Fujifilm Photography News and Rumors

Fujinon Premista 19-45mm T2.9: B&H Photo
Fujinon Premista 28-100mm T2.9: B&H Photo / Adorama
Fujinon Premista 80-250mm T2.9: B&H Photo / Adorama

Fujifilm launches FUJINON Premista19-45mmT2.9
– Wide-angle zoom lens joining the Premista Series of zoom lenses for cinema cameras
– Natural image with little distortion throughout the entire zoom range
– Supports the efficient production of high-quality video

TOKYO, September 2, 2020 — FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) is pleased to announce the development of the wide-angle zoom lens Premista19-45mmT2.9 (Premista19-45mm) with a focal length of 19-45mm. It will be the third model to join the Premista Series of zoom lenses for cinema cameras that support large-format sensors* and deliver outstanding high resolution, natural and beautiful bokeh and rich gradation with HDR (high dynamic range). The Premista19-45mm effectively reduces the distortion** that tends to occur when shooting at wide-angle focal lengths. A natural image with little distortion is achieved throughout the entire zoom range, lightening the burden of correcting video after shooting and allowing high quality video to be created more efficiently. The Premista19-45mm is scheduled for release in early 2021.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the adoption of cinema cameras equipped with large-format sensors capable of delivering beautiful bokeh and rich gradation at sites producing high quality videos, such as for Hollywood movies. While prime lens, which has outstanding optical performance, are regularly used among lenses compatible with the large format sensors, there is a growing demand for zoom lenses which has both ability to efficiently capture images without the hassle of having to frequently change lenses and to shoot high quality images.

In response to such demand, Fujifilm released both a standard and telephoto zoom lens as part of the Premista Series of zoom lenses for high-performance cinema cameras equipped with a large-format sensor in 2019. The series has been praised by professionals of video production for its edge-to-edge sharpness and wide range of focal lengths for exceptional convenience.

The newly developed Premista19-45mm is a wide-angle zoom lens that covers focal lengths from 19mm to 45mm with a constant T-stop of 2.9***. Featuring large-diameter aspherical lens elements and a unique zooming system, the lens achieves an astonishing level of edge-to-edge sharpness. Additionally, the distortion is effectively reduced throughout the entire zoom range even at the widest focal lengths. Furthermore, compact design, an overall length of 230mm and a weight of 3.3kg, and excellent robustness have been achieved. These were accomplished through mechanical design perfected with simulation technology cultivated over many years and production technology for assembling parts processed in the order of microns with high precision. The new zoom lens can be utilized for handheld shooting using a steadicam*4 or high-angle shooting using a crane. Similar to the standard and telephoto zoom types, the Premista19-45mm supports “ZEISS eXtended Data”, which can record lens metadata*5 when shooting, supporting efficient video production.

Fujifilm will be launching this product in early 2021, expanding both the Premista Series lineup and the shooting range for high-quality video.

Fujifilm has led the cinema industry since its foundation in 1934 to achieve domestic production of photographic and motion picture films in Japan. The company’s products are widely praised by cinematographers around the world, including the development of high-performance zoom cinema lenses winning the Emmy Award by the American Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2017. Fujifilm will continue to tap into optical, high precision forming and assembling technologies that have been nurtured in the field of cutting-edge video production to develop a wide range of lenses, thereby addressing the diverse needs.

*Large image sensors that measure 43.2-46.3mm diagonally. Sensor is larger than the super 35mm sensor, which is the standard format for cinema cameras.
**Image distortion that tends to occur when shooting at wide-angle focal lengths.
***An index stating the brightness of the lens, taking into account the F value and transmittance. The smaller the value, the greater amount of light the lens transmits.
*4Equipment for shooting stable video, which reduces unwanted movement that can occur when shooting handheld video.
*5Information such as focus, zoom and iris position.

1. Product name
FUJINON Premista19-45mmT2.9

2. Main features
(1) Supporting large-format sensors to deliver outstanding high resolution, natural and beautiful bokeh and neutral, accurate color tone

• The new Premista19-45mm lens combines large-diameter aspherical lens elements polished to ultimate precision with Fujifilm’s unique zooming system to deliver superior resolution by effectively correcting issues such as chromatic aberration, achieving impressive quality and clarity.
• The Premista19-45mm effectively reduces the distortion that tends to occur when shooting at wide-angle focal lengths across the entire zoom range.
• The 13-blade design forms a near-perfect circular aperture. It produces natural and beautiful bokeh when combined with a shallow depth-of-field, which is a characteristic of large-format sensors.
• Cutting edge optical design and Fujifilm’s unique coating process have been adopted to minimize ghosts and control flares to maintain good contrast to maximize the dynamic range of light being captured by the camera.

(2) Wide-angle zoom covering focal lengths from 19mm to 45mm

• The new Premista19-45mm lens is a wide-angle zoom lens that offers a T-stop value of 2.9 and focal length range from 19mm to 45mm. This lens covers the focal lengths of five prime lenses*6, reducing the need to change lenses and allowing more effective shooting in a shorter amount of time.

*6Five prime lenses for cinema cameras with focal lengths of 21mm, 25mm, 29mm, 35mm, and 40mm that support large-format sensors.

(3) Compact design with excellent robustness

• Mechanical design perfected with Fujifilm’s simulation technology, nurtured over many years, is coupled with production technology for assembling parts processed in the order of microns at high precision, to produce a compact and lightweight body with excellent robustness that can withstand the harsh filming conditions. The Premista19-45mm is 25mm shorter in length and 500g lighter in weight than the other two Premista lenses.

(4) Excellent and comfortable operability

• The new lens shares the same front diameter and gear position for the focus, zoom and iris operating rings as the standard and telephoto zoom type of Premista Series lenses. This allows for efficient operability, as the same matte box, which reduces issues such as flares and ghosts, follow-focus system, which enables smooth and accurate focusing, and other accessories can be used without the need to re-adjust accessory positions when changing between Premista lenses.
• The Premista19-45mm features a Flange Focal Distance adjustment function*7, allowing users to adjust the flange focal distance by simply rotating a ring on the lens barrel to correct shifts in the flange focal distance caused by rapid temperature changes at a shooting location.

*7This function can adjust the lens’s image-forming plane to the optimum position according to each camera’s flange focal distance (the distance from the lens’s mounting reference plane to the image sensor).

• The focus ring has a full rotation of 280 degrees and provides smooth torque to enable precise focusing. Fluorescent paint is applied to index marks on the focus, zoom and iris rings so that these settings can be visibly checked even at night or in a dark room. The focus index can also be displayed in feet or meters.

(5) Supporting ZEISS eXtended Data*8

• The new Premista19-45mm lens will support “ZEISS eXtended Data”, developed by Carl Zeiss in compliance with the “/i^® Technology*9” communication standard. It allows users to record lens metadata for filmed footage as well as to correct lens distortion and peripheral light fall-off*10, supporting efficient video production by greatly lightening the burden of video editing after shooting.

*8ZEISS eXtended Data is to be introduced with a firmware update.
*9/i is a trademark or registered trademark of Cooke Optics Limited.
*10Separate compatible devices are required depending on the camera used.