Fujifilm to launch FUJINON broadcast zoom lenses equipped with the newly-developed digital drive unit

TOKYO, May 25, 2021 ― FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) is pleased to announce that it will gradually launch FUJINON broadcast portable zoom lenses featuring the newly-developed digital drive unit ‘S10’ (18 models) in June 2021. These lenses are equipped with the S10 to deliver precise zooming and focusing to support remote recording based on a robotic system, which is growing in demand at video production site.

In the conventional production of video contents including television shows in a studio and live coverage of sporting or music events, staff are assigned to each of video cameras to operate them. More recently, robotic systems that support remote operations are increasingly used to meet the needs of streamlining video production and in the midst of growing remote-shooting demand due to the pandemic of the novel coronavirus. In the given trend, the industry is calling for broadcast lenses that are capable of zooming and focusing to suit each scene and meeting the demand of producers even when a robotic system is used for video filming.

The new FUJINON broadcast zoom lenses (18 models) are equipped with the digital drive unit ‘S10,’ developed with the cutting-edge mechatronics technology. These lenses have improved drive unit response to zoom and focus without delay even during pan & tilt operations. They use accurate and swift zooming and focusing to precisely capture a fast-moving subject during live sport broadcast, while enabling ultra-slow and smooth zooming and focusing during live music coverage to deliver expressive video. Remote shooting based on the robotic system thus achieves high-quality video production equivalent to video recording captured with a real videographer’s advanced skills.

These lenses can also output positional information on zoom, focus and even iris which allows the high-precision position detection. This means live video footage can be combined with virtual video in optimum settings, thereby catering to the growing demand for virtual video production.

In addition, enhanced zoom and focus response helps camera operators shoot video exactly as intended even when using with the zoom demand / focus demand units or when handling the equipment with a camera on the shoulder.

FUJINON lenses by Fujifilm are known for advanced descriptive performance, and used in the production of movies, TV commercials, and live sports coverage across the world. Fujifilm will continue to respond to diversifying needs of broadcast production with its lineup of high-quality and high-function FUJINON broadcast lenses, including the new 18 S10-equipped lenses.

To be released in stages, starting in June 2021

• The new lenses are equipped with the newly-developed digital drive unit ‘S10,’ which has updated devices and optimized layout for faster signal processing and response performance. The S10 can activate zooming and focusing mechanisms 30% faster than its predecessor, ‘S6,’ making it possible to coordinate zooming and focusing movements without delay even during pan & tilt operations.
• The lenses support accurate and swift zooming and focusing to precisely capture a fast-moving subject during live sport broadcast, while enabling ultra-slow and smooth zooming and focusing during live music coverage to deliver expressive video. Remote shooting based on the robotic system thus achieves high-quality video production equivalent to video recording captured with a videographer’s advanced skills.

• The lenses can output positional information, providing not only zoom and focus positions but also iris positions.
• The 16bit output of lens data allows operators to identify lens positions highly accurately. This means live video footage can be combined with virtual video in optimum settings, thereby catering to the growing demand for virtual video production.

• The lenses offer precise zooming and focusing even when used in a conventional style by a camera operator on site. They can be combined with the digital zoom demand unit ‘ERD-40A-D01’ and digital focus demand unit ‘EPD-41A-D01/D02’ for excellent operability, assisting camera operators to capture footage exactly as intended.

• The lenses feature “Breathing Compensation Technology” which automatically compensate focus breathing. This gives added operability, as there is no need to adjust the angle of view after focusing.

• The compact palm-size drive unit makes it exceptionally stable to carry these lenses on the shoulder during filming. The drive unit is treated with tactile coating to prevent the surface temperature from dropping, thereby making outdoor shooting comfortable even in winter.

• The optional extender change unit ‘ECU-2C’ and the digital zoom demand unit ‘ERD-40A-D01’ can be combined to enable the switchover of the extender at hand when using a crane to shoot.