Rhinestone Blue is the first film shot on the Fujinon Premista large format zoom lens. The camera used was the Sony VENICE. DP Tobias Schliessler, ASC, elaborates on his experience about using this unique piece of glass on set.

The film (six minutes long) was produced over three days, with shots designed to put the Fujinon 28-100mm Premista zoom lens through its pace, using Sony’s large format VENICE camera. This setup was used on as many shooting configurations as possible (Steadicam and cranes – see the BTS footage below).

Large-Format Cine-Zoom lens – A rare piece of glass

As we wrote here before, cine zooms that cover large sensors are considered rare. Concerning primes, there are many options in the market. However, Cine-zoom glass is not so ordinary, since the technology needed for developing large format cine zooms must be sophisticated enough to overcome engineering challenges.

FUJINON Premista: The new boy in town

Recently there is a significant elevation of large format cinematography demand. ZEISS and Angenieux constitute a robust large format cine-zoom solutions. However, Fujifilm is new in this market, since the Premista series has just been introduced at NAB, which means that the Premista is the new boy in town that has a lot to prove.

The Fujinon Premista is the new boy in town that has a lot to prove

Rhinestone Blue is the first film shot on the Premista. Aisha Schliessler directed the film, and the DP was Tobias Schliessler, ASC (Beauty and the Beast, A Wrinkle in Time, Lone Survivor, etc.) which is also Alisha’s father. The camera used was the Sony VENICE.

According to Tobias, the Premista lens was challenged by different lighting situations, with low and high contrast settings and opportunities to show the color characteristics of the lens. “I was very impressed with how the Premista, in combination with the VENICE, captured the color nuance,” said Tobias.

28-100 zoom = six primes

The Premista used on set covers 28-100mm, which equals to having six primes on set, but with one lens. However, it’s important to remember that there is nothing like a good and sharp prime. The image preciseness, artistic, sharpness, and accurateness derived from primes are superior to zoom lenses. For the best quality, shoot with primes. Nevertheless, using zoom lenses can save significant time on the set, especially when the camera is on a crane or helicopter, and access is difficult.

The Premista weighs about 3.8kg/8.3 lbs, which is not so heavy, yet is still very durable, allowing professional use even in harsh conditions. “I’ve been a fan of the Fujinon zoom lenses since my first experience on Lone Survivor, where I used the 1990mm Cabrio and the Premier zooms for the first time,” says Schliessler. “I have since used them on all on my spherical feature films and commercials. I am happy to have the Premista for my large format work. The lens has the same contrast, sharpness, color characteristics, quality, and lack of lens breathing as the premier zooms.”

I’ve been a fan of the Fujinon Zoom lenses since my first experience on Lone Survivor, where I used the 1990mm Cabrio and the Premier zooms for the first time,” says Schliessler. “I have since used them on all on my spherical feature films and commercials. I am happy to have the Premista for my large format work

Tobias Schliessler, ASC

Check out the BTS video below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7oS5h6wvTM&feature=youtu.be

See the results on the big screen

The screening of the film will take place at Paramount Theatre on June 1 at 11:30 a.m. It runs just over six minutes and will be followed by a Q&A with Tobias Schliessler, ASC and Aisha Schliessler.

For those of you that attend the upcoming Cine Gear, this is an excellent opportunity to dive deep into the details in regards to using the Premista together with the Sony VENICE on-set and to hear straight from the experience of an ASC DOP.  

Meanwhile, watch the trailer below: 

Would you consider using large format cine-zoom glass in your production? Let’s know your thoughts in the comments section below.