A type 207 miniature zoom lens from Resolve Optics was selected by lightweight portable camera crane manufacturer Polecam to enable filming of six operations at the Battle Hospital in Reading, UK
The procedures being filmed, that ranged from foot and ankle operations to hip operations, form part of a CD-Rom compilation for medical industry training and reference.
To get the essential high definition close-ups without distracting the surgeons and nurses film production company Primal Pictures was looking for a new camera that could give more scope than the usual camera just suspended overhead from a lighting rig.
The combination of the lightweight Polecam portable camera crane and the type 207 miniature zoom lens, the smallest zoom for three-chip cameras in the world, provided the quality of close-up images to see even the smallest of nerves in an unobtrusive manner.
Measuring only 50x34x31mm the type 207 range are probably the smallest stand-alone zoom lens currently commercially available.
The high-performance 6-18 mm f/2.8 zoom lens are designed for use with single chip 1/2" and 1/3" CCTV cameras in a variety of space limited applications.
The type 207 miniature zoom lenses can focus on an object at infinity right down to an object positioned just 35mm in front of the lens.
At the same time, and at any object distance, the image stays in focus throughout the zoom range (focus tracking).
The use of the lens at such close object distances opens the door to a range of macro applications because it allows an object to be shown at a very enlarged size on a TV monitor.
Polecam is a lightweight portable camera crane that can be operated from a tripod dolly, or tracking vehicle and is the only crane that can be operated from a harness.
Mounted on an ultra-smooth remote pan and tilt unit is a three-chip, 750 line resolution, broadcast quality mini-camera that is operated from a joystick on the mast.
Resolve Optics describes itself as a a highly knowledgeable, dynamic company focused upon innovative design, and manufacture of production quantities of lenses and optical products on time to strict quality and target price guidelines.
Polecam has an international reputation in the broadcast industry for filming extreme sports.
It was while filming these sports that the the unique concept of a one man operated crane/camera system, the Polecam, was created.
Today the Polecam is used in a wide range of applications where traditional camera access is difficult or would be too intrusive.
