Camera positions that are 100ft+ from the stage can severely limit the camera and lens options. Fujinon took a look at this problem and said, “Challenge accepted!”
Two growing trends are emerging in both the church and secular worlds that have a significant effect on how live video production will look moving forward. The first trend is a little more evident in the church world but isn’t limited there; new venues are being built bigger. The larger buildings have a considerable effect on camera positions because camera positions are often secondary to seats. In many church auditoriums, the camera positions are just somewhere in the back of the room. The second trend is the proliferation of cinema cameras in live production. This has been happening for years, and manufacturers have been slowly making products that enable this trend, if not outright encourage it.
This lens should recreate two of the features essential in creating the cinematic look in cameras; a shallow depth of field and bokeh.
The issues arise from the fact these trends are counterproductive to each other; here is the rub, cinema cameras are designed to be used on set. They work best at close distances, with lighting designed to look suitable for the camera. Contrast that with most church auditoriums, explicitly designed for the in-person audience, which will be reflected in the lighting choices. And the fact that the camera position may be 100ft+ from the stage leads to a problem that requires a different camera as a solution. This is why studio or ENG-style cameras are far more common in live video production; quite simply, they are better designed for it. Of course, then Fujinon comes along and looks at this problem and says, “Challenge accepted!”
The Fujinon HZK 25-1000mm is a box-style zoom lens with a PL mount (positive lock) similar to those commonly seen in arenas and sporting venues. The HZK 25-1000mm is different because it was designed to be mounted to Super 35mm or even larger full frame 35mm equivalent sensors. Yup, go back and read that again. As the name implies, the zoom range on this lens is 25mm-1000mm, which according to the spec sheet, is “the world’s highest 40x zoom and the world’s longest focal length of 1000mm.” On top of that, the HZK 25-1000mm will maintain the support of zoom and focus demands while mounted to a cinema camera and has an optical performance that exceeds 4K. There is an additional expansion element in the lens to make it work with multiple sensors. When activated, this element expands the image circle 1.5 times and maintains the same angle of view in both Super 35 and 35mm equivalent sensors. It’s like an extender but for the other side of the lens.
Beyond the fact that the HZK 25-1000mm is a box lens designed for a cinema camera, it has some other unique features. The first feature is the built-in image stabilization based on Fujifilm’s unique “ceramic ball roller” system. Second, the aperture of this lens is 2.8 on the wide side. This lens should recreate two of the features essential in creating the cinematic look in cameras; a shallow depth of field and bokeh.
“This lens covers not only a S35 sensor, but even full frame 35mm sensors like those found on the Sony FX series and Canon C500 MK II and ARRI Alexa LF, says Austin Allen, filmmaker at Times Square Church in NYC. “This is truly big news for those trying to achieve cinematic imagery within their live environments, but often feel limited to short range zooms on larger sensors. This lens completely eliminates this issue. This announcement from Fujinon tells us two major things. One, lens and camera manufacturers are betting big on full-frame camera sensors and supporting lenses. The second is that churches are going to start seeing more and more cinematic full-frame options become available and accessible for a lower price point as more companies develop products for full-frame. Those who find themselves in need of a lens that can give them absolute zoom flexibility and professional cinematic imagery need to look no further than here.”
Because this is a first impression article, I have not used this lens in person, my thoughts are entirely based on the spec sheet, but my first thought is, “Holy cow!” Moving on, I have some questions that were not covered in the available data; First, the documentation mentioned that HZK 25-1000mm is an f2.8 aperture on the lens’s wide side; with a large zoom range, I have to assume it’s not a constant 2.8, so what is it at full tele? In my experience using box lenses in sports, typically, the depth of field is wide enough that once you set focus on the field of play, adjustments are minimal, if needed at all. So, the fact that this lens touts a shallow depth of field has my attention. My last question is about the cost. Is it going to be comparable to a car or a house? Let’s face it, this lens is a unicorn, or maybe it’s a labradoodle. Whatever you call it, it must abide by the cheap/fast/good triangle. At f2.8, we know it’s “fast,” and because it’s from Fujinon, we know it’s “good.” That leaves “cheap,” which I assume this lens is not, because good and fast is never cheap.
