Fujifilm launches the MK lens series of innovative cinema lenses - delivering advanced optical performance, ultra-compact and lightweight design and excellent cost performance Growing demand for powerful equipment for movie production by emerging cinematographers such as online movie22.02.2017
FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) has unveiled the MK series of new cinema lenses, which boast advanced optical performance, ultra-compact and lightweight design and excellent cost performance. The FUJINON MK18-55mm T2.9 (MK18-55mm), a standard zoom lens with the focal length of 18-55mm is the first MK lens to be released in early March 2017. In the summer, this will be followed by the launch of the FUJINON MK50-135mm T2.9 (MK50-135mm), a telephoto zoom lens offering the focal length of 50-135mm, thus together covering the most frequently-used range of focal lengths from 18mm to 135mm.
The rapid growth in popularity of movies made by emerging cinematographers in recent years including corporate and commercial movies on the Internet and other venues has increased the opportunities of shooting movies using cinema and regular digital cameras, and it boosts demand for high-performance cinema lenses that deliver high resolution and advanced scene-depicting capability. Cinema lenses are the optimal choice to achieve a shallow depth-of-field and a beautiful bokeh. However, since they are typically large, heavy and expensive, those involved in online and other lower cost movie production often opt for interchangeable lenses for digital cameras, which are more affordable and mobile. The problem is that interchangeable lenses for digital cameras are designed primarily for shooting still images, and therefore prone to focus shift and optical axis shift while zooming, and so on. In response, Fujifilm has been working on developing new cinema lenses that offer advanced optical performance with compact size and operability to meet the needs of creative emerging cinematographers.
The MK lenses joining our cinema lens lineup inherit the FUJINON cine lenses' advanced edge-to-edge optical performance and low distortion*1, and yet boast compact and lightweight design as well as the level of outstanding cost performance that has never been seen in conventional cinema lenses until now.
The MK series offers fast lenses with T2.9*2 speed across the entire zoom range, enabling a shallow depth-of-field as well as a beautiful bokeh effect. The lenses are compatible with E-mount*3 cameras with the Super 35mm*4 / APS-C sensor and the X Mount used in Fujifilm's X Series of digital cameras (APS-C sensor). They achieve advanced optical performance despite their compact and lightweight body by incorporating the benefits of short flange focal distance*5 into optical design to the maximum extent. The use of optical and mechanical design optimized for dedicated movie lenses minimizes focal shift and optical axis shift while zooming, and lens breathing (change of angle of view during focusing) that are typically observed in interchangeable lenses for digital cameras. The lenses feature three rings to enable manual and independent adjustment of focus, zoom and iris (aperture), all with the gear pitch*6 of 0.8M (module). The focus ring can rotate fully up to 200 degrees to facilitate precise focusing. This design makes the lenses comfortable to operate.
Fujifilm will firstly release the MK18-55mm (focal length of 18-55mm) for the E Mount in early March, followed by the MK50-135mm (focal length of 50-135mm), also in the E-mount this summer. Their X Mount versions (focal lengths of 18-55mm and 50-135mm) are being developed for launch by the end of this year.
MK18-55mm (E-mount) Under development] MK50-135mm (E-mount)
FUJINON lenses offered by Fujifilm have been used at movie / CM / TV production sites around the world for their advanced scene-depicting capability. Tapping into its optical, high-precision processing and assembly technologies that have been nurtured over the years in the cutting-edge field of movie production, Fujifilm will introduce the MK lens series to the current lineup of the HK / ZK / XK lenses to meet the diverse needs at the movie production frontlines.
*1 Distortion refers to a phenomenon in which an image formed through a lens becomes partially contracted or extended at the edges.
*2 T-stop value is an index that indicates brightness of a lens based on its F-stop value and transmission rate. The smaller the value, the greater amount of light the lens transmits.
*3 Lens mount format developed by SONY Corporation
*4 Super 35mm is a standard format for motion film cameras using 35mm film stock, and refers to a sensor size used in many cinema cameras.
*5 Distance from lens mounting reference plane to sensor
*6 Distance between gear teeth
1. Product name and release date
MK lens series of cinema camera lenses
(1)FUJINON MK18 55mm T2.9
Release date: Early March 2017
(2) FUJINON MK50-135mm T2.9 (under development)
Release date: Summer 2017
Information about MK lenses in the X Mount will be provided as soon as more details are confirmed.
See our latest lens roadmap for the X Series on February 22 for more information.
2. Main features of the MK lens series
(1) Advanced optical performance, packed into the compact and lightweight lens barrel
The MK lenses offer advanced edge-to-edge optical performance and low distortion. They are designed with integrated color temperature with other FUJINON CINE lenses in the HK / ZK / XK series to simplify color grading*7 that is required when using a combination of multiple lenses.
They have T2.9 speed across the entire zoom range which facilitates the increasingly popular style of bokeh effect with shallow depth-of-field. This also eliminates the need to re-adjust lighting, thereby contributing to shortening shooting time.
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