Mobile TV Group Adds Canon Lenses for Ultra-Mo

Mobile Television Group has purchased 10 more XJ72x9.3B long-zoom HD field lenses from Canon U.S.A. These newest Canon “DIGISUPER 72xs” lenses join the 150 already owned by Mobile Television Group, and will be used for the company’s exclusive Ultra-Mo system, which also employs special high-speed HD cameras and other equipment for super-slow-motion instant video replays of sports action.

“Canon’s DIGISUPER 72xs long-zoom HD lenses are very powerful and they do a fine job,” says Philip Garvin, President, COO and GM of Mobile Television Group. “We own more than 150 of these HD telephoto lenses, so it made sense that when we added new high-speed HD cameras we also put the same kind of lenses on them that we have the most familiarity with. Nine of our trucks have our unique Ultra-Mo system onboard full-time as an exclusive service of Mobile Television Group, and we’re adding the system to three more in the near future.”

“We are very pleased that this major national mobile HDTV production-services company has added more Canon’s XJ72x9.3B long-zoom HD field lenses to its equipment inventory for its coverage of more than 4,000 live sporting events each year,” says Larry Thorpe, national marketing executive, Broadcast and Communications division, Canon U.S.A. “As of March 2011, Canon’s long-field HDTV zoom lenses are the most widely used lenses in HD sports and entertainment production. All feature Canon’s latest and most advanced optical technologies, including specialized multilayer coatings on each element, advanced computer-aided lightweight design, heightened long-range zoom capabilities, and the superb HD optical precision that has made Canon a global leader in the field.”

Specifically designed as a more affordable member of Canon’s DIGISUPER line of long-zoom HD field lenses, the XJ72x9.3B can address a range of production applications ranging from sports, to major concerts and other entertainment and special-news events. Canon’s XJ72x9.3B lens provides full HDTV image quality while implementing control of focal length over its telephoto range of from 9.3mm to 675 mm (up to 1350mm with extender). The design of the XJ72x9.3B lens also successfully maintains a high MTF (modulation transfer function) profile over the entire image plane when exercising the broad 72:1 focal length change. A parallel Canon engineering-design optimization minimizes chromatic aberrations over this same focal range. Recognizing the low-light environments often encountered in sports and event coverage, Canon designed the XJ72x9.3B lens to achieve a maximum relative aperture of f/1.7.

“These Canon DIGISUPER 72xs lenses deliver a nice zoom range,” Garvin adds. “Many people take the day-to-day operations of HDTV sports production for granted, but the ability to zoom in from a great distance, and be close-up on something really is quite a remarkable optical feat. Remember, today’s arenas and stadiums are huge, and many of the cameras have to be put at great distances from the action. Without these very powerful Canon lenses you wouldn’t get the impact of the television coverage that TV audiences pretty much take for granted today. Canon is to be applauded for delivering the kind of quality and features of these lenses, which are also rugged enough for our industry.”