only are large churches using video during their services, many also broadcast their services over television, cable, and Internet outlets. And even smaller churches are also starting to see the benefit of using video and multimedia as part of their services.
When used effectively, video can greatly enhance the worship experience and reinforce the message the ministry wants to communicate. But poor quality video images can distract the viewer and detract from the impact of the message. In choosing and outfitting the proper lens and camera equipment, churches must first consider the conditions that make their type of production unique. If it is a broadcast ministry, the camera/lens requirements may need to rival that of the television broadcaster. And broadcast quality also means that the facility must invest in professional lighting within the production environment.
For smaller churches that do not have a television ministry component to their operation, large-screen projection is an increasingly common practice that is shared with mega-churches housed in stadiums. Again, without high-quality image acquisition, the projected image may be out of focus, or exhibit defects such as chromatic aberrations, when blown up to the 20- or 30-foot screen size.
The lens is arguably the most important component to consider—even more so than the camera. There are many cameras out there that will produce a good picture, but if you choose the wrong lens for the camera, it may not be adequate to meet your particular needs.
Briefly, lenses fall into three basic categories: package-, professional-, and broadcast-grade. Package-grade lenses come packaged with the camera, but generally these lenses are inexpensive, with optical quality that’s basically good enough to get by. Also, the mechanical aspects of this grade of lens are such that they do not hold up well over an extended period of time. These lenses typically won’t have sufficient image quality or image magnification to accomplish the professional-quality goals.
Professional-grade lenses offer better image quality and mechanical strength than the package type and generally fall into a moderate price range. Also, they are available in various zoom ratios and focal lengths. Professional-grade lenses are used by many churches and work well unless you have to work the lens extremely hard. For example, an operator may need to go into the telephoto end of the lens and open the iris wide due to inadequate lighting. At this point, you may start to see color fringing on the edges of objects. It will become extremely difficult to focus because this is the worst possible shooting environment for that type of lens.
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Faith Life Church in Branson, Missouri utilizes Fujinon’s broadcast lenses in their video ministry. |
Lastly, broadcast-grade lenses offer the top of the line in both optical quality and mechanical strength. These lenses are designed to enhance the performance of the best cameras and provide reliable service under the harshest of conditions. Among the users of Fujinon’s broadcast grade lenses are Lakewood Church, in Houston, Texas; The LDS Church of Salt Lake City, Utah; Fellowship Church, in Dallas, Texas; and Faith Life Church in Branson, Missouri.
For church productions, I generally recommend choosing an ENG (electronics news gathering)/EFP (electronic field production)-style field lens over a studio or box lens because the latter is much more expensive. However, it is still much better to chose box-type lenses for their increased focal length and optical quality when the budget permits. One of the most typical questions I get from prospective buyers at churches is, ‘How can I get a really tight shot from 100 feet back?’ It can take an expensive lens, possibly in the $50,000-$60,000 range and more, to accomplish that goal with the desired results. But, if the church has already invested in an expensive projection system, it makes sense to have acquisition gear, camera and lens, of comparable caliber.
Camera Formats
In terms of cameras, it’s important to bear in mind that it is unlikely that any new SD (standard definition) resolution cameras will be introduced. From now on, they will be HD (high definition). If you have a good SD camera and are not happy with the lens performance, installing an HD lens on that camera will result in a better quality image and future-proof your lens investment.
Ultimately, you are trying to match the lens system with your needs with respect to three things: image quality, getting the tight or wide shot that you want, and staying within your budget.
Shooting from a Distance and Projection
All lens makers use a similar model nomenclature to identify the attributes of the lens. Let’s take A20X8.6 for example.
- ‘A’ means it’s a 2/3-inch format lens.
- 20 is the zoom ratio from wide to telephoto.
- X is the multiplier (which can range from 13X to 101X)
- 8.6 or whatever number appears here tell us the wide angle focal length in millimeters.
- Also the letter ‘H’ at the start of a model name specifies an HD lens.
So to determine the amount of magnification the lens is capable of you multiply 20 by 8.6, which is 172. This type of lens would be suitable for shooting from about 50 feet from the stage area. But as you move back farther, you’d have to move to a 25X or 42X. A church wouldn’t want to go less than 20X unless you were looking for a specialty lens or a wide angle lens like 13X which are typically used in handheld or boom situations.
But you also have to consider how wide the angle is. For example, a 25X16.5 offers a magnification of 412.5 while a 25X11.5 is only 287.5. So both factors must be considered to determine the telephoto zoom capability of the lens.
To achieve a very dramatic crowd shot, or a shot of the entire sanctuary, the second number must be a smaller focal length, like 6.3 or 4.5 millimeters. Lakewood Church, which shoots within a stadium arena-sized space and broadcasts its services on television, is using a HA13x4.5.
Other numbers or letters are often used in the model number. Take for example: A22x7.8BERM
- B indicates the flange focal distance of the camera optical system.
- E stands for internal range extender
- R stands for servo zoom
- M stands for manual focus
Of particular interest to churches is the E or internal range extender. With a 2X extender, the lens is equipped with an optical element that just by simply flipping a lever doubles the focal length of the lens. So instead of 20x5 which is 100mm, it would be 20x10 or 200mm.
We have a lot of churches using this feature, especially smaller churches that cannot afford a very expensive lens. They’ll go to a 20x lens and put the 2X extender in and when they zoom in only halfway, they have the advantage of not being all the way out on the telephoto end of the lens, but yet they can still get the image they desire. However, the 2X capability is more expensive, roughly doubling the cost of the lens, and adequate lighting levels are critical so you may need better lighting to get optimal results.
Since many churches use volunteers to man the cameras, “precision focus” is a very valuable tool to have, although it’s an expensive option. I’ve talked to some churches that have a presenter that’s on camera for up to an hour, and the operator has to follow this person closely while keeping them in focus the entire time. This is very tiring for the operator.
However, with precision focus, they can lock focus onto the speaker, and then they can just follow them. The operator does not have to worry if the subject walks backward or forward a few steps because with “precision focus” they always remain in precise focus.
Another issue for shooting within large churches is image stabilization. If your camera is up on a crane, on a tripod in the balcony of the church, or where people are moving, there could be some slight vibration that could affect the imaging, especially if a telephoto lens is employed. For this reason, it’s valuable to have image stabilization, a technology inherent to the lens that compensates for this vibration. If an existing lens does not have image stabilization, it can be added between the lens and the camera. That’s a good option because a stabilizer can give the existing lens an additional 20-percent magnification so that makes your lens effectively longer than it would normally be.
Cleaning and Maintenance
With respect to the proper cleaning and care of high-quality lenses, the lens can simply be cleaned using the bulb and brush-types cleaners that can be purchased in any camera store or photo department. Since churches are free from moisture and other harsh elements, proper care of the lens would be to keep it dust-free and stored in a safe, secure manner.
Lastly, the most important advice that I could impart to any church considering the purchase of lenses for its video productions is to request a product demonstration. Call your local dealer and ask them to bring an assortment of lenses right to your location. Then evaluate each lens to determine which one helps you meet your goals for quality, performance, and price.
Dave Waddell is marketing manager of Fujinon’s Broadcast and Communications Products division. Fujinon is a major manufacturer and distributor of optics and lens assemblies for the broadcast, digital cinema and industrial markets. The company’s line of television zoom lenses are used in virtually every segment of the broadcast industry, including electronic newsgathering, studio and field production, and high-definition television. For more information about Fujinon broadcast and communications products, visit www.fujinonbroadcast.com.
