Beginning Monday, October 16, 2017, the AV Consultant Desk in the Shonan Fujisawa Media Center now offers a new selection of camera lenses in addition to the existing Canon 8000D digital camera borrowing service for student and faculty use.

Although the new service does not have any official announcements posted on any of the school’s websites, according to one of the AV consultants, within a week of the start of the updated service, a handful of camera enthusiasts and students have borrowed the new cameras and lens set after hearing rumors spread via word of mouth.

Where and how can students borrow the lens set or camera?

The AV Consultant Desk is located on the first floor of the media center toward the rear of the building, next to the CNS Consultant booth area. In order to borrow a camera, students must present their student ID and fill in a form agreeing to the terms and conditions for borrowing equipment. English forms are available at the counter, so don’t worry if you can’t write Japanese!

AV Consultant Desk is available for students inside the Media Center AV Consultant Desk is available for students inside the Media Center

Before borrowing

1) Loan period and basic rules

SFC students are able to borrow equipment for up to four days and three nights; faculty are able to borrow for up to eight days and seven nights.

If a student borrows a camera and lens set separately on different days, both pieces of equipment should be returned by the deadline of whichever equipment they borrowed first. Students who return equipment past the due date will be unable to borrow again for a fixed period of time.

The loan period cannot be extended. In order to borrow a lens or camera for a longer period of time, students must return the equipment then request to borrow another set.

Since the service is starting to grow in popularity, students should visit the AV Consultant Desk in the morning or ask staff when they will be able to borrow a set.

2) AV Consultant Desk Operating Hours

During the semester During holidays
Weekdays 9:15 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. 9:15 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Saturdays 9:15 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. 9:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

*Closed on Saturdays 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (lunch break)

What’s new?

Prior to offering the lens set, the AV Consultant Desk only offered a digital camera with a Canon EF-S 18-135mm zoom lens.

Photo taken with permission, courtesy of the Shonan Fujisawa Media Center (Library) Photo taken with permission, courtesy of the Shonan Fujisawa Media Center (Library)

Now, this set is loanable for enrolled students or staff!
Photo taken with permission, courtesy of the Shonan Fujisawa Media Center (Library) Photo taken with permission, courtesy of the Shonan Fujisawa Media Center (Library)

What’s included in the lens set?

Three lenses and two additional photography tools make up the set.

1) Canon EF 85mm f/1.8

Notice the low f-number "f/1.8" of this lens.

A camera lens’s f-number expresses the value of the opening (or aperture) of the lens. The smaller the number, the larger opening on the lens, which means more light can be captured, which creates a more intense blur on the background of the image compared to a camera lens with a higher f-number. Although this lens does not have an optical zoom, its fixed-focus property works great to emphasize the object or person in the picture.

Extremely blurry background makes the main subject pop Extremely blurry background makes the main subject pop

This lens is great for capturing subtle illusion of depth. That way, the pictures look more professional! For portraits, try combining the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 lens with the board reflector included in the set to achieve even better results.

It's also great for group pictures! It’s also great for group pictures!

2) Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 macro USM

Macro lens is perfect for zooming in on small objects such as flowers or insects. It might be a little bit hard to adjust to at first, but that could be solved with some amount of practice. Definitely try to play around with this lens! It’s fun discovering and capturing small details people would usually overlook!

I attempted to capture a petite flower in front of Delta building I attempted to capture a petite flower in front of Delta building

3) SIGMA 15mm f/2.8 EX DG fisheye

The fisheye lens is my personal favorite. It captures a wide landscape and distorts the area surrounding the center of the image.

Do you notice how the pillars and glass walls of Delta building bend? Do you notice how the pillars and glass walls of Delta building bend?

4) Canon Speedlite 270EX II & Board reflector

Additional strobe and board reflector are included in the lens set! Additional strobe and board reflector are included in the lens set!

Attached on top of the camera is a tool called a "strobe." It is used to increase the intensity of the flash, increasing the brightness of the final image. It also helps with photo shoots in dark places or backlighting.

Behind the camera is the board reflector. It redirects light and is usually used along with fixed-focus lenses. It’s convenient since the shape is adjustable on top of being foldable.

Review

I personally had fun trying out the new lenses. Most of them cost more than my monthly rent, and experimenting with them is an experience I am grateful for as an SFC student. Being able to borrow them anytime I want and using them when I need is a privilege! While enrolled, I think it is a good opportunity to use the available equipment and facilities to the fullest. Let’s take notice of what’s available!

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