Blog Pieter Van Alphen shooting “2050” in Antarctica with Optimo Ultra Compact
A visually impressive film by Eric Goens about the impact of the climate crisis on Antarctica. This film shows the breathtaking landscapes of Antarctica and highlights the impact of the climate change on this fragile continent.
“The ideal lens on Antarctica. Solid and reliable. Operating in temperatures of -25 outside to +25 inside, with a minimum time in between.”
Pieter Van Alphen testimonial using the
“We worked with a minimal crew: director, journalist and sound engineer. So I had to work without an assistant in these harsh conditions. I had to focus pull myself, so the internal lens data of the Angénieux 37-102 in my viewfinder came in really handy.”
“Especially in bad weather, when the camera was packed in a polar bag, it is impossible to see anything on the lens. Sometimes it was so windy and having freezing snow dust flying into your face, it was even difficult to check the sharpness in the viewfinder. So I guessed the distance between the object and the camera and relied on the lens data.”
“But lucky enough most of the time I didn’t need any cover for the camera or lens. It’s -20 C outside, but the humidity is really low, it’s a dessert climate, especially at the Belgian PEA base at 1400m altitude on the plateau in the mountains. The camera produced enough heat to work just fine and the lens didn’t need any heating, which came as a surprise for me.”
“I expected that the oil inside the lens would get more sturdy, but that wasn’t the case. The only time I had more difficulty with turning zoom and focus was when I went outside with the lens still wet from condensation inside. After 10minutes al the wet parts became ice and I had hard timing turning the rings. But after the shooting day I heated the lens and let it dry completely. Half an hour later it worked just fine.”
“The lens is beautiful on diaf 2.8 but also on 5.6 or even 8. Because of the bright sunlight and reflection on the ice and snow, most of the time I operated outside on 5.6 even with internal ND1.8 and a polarizer.”
“Overall, I love the look of the lens, especially for a zoom lens. The combination of soft, though sharp look, combined with the really good build offered me an extraordinary shoot without any major troubles.”
