FUJIFILM showed preliminary models of two new lenses in their NAB 2013 booth. On display was the new Premier PL 14-28mm Cabrio wide angle lens (model ZK2x14) – an ideal choice for close-up, ENG or Cine style shooting. The PL 14-28 offers a focal length of 14-28mm at T2.9, with 200-degree focus rotation.
“The development of this lens has not been widely known,” said Thom Calabro, director of marketing and product development for the Optical Devices Division of FUJIFILM. “It’s the result of considerable customer feedback asking for a light weight zoom wide angle lens with a detachable servo drive, so it can be used as a handheld, capturing wide angles on tight shots.”
Designed using the latest optical simulation technology, the PL 14-28mm wide angle Cabrio lens offers exceptional optical performance in the center of the image and in the corners of the frame as well. The digital servo’s 16-bit encoding assures operators that all lens data output—such as the position of the zoom, iris, and focus—is extremely accurate and the lens supports Lens Data System (LDS) and /i metadata formats. Like the highly acclaimed PL 19-90 and PL 85-300, the new PL 14-28 Cabrio features an exclusive detachable servo drive unit, making it suitable for use as a standard PL lens or as an ENG-style lens. And it can be controlled using cinema industry standard wireless controllers as well as existing FUJINON wired and wireless units.
The new PL 14-28 is equipped with the same features as the PL 19-90mm, such as: flange focal distance adjustment, detachable, self-aligning servo drive, and coverage of a 31.5mm diagonal sensor. Other specifications for this model are still being determined.
The entire range of Premier PL 4K+ cine lenses was shown in the NAB booth. The, 14.5-45mm T2.0, 18-85mm T2.0, 24-180mm T2.6, and 75-400mm T2.8-T3.8 were all on display, as well as the PL 19-90 and PL 85-300 Premier Cabrios.
A second lens was also shown as a preliminary model – the new XA55x9.5 HDTV Telephoto Box Style lens – designed for large venues that require tight shots from long distances. Like the very popular XA50x9.5, this lens will be available with a built-in lens support bracket for mounting on an ENG-style camera. Removing the need for additional camera lens support increases the cost efficiency of this lens.
Also built-in to the new XA55x is optical image stabilization. This is standard on the lens, making it ideal for any application where the camera operator must maintain a rock steady close up shot for long periods, such as sporting events, houses of worship, corporate presentations, or concerts.
The PL 14-28mm Cabrio lens and XA55x9.5 have tentative delivery dates of end of this year. Please see Fujifilm for more information.