Many broadcasters are poised to begin a transition to digital high definition news services. There are a variety of migration tracks from existing analog and digital standard definition news to full HDTV news operations. Capital budgets, infrastructural issues, and operational considerations all enter into the choice of a particular transition scenario. From budgetary, creative, and technical standpoints, lenses become a significant determining factor in that final choice. In the field, decisions might involve a decisive single step migration to full HDTV field acquisition, or a two step migration entailing an initial widescreen SDTV field acquisition (with upconversion to the HDTV format of choice) followed some time later by a switchover to full HDTV newsgathering. In the first instance, this paper will make the technical case of why the fiscal expedient of using an SD lens on an HD camcorder is not a sound decision. Equally, for the two-step scenario, it will be shown that an investment in an HD lens on a widescreen SD camcorder will ensure superior upconversion (as well as alleviating the cost of the downstream transition to full HD field acquisition). In the studio, it is generally assumed that the station must convert to full HDTV operation if only to definitively establish the station's HDTV "signature" in the marketplace. Decisions surrounding the HD studio origination will center about the choice of a full studio "hard" camera (and associated HD box lens), or a production portable HD camera. In the case of the latter, a related decision involves the choice of a studio box lens or an HD portable EFP/ENG lens. This paper will make the technical case why the latter is an unwise investment.