Fujinon 4K Ultra HD Zoom Lens Launched

(24/05/2015) As the gateway to light and first element in the production chain, the lens demands the highest optical performance. Ever since the first color television content aired in 1962, FUJIFILM has pursued the development of broadcast-quality lenses for the television industry. Then as now, our mission is to provide production professionals with high performance, high quality lenses. This Fujinon lens commitment to quality has won the acclaim and trust of both the broadcasting and cinema industries. With the full-scale shift to 4K broadcasting on the horizon, we are polishing the cutting edge of our high-precision optical technology and paving the way for the future of imaging production.

Back in 2009 the HK-Series cine zoom lenses with 8K-class optical performance was introduced. The HK-Series have since become popular visual tools in major movie productions around the globe. In 2012 on the back of the success of the HK-Series Fujinon launched the 4K-class ZK-Series cine zoom lenses which are much lighter in weight, they were the world's first PL-mount cine lenses which incorporated detachable full servo 16-bit drive units. Both the HK and ZK lens series played a major role in the 4K test broadcasts of numerous global sporting events including the Confederation Cup and World Cup, further raising both Cinematic and TV Broadcast industry recognition of FUJINON as synonymous with 4K (+) ultimate optical performance.

The demand for 4K video contents are surging amidst a 7-fold year-on-year increase in the shipment of 4K-compatible television sets to approx. 11.6 million units*2 last year and the launch of a dedicated 4K channel (CS satellite broadcasting) in Japan in March this year. Fujifilm's lineup of cine lenses has included the HK-Series which offers optical performance approximating to 8K systems, and ZK-Series , which combines 4K optical performance and electric drive units. With a solid reputation not only from the film industry, but also from broadcasters producing 4K content. Fujinon lenses in both HK and ZK series are frequently used in 4K broadcasts at international sporting events.

Nonetheless, the broadcasting industry generally uses cameras equipped with 2/3-inch sensors now including 4K cameras with the same sensor size, and is therefore seeking compatible broadcast lenses that can deliver advanced ultra-high definition optical performance. Based on that requirement Fujifilm developed the recently launched UA-Series 2/3 4K U-HDTV lens models UA80x9 BESM and UA22x8 BERD which have now bridged the gap between the Cine & TV industry segments. Ultra-high resolution 4K imaging demands a higher dimension of lens performance, and Fujinon responded with a new line up of 4K U-HDTV broadcast lenses. Honed by decades of development and enhanced by cutting-edge optical technology, the acclaimed HIGH RESOLUTION , HIGH CONTRAST and HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE of Fujinon lenses ascends to new heights and conquer the 4K pinnacle of optical performance demanded by imaging professionals.

Minimal aberrations over the entire zoom range with extreme high contrast, high dynamic range and image purity are achieved by FUJINON's newly developed zoom group approach and floating focus system (variator/compensator). True 4K imaging expression rich in color reproduction is realized by the increase is realized by the increased red and blue transmittance ratio which is a benefit of the HT-EBC (Electron Beam) coating with the highest transmittance and lowest reflectivity ratios that can be achieved with current production technologies. The below graphic illustrates the optical performance values which can be achieved by the type and degree of coating layers which is applied to the glass (crystal) elements.

Excellent 4K imaging quality of even distant detail is faithfully conveyed to the camera by elevating the optical performance in the frequency bands that carry the vast majority of imaging. High-fidelity transmittance of blacks to the camera is essential to imaging expression, and FUJINON achieves this with advanced optical material and the latest in lens coating technology.

Optical loss is reduced to new extremes to achieve 4K-class imaging expression rich in color gamut reproduction.The 4K image quality not only displays suppression of a variety of aberrations, but also remarkable sharpness and clarity. The UA-Series has integrated 16-bit encoders that can provide high-resolution lens data output including extremely accurate zoom, iris and focus data. This capability and interface promise enhanced compatibility with virtual systems for composing CG with live broadcast images.

In optics, modulation transfer function* indicates the capability of optical contrast transmission.Often the contrast reduction is of most interest and the pattern translation can be ignored. The relative contrast is given by the absolute value of the optical transfer function, a function commonly referred to as the modulation transfer function (MTF).While optical resolution, as commonly used with reference to camera systems, describes only the number of pixels in an image, and hence the potential to show fine detail, the transfer function describes the ability of adjacent pixels to change from black to white in response to patterns of varying spatial frequency, and hence the actual capability to show fine detail, whether with full or reduced contrast. An image reproduced with an optical transfer function (OPT) that rolls off at high spatial frequencies will appear blurred in everyday language*. A perfect lens system will provide a high contrast projection without shifting the periodic pattern; hence the optical transfer function is identical to the modulation transfer function. Typically the contrast will reduce gradually towards zero at a point defined by the resolution of the optics.

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