Fujinon addresses lower-cost HD needs with less-costly HD lens lineup

By Ken Kerschbaumer

Fujinon will introduce a more cost-effective line of ENG lenses for an HD market segment that continues to move to smaller-scale (and lower-cost) sporting events.

“While there is great demand for our HA premier Series, many customers want a high-quality HD ENG lens at a lower price point, and the new ZA products, our Select Series, fit the bill,” says Thom Calabro, Fujinon national sales manager for the Americas. “The ZA22x7.6, ZA17x7.6, and ZA12x4.5 Select Series are very high-quality products, offering superb picture performance at a price point 30% lower than our Premier Series.”

Last year, Fujinon introduced the XA22x7BES HD studio lens, delivering a lot of pop for a light weight lens. Calabro says it utilizes the same cams, belts, and rollers found in Fujinon’s full-size lenses; it’s just smaller, which is not an easy task to accomplish.

The ZA22x7.6BE, an HD ENG telephoto lens, has 22 times magnification, a 7.6 focal length at the wide end and 167mm focal length at the telephoto end. A 2x extender is incorporated for extreme telephoto shots. The maximum relative aperture is 1:1.8 from 7.6 through 120mm, and 1:2.5 at 167mm. The minimum object distance is 0.8. from the front of the lens The lens, which weighs 1.75kg, measures 100×222.6mm.

The ZA17x7.6BE, a standard HD ENG lens, has 17 times magnification, a 7.6 focal length at the wide end and 130mm focal length at the telephoto end. The maximum relative aperture is 1:1.8 for 7.6 through 102mm, and 1:2.3 at 130mm. A 2X extender is standard. The lens, which weighs 1.53kg, measures 85x203mm.

The ZA12x4.5BE, which is a wide-angle HD ENG lens, has 12 times magnification, a 4.5 focal length at the wide end and 54mm focal length at the telephoto end. A 2X extender is a standard feature. The maximum relative aperture is 1:1.8 for 4.5 through 41mm, and 1:2.4 at 54mm. The minimum object distance is 0.3 m from the front of the lens. The lens, which weighs 1.93kg, measures 95×237.5mm.

Calabro cites the XA88x8.8 as an example of smaller field lenses.

Its predecessor was the XA87x9.3, and the XA88x, though smaller, has almost as long a focal length, a much wider angle of view, and better light transmission. “The XA88x8.8 is 74 mm shorter than the XA87x, and this certainly goes against conventional thinking of ‘wider means bigger,’” says Calabro. “The XA88x achieves the design goals of wider and better performance than the 87x by incorporating sophisticated technolo gies. The XA88x8.8 is definitely appreciated by the mobile-production community for its ability to get the widest shot possible in a long field lens.”

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