Fujinon

Fujifilm FUJINON Duvo 24-300mm Lens

FUJIFILM Corporation (President and CEO, Representative Director: Teiichi Goto) announces the development of the “FUJINON HZK24-300mm” (Nickname: Duvo Portable), a second model in the Duvo Series of broadcast zoom lenses that deliver cinematic visual expressions and the operation style of broadcast lenses at the same time.

The FUJINON HZK24-300mm is a dual-format lens supporting two types of large image sensors*2. It offers cinematic visual expressions with effects such as shallow depth-of-field for beautiful bokeh. The compact, lightweight and portable design makes it a perfect choice for live coverage of sporting events and music concerts. The FUJINON HZK24-300mm is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2024.

Today, the broadcasting industry is increasingly embracing cameras equipped with a large sensor typically used for cinematic applications, in order to produce immersive images with bokeh and high dynamic range. Accordingly, cinema camera lenses that support a large sensor are often used for shooting. However, such lenses are optimized for films and TV commercial applications and therefore have a limited zoom magnification range compared to broadcast lenses. They also require a dedicated focus operator, which is uncommon in the broadcast industry.

The first model of the Duvo Series of lenses was the box-type “FUJINON HZK25-1000mm” (Nickname: Duvo Box*1), released in March this year. The latest FUJINON HZK24-300mm is Duvo Series’ first portable broadcast zoom lens. It boasts 12.5x zoom, covering frequently-used focal lengths of 24mm to 300mm while maintaining compact and lightweight design, measuring just 270.5mm and weighing 2.95kg, making it a perfect choice for live coverage of sporting events and music concerts. It also supports Zoom and Focus Demand devices as well as an extensive array of accessories*3 to provide the operation style of broadcast lenses.
The FUJINON HZK24-300mm can be used shoulder-mounted, hand-held with a Steadicam*4 or for high-angle shooting using a crane.

Fujifilm will showcase the FUJINON HZK24-300mm and the wide-angle zoom lens “HZK Wide,” characterized by its lightweight design and focal length range of 14-100mm, already listed in the development roadmap at the international broadcast convention “IBC2023” to be held in Amsterdam from September 15 to September 18, 2023. 

Fujifilm will continue to leverage its advanced optical technology, nurtured over many years, to develop and supply high-performance broadcast lenses, cinema camera lenses and accessories, addressing the diversifying needs of frontline video professionals.

*1 The nicknames may not be used in some countries/regions.

*2 Super 35mm sensor and sensors equivalent to the 35mm full-frame sensor

*3 Limited to accessories specifically designed for portable type FUJINON broadcast lenses

*4 Equipment used to suppress camera shake during hand-held shooting in order to produce stable video

1. Development name

Broadcast zoom lens “FUJINON HZK24-300mm” (Nickname: Duvo Portable)

 

2. Main features

(1) 12.5x zoom covering focal lengths of 24mm-300mm despite compact and lightweight design
  • The lens boasts 12.5x zoom, covering focal lengths of 24mm-300mm, while maintaining compact and lightweight design, measuring just 270.5mm and weighing 2.95kg, making it a perfect choice for live coverage of sporting events and music concerts.
  • The use of the built-in expander*5 shifts the focal lengths by 1.5 times to 36mm-450mm, allowing users to capture a far-away subject in the size as intended.

*5 The expander can expand the image circle (circular area where light that passes through lens or lens elements forms an image) and extend the focal lengths to the telephoto side.

(2) Using the Dual format to support two types of large sensors
  • The lens normally works with the Super 35mm sensor, and even supports a sensor equivalent to 35mm full frame by way of activating the built-in expander to expand the image circle by 1.5 times*6.
  • When mounted on a camera equipped with a sensor equivalent to 35mm full frame, the lens delivers its outstanding optical performance to the fullest extent while maintaining the angle of view equivalent to that of the Super 35mm sensor.

*6 Capable of covering an image circle measuring 28.5mm across the entire zoom range when combined with a camera equipped with a Super 35mm sensor, and covering an image circle measuring 41.3mm across the entire zoom range when combined with a camera equipped with a sensor equivalent to 35mm full frame

(3) Cinematic visual expressions with beautiful bokeh
  • With the use of large-diameter aspherical elements and Super-ED lenses, polished at advanced precision, various forms of aberration are controlled thoroughly to achieve optical performance surpassing 4K. Ghosting, lens flair and color bleeding are also suppressed to deliver natural yet high-definition footage.
  • The lens has the maximum aperture of T2.9 on the wide-angle end despite being a high magnification lens that supports large sensors. This enables filming in low-light conditions, such as an indoor concert.
  • Out-of-focus areas were separated into several layers to examine bokeh textures and achieve bokeh that gradually goes out-of-focus from the focal plane into the background. This produces the cinematic visual expression which makes the subject stand out.
     
(4) Support for a variety of accessories
  • The lens is equipped with a drive unit identical to that used in portable broadcast zoom lenses. This facilitates the operation style of broadcast lenses using zoom and focus demands.
  • It also supports multi-camera operations, filming with multiple cameras at the same time, to support efficient video production.
  • The lens can be connected to a wireless lens controller, used at the frontline of movie and TV commercial production, to remotely control focus, aperture and zoom. This also supports focusing by a dedicated focus operator, which is a mainstream shooting style in the cinema industry.
  • The focus ring has the gear pitch*7 of 0.8M (module), enabling the use of standard peripheral accessories in video production, such as a follow focus and external motor.

*7 Distance between gear teeth

(5) Functions for ease of shooting and editing
  • The lens features “Breathing Compensation Technology” which automatically compensates focus breathing. This produces natural footage, as the subject size does not change during filming.
  • The Remote Back Focus (RBF) is also featured to enable remote adjustment of flange focal distance*8 via the control panel of a camera or robotic. The flange focal distance can be adjusted precisely while users see a large monitor in a studio or satellite truck.
  • The lens also supports “ZEISS eXtended Data”, developed by Carl Zeiss in compliance with the “/i® Technology*9” communication standard. It allows users to output lens metadata for filmed footage externally to streamline post-shooting editing.

*8 Distance from the lens’s flange to a camera’s image sensor

*9 /i is a trademark or registered trademark of Cooke Optics Limited.

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