NYC NJ Jib Op now with a Fujinon Cabrio 19-90

Long time and no text! Sorry google! This NYC based jib operator has been busy busy busy thru the pandemic times. Fortunately business has gone well and I’ve been able to do a few equipment upgrades including two Sony PXW-FX9s and a Fujinon Cabrio 19-90 T2.9. The Cabrio lens is absolutely beautiful and covers the FX9 in 5k Full Frame. That allows a little bit more width on the lens which is wonderful on a jib.

The first use of the FX9/Cabrio 19-90 Combo came a few weeks ago. I turned into a Phiadelphia Jib Op for a day (or perhaps just a Bucks County one) and worked on a project at The Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA. The results were stunning! The image is magical and the servo functions like a dream come true. I honestly think I like this lens more than the Canon 17-120.

New Hope, PA was beautiful and sad it only lasted a day. I was back home by 7PM in Jersey City, NJ where Universal Jibs is based. In the coming weeks I may be turning into a Washington D.C. jib op or a Boston Jib op - we’ll where the bids take me!

Sony PXW-FX9 with Fujinon Cabrio 19-90 T2.9

Jibbing at the Bucks County Playhouse

Canon CN-E 17-120 on a JIB

What a wonderful lens! Many times a year the client springs for the Canon CN-E 17-120 F2.8 and they never regret it. When shooting live content and with large sensor cameras, it’s always tricky keeping up with focus. It gets especially tricky if the jib is swinging around aggressively. Cine servo lenses such as the Canon CN-Es or Fuji Cabrios help solve this issue as they are fully parfocal servo zoom lenses. They blend the functionality of a 2/3” broadcast zoom lens with the super35 world. The CN-E 17-120 is a lens I particularly like to use….I know who doesn’t like a $25k+ lens?! The servo motor is extremely clean and accurate. I can start jib moves and at any point sneak into a super subtle push. You should expect this kind of quality from high end ENG lenses, but I haven’t quite experienced a lens that was THIS accurate with its servo. A good measure of quality is how easily you can start and stop a zoom from it’s beginning and end points. With lesser quality ENG lenses or simply beat up ones, I find the starts/stops aren’t perfect. When completely wide, you sometimes get that dreaded zoom bump when starting a push. I work around this by tapping on the zoom control to get the lens slightly off the starting point. It does not give any noticeable amount of push, but it allows me to comfortably sneak into a push without having to think about it. On the 17-120 this is never a worry!