Best Lens for Imag with Studio Cam

Hey Guys,

I am new here and I am sorry if this has been a topic before. I did do a quick search and didn't see one.

I am wondering what would be the best lens for live production imag at a conference, with the BMD studio cam? The camera will be set on a platform with an operator at about 60 feet from the stage. I am also looking for the ability to control the lens zoom and focus via LANC.

Thanks in advance.

Well zoom and focus by Lanc will land you in only 3 or 4 lenses capable of doing that.

For the M4/3 mount there are not a lot of options.. See Manual which lenses do support motorised focus and zoom. And also all these lenses are not very light sensitve..

That why a lot of people switch to B4 mounted lenses..

Thanks for the reply. I guess I should have specified that I am looking for a B4 mounted lens. Any suggestions?

First, you are going to need an expensive, optically corrected, PL to MFT adapter to get the best performance from a B4 lens, and allow you to use it at wider f/stops. MTF Services and AbelCine both make on, available from B&H or direct from the makers. Some used ones come up on eBay. Price is going tp be $1500-2K for just the adapter, then you need a power adapter to the lens, and a third party remote solution, or a ENG B4 Zoom Remote.

This will run the cost up, and you still need a good HD B4 lens for UHD recording. You might want to consider getting a Ursa Broadcast camera, that comes with the B4 Mount and the lens and camera can be controlled from the ATEM, without any adapters. Then your Studio cameras for fixed shots.
That is what I did, instead of trying to adapt to the Micro Broadcast Camera.
Cheers

Thanks for the reply Denny.
I was thinking about the ursa, but the studio cam took my interest with the viewer screen on board.
In either situation, which b4 lens would you suggest for the camera at 60 ft away from the subjects on stage?

Thanks in advance.

Depends on how much of the stage you are looking to cover. At any rate, at 60-feet, you are going to want a X20 Zoom, and will need a big, solid tripod, as every little camera movement is going to be a big jolt, think rifle effect. I use pCAM to figure these issues out. Nice app for IOS devices.
Cheers

Thanks. The stage is a 20'x40' with one podium at each end upstage. Looking to pull back for a wide shot of the stage at times and mostly zoom in to each podium for the speakers.

You could use an angle of view calculator like this to determine what kind of focal length you would need for the shots you are looking for:
https://www.pointsinfocus.com/tools/dep ... calculator

Just select the sensor size of the camera you are using, focal length, and distance to determine how much is included in the field of view at those settings.

For example, with a 2/3 in. sensor at 60 ft from the stage, you should be able to capture a wide shot of the entire stage (40 ft across) with about a 13mm focal length. At the tele end, if you want an upper body shot (about 2.5 ft. vertically), you'd need 160mm focal length to capture this. If you want a tighter shot (just head and shoulders), you'd need a longer focal length (about 230mm).

So you'll probably need a lens that at least spans those focal lengths (13-160mm). Many of the 20x or 22x B4 lenses cover that range. Some lenses also include a built-in 2x extender (teleconverter) that can be used for a little additional reach when needed (although there may be a reduction in quality when the extender is used).

Thanks Dave! This is just what I was looking for. Great information.