24 CREATION
April 2017
Fujifilm aims to be a game-changer in the cinema lens market
Keitaro So , regional sales and marketing director , optical devices and electronic imaging division , Fujifilm Asia-
Pacific , runs APB through the company ’ s new MK series cine lens , and how Fujifilm is gearing up to be a leading provider of cinema lenses in
Asia-Pacific .
Can you tell us more about the new MK series cine lens , and which market are you specifically targeting the lens at ? Keitaro So : Fujifilm has just introduced a new line of affordable E-Mount cine zooms made for documentary-style cine shooters . The Fujinon MK18-55mm T2.9 , the first of two zoom lenses , was unveiled last month , and this will be followed by the MK50-135mm T2.9 in June this year . The MK lenses feature a non-focus shift mechanism , a nonbreathing focus mechanism and fullygeared cine lens controls .
Although this may be similar to other cinema lenses , the MK lenses differ through its affordable price point . MK series cine lens are affordable relative to Fujinon ’ s other cinema lenses in the HK , ZK and XK series , as well as competing brands of cinema zoom lenses .
Weighing less than 1kg , both lenses have a unique macro function that lets users close focus from 0.38m with the MK18-55mm and from 0.85m with the MK50-135mm at the wide end . A focal length of 18mm-135mm on a Super35 sensor , together with the macro function , enables versatile shooting for food , travelling , wedding and essentially any scenarios required .
Fujifilm specifically targets emerging videographers and cinematographers who are using Sony E-Mount cameras such as the FS7 , FS5 and A7 series . These cameras are popular among those involved in online and other lower-cost movie productions . These users often choose interchangeable lenses for digital cameras simply because there are no affordable cinema lens in the market — they have no option but to select still photography lenses .
The problem is that still photography lenses 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
videographers and cinematographers . We really would like to change the world by providing the opportunity to use authentic cinema lenses for anybody , every day .
Filmmakers and content producers are increasingly shooting in multiple formats , ranging from HD to 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ), and more recently , high dynamic range ( HDR ). With camera lenses being a key component of the production ecosystem , how does Fujifilm design its lenses to meet three requirements of filmmakers and content producers ? So : Where resolution is concerned , our current line-up are all new-generation lenses and perfectly compatible from HD to 4K / UHD , and even up to 6K / 8K . The colour space of our lenses is also wide enough to establish the expansion of colour volume and realise the smooth tonality of colour , as long as the camera is equipped with HDR functionality and bit depth capability . I can say that our optical technology is really advanced and has contributed significantly to total
The Fujinon E-Mount cine zooms is designed for documentary-style cine shooters . The Fujinon MK18- 55mm T2.9 is the first of two zoom lenses introduced in March this year ; this will be followed by the MK50-135mm T2.9 this June . Both lenses feature a non-focus shift mechanism , a non-breathing focus mechanism and fullygeared cine lens controls — coupled with an affordable print point , according to Fujifilm .
❝ Fujifilm specifically targets emerging videographers and cinematographers , who are using Sony E-Mount cameras such as the FS7 , FS5 and A7 series .❞
— Keitaro So , Regional Sales and Marketing Director , Optical Devices and Electronic Imaging Division , Fujifilm Asia-Pacific
image quality in recent times .
Fujifilm has introduced , in total , 11 cinema lenses , including two MK lenses , which are all zoom lenses . People tend to think that prime lens is superior to zoom lens , but Fujifilm , with its advanced optical technology , realises high resolution and low distortion at any focal length . We design one zoom lens to have the versatility of five or six prime lenses , resulting in a lot of time savings , from changing the lenses to lighting and make-up correction of the actor or actress . Fujifilm also prioritises the colour reproduction and unifies its colour across our entire lens line-up , so users can also save a lot of colour grading in post production .
Which Fujifilm lens line is particularly popular in Asia-Pacific , and why is this so ? Can you name some prominent users of Fujifilm lenses in this region ? So : Out of our cinema lens line-up , the Cabrio ZK series is the most popular , especially among broadcast customers . This is because Cabrio ZK series is equipped with an attachable and detachable drive unit , which can control zoom , focus and iris with its motor . Within the lens , we also offer a backfocus adjustment function .
As more broadcast customers are starting to use large sensor cinema cameras for shooting documentary and TV drama programmes to achieve more emotional images with shallow depth-of-field and beautiful bokeh , the Cabrio ZK series may be the best cinema lens solution for them .
For those involved purely in the cinema industry , Fijinon cinema lenses are not so popular in Asia-
Pacific yet , although many Fujinon lenses have been used in major Hollywood productions such as Avatar and Tomorrowland . The challenge for us in Asia-Pacific is to create positive word of mouth and improve our brand awareness among DPs and cinematographers .
What other advances for lenses do you think will be possible , or will be necessary , in the future ? So : When it comes to the product development of lenses , there are many factors to be considered . For instance , sensors are becoming larger and larger , lenses should be brighter and faster , and focal length has to be wide enough and long enough , to name but a few . At the end of the day , lenses are becoming bigger , heavier and more expensive , which goes against the current requirements of a lower-budget production market .
I believe we need to go back to basics . Through collaboration with more camera and lens brands , we should establish an industry standard , such as a camera lens communication system . With such a system , we can correct several optical performances on the camera side , thus producing lenses that are smaller , lighter and perhaps cheaper . Accordingly , lens manufacturers like us can focus on providing more value to our customers , and inputting our R & D resources in more efficient ways . ❑