Chicago TV Station Obtains 33 Fujifilm Lenses

WLS-TV, Chicago’s ABC-owned TV station, recently took delivery of 33 lenses from Fujifilm North America Corp., Optical Devices Division for use on Panasonic P2 HD cameras.  32 of the ENG lenses are ZA17X7.6BERM HD zoom lenses with 2X extenders, and one is a ZA22X7.6BERM telephoto lens. This purchase marks the first Fujinon lens sale to WLS-TV/ABC-TV.

These HD ENG lenses are specifically designed to produce news, sports, special events, and independent productions in HDTV while in the field. “Our ZA Series makes the creation of HD programming affordable for a wide range of producers,” says Thom Calabro, Director Marketing and Product Development, Optical Devices Division. “Fujinon HD lenses are the perfect complement for today’s new HDTV cameras because they maintain the superior imaging standards and optical performance that Fujinon is known for.”

Kal Hassan, Vice President and Director of Engineering, WLS-TV, said he selected the lenses based upon their superior price-to-performance characteristics.

The ZA22x7.6BE 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 ZA Series lenses feature Inner Focus, a servo module with Digi Power, Quick Zoom, One Shot Pre-Set, Cruise Zoom and remote control via RS232.