Trade Secret

This post is for the techies I know that occasionally take a look here.

I'm on a job using a lens I've never used before; the Canon Digi Super 75 XS. This monster zoom goes from 9.2mm to 700mm and is f/1.7. The Sony D30 camera actually mounts to the lens rather than the other way around. This combo sits on top of a very heavy duty Vinton Vector 70 fluid head. The ballroom camera guys around here tie the viewfinder under the camera with trick line which makes the work much easier on one's neck.

The lens allows a frame filling head shot from 50 yards away, which happens to be the distance from the lens to the podium on this particular job. And that's without the built in 2x converter. At this kind of magnification, even the heavy head can't really keep the image from bouncing around. But this lens has built in image stabilization. I have a little button under my left thumb that toggles it on and off. If you have to make a move, you can turn it off so it isn't fighting you and moving the image around in odd ways. But once you go tight and settle, a little press of that magic button and that super long head shot is steady as can be. It's nice to have the right tool for the job.