Canon HJ15xex8.5B KRSE-V HDxs Lens Review

Stable Video: Canon HJ15xex8.5B KRSE-V HDxs Lens Review

Canon Gyro lens
Canon Gyro lens

Warning: Only read this post if stable shots matter to you!

The web is loaded with video clips that not only take you for a ride, they take you for a shaky ride. The camera operator thinks the shot is cool and puts it into production.  This is just not good for the industry, since it lowers the quality that is acceptable. Shaky video drives me nuts and there is no need for it.

But that is the image overload world we live in, with all levels from the beginner to the high end pro.  The lens I will discuss in this post is for the high end pro that uses a 2/3” HD camera and has clients that appreciate and demand stable shots.

The camera I used for testing is my Sony XDCAM HD 2/3” CCD PMW-500.  This camera is a workhorse and one of the best images I have found for a pro camera that is perfect run and gun.  In my work I do not have time to fiddle with 35mm cameras and smaller sensors that just don’t have the same latitude/resolution for the extremes I shoot.

The Canon HJ15ex8.5B KRSE-V HDxs Series HDTV lens (Canon HJ15x) is one of the few 2/3” HD lens options on the market that has a built-in gyro.  I have used the Fujinon 40x with a built-in gyro (Canon HJ40×10 lens and WCV summer update) but there is no way you can hand hold the Fujinon 40x.

My camera gear sales person of choice (Charles Rowe from Abel Cine Tech) and I have been talking about the Canon lens for over a year. Thanks to Charles and Patrick Breheny from Canon for working with me so I could test the Canon HJ15x.

The test was during a job filming Boats.com’s Video Boat Reviews in Smyrna Beach Florida in late May 2011. The two new Boston Whalers were the Conquest 285, which is a 28-foot family fun/fishing boat, and the Conquest 345, a 35-foot fishing machine. We filmed for two days, both on the Intercoastal Waterway and outside Smyrna inlet in the ocean.  Perfect Test Conditions.

The Canon HJ15x is about the same size as my Fujinon ZA17x (Why I picked the Fujinon ZA17×7.6BERM lens for my Sony F800?).  Installing the lens on the camera is the same as any B4 mount lens.  Back focus was a snap with my DSC Labs – CamAlign- FiddleHeads-R-SL-SRW focus chart.

Using the lens was similar to all high quality 2/3” glass.  Big rocker switch for zoom.  Switch ahead of the rocker for auto iris and manual iris, smooth iris ring.  Focus control was very sensitive and took a little getting use to.  I would have appreciated a little more range in the focus ring while nailing focus.

One hand shots
One hand shots

The meat of the lens is the amazing gyro switch on the gyro bulge just behind the focus ring.  One flick of the switch while you are framing the shot, and Presto! it goes stable—and I mean stable. This shot starts with the gyro off and then I switch it on (listen for the switch).  I have been shooting from helicopters for years with Kenyon Gyros, waiting 20 minutes for the gyro to get up to speed and hog power.  With the Canon HJ15x lens, one click and it is stabilizing the shot instantly.  Of course you can’t expect it to cover for poor camera movement.  But if you set yourself up properly and flick the gyro switch, you will be amazed.

I was able to go in 90% zoom and still have a stable shot filming from the deck of a moving boat while shooting another moving boat.  See example.  There is no other lens/camera combination I have ever used that would give me a shot this stable in the same situation at 2/3” CCD HD image quality while on my shoulder. Image Stabilization on some cameras helps, but it also lowers the resolution because it is in the processor.  The Canon HJ15x stabilizes prior to the image sensor in the lens and does not lower the image resolution.  This is HUGE!

I found that some of the detail shots where we normally used my tripod I could do handheld.  This was a big time saver compared to setting up a tripod all over the boat.

Saving Time
Saving Time

The Canon HJ15x stabilization was better then I expected and gave me shots I would not have been able to get with any other camera on my shoulder at 2/3” CCD HD image quality.  Do I like the lens?  I LOVE the lens.  Would I buy the lens? Yes, if I could afford it.

Thank you Patrick Breheny from Canon for trusting me with one of their great products.

Thank you Charles Rowe from Abel Cine Tech for being a great guy and working hard for me the customer.

Thank you John Burnham, editorial director at Boats. Com, for the still pictures and for being a fantastic producer and friend.

Pros and Cons of the Canon HJ15x :

Pros:

  1. Quick easy setup with B4 mount
  2. Fast easy back focus
  3. Smooth accurate Iris
  4. Smooth rocker switch for zoom with quick easy adjustment for speed
  5. Weight very close to a standard 2/3” HD zoom lens
  6. Battery usage was minimal for a gyro
  7. Stable, Stable, Stable

Cons:

  1. Price. At $34,000 retail this lens is not an option for most small production houses.
  2. Focus ring is too sensitive and needs better range.
  3. The picture is a little soft, even with the gyro off.
  4. Not very wide at the wide end of the zoom.

Next post will be the Fujinon OS TS-P58A for 2/3” B4 mounts using existing Fujinon HD glass.  This unit fits between the camera and a Fujinon lens.  I will use this on a shoot this week and report back on the performance and compare to the Canon HJ15x.

Have Fun Every Day.  cmc

Don`t copy text or photos!