Fujifilm has tried to prove a point here. Using a huge box broadcast lens (FUJINON 25-1000mm PL) to shoot an actual cinematic car commercial. Paired with a high-end large-format cinema camera (Sony VENICE), this TV lens was pushed to the limit. Did it deliver?

Huge broadcast/TV boxy lens on cinematic production

The newly announced FUJINON HZK25-1,000mm F2.8-F5.0 PL Mount Box Lens (“HZK25-1000″) was utilized to shoot a car commercial. Paired with the Sony VENICE, the lens was treated as a pure cinema lens rather than a broadcast-TV lens. Although the results are pretty impressive, the question that should be asked here is if a box lens with a zoom ratio of 40X can be used in cinematic production. We ask this question, because those kinds of lenses are supposed to be static, and handled in a very specific way, as opposed to being rigged to a gimbal, and operated by a cinema production crew.

FUJINON 25-1000mm F2.8-5.0 PL

That’s how Fujifilm describes this new special lens:  “The FUJINON HZK25-1000mm F2.8-F5.0 PL Mount Box Lens (“HZK25-1000”) features a native PL mount, offering a beautiful bokeh that brings a cinematic look to live production. This lens achieves a long telephoto focal length of 1000mm (1500 with 1.5 Expander), the highest combination of magnification and telephoto reach available to date for large cinema sensors. A Dual Format Expander also allows the lens to maintain image quality in both S35 and Large Format. HZK25-1000 features all of the latest technological advancements that are now standard in most of Fujifilm’s FUJINON broadcast lenses including stabilization, Automatic Restoration of Illumination Attenuation (ARIA), Remote Back Focus (RBF), Automatic Chromatic Aberration Correction (ALAC)”. Note that the word ‘cinematic’ is being emphasized which indicates one of the exceptional goals of this lens.

Cinematic broadcasting

The term ‘Cinematic Broadcasting’ is being used many times lately. There’s an ambitious statement underneath — The idea is to pair a TV/broadcast lens to a large sensor cinema camera, thus earning the cinematic look even in broadcasting (sports, concerts, events, and so on). This is something new here, that is tested by top cinema camera companies (RED, ARRI, Canon, and even IMAX). We’ve been covering this hot topic from different aspects, so you are more than welcome to read our articles about it. Anyway, it seems that  Fujifilm went all the way for a hell of a project. Instead of testing and demonstrating its new flagship glass in broadcast production, Fujifilm has decided to shoot an epic high-octane commercial with it. We think that this is the first time, that this type of lens was utilized in a high-end, high-octane action commercial. This is definitely a first-of-its-kind lens test. Here’s the final result: 

Feedback

The camera team behind “Hyperactive,” the automotive action launch film introducing FUJIFILM’s FUJINON HZK25-1000mm F2.8 CineBox PL lens, shares its feedback below:

• On size: “Despite flying around a lens that’s over 60 pounds, because of the incredible equipment from Chapman Leonard, I was able to place this lens wherever I wanted to immediately. There was really no compromise in having a lens this big on this production.”
• On production style: “To test performance in a commercial environment, the lens was connected to a Preston Focus System. What was really impressive was that all the normal functions were able to be performed.”
• On optics: “Going super long to super wide, one of the first things I noticed, was how flatly projected the optic was. 25mm. You get no bow, no bend, it’s just super clean”.

Explore the BTS below:

Wrapping up

First, kudos to Fujifilm for this brave experiment, which also led to impressive and intriguing results. However, should it be practical? The $250,000 lens is heavy and was mainly designed for other purposes than using it dynamically on a car commercial. On the other hand, this is what cinematography is all about, which is breaking boundaries and trying new and unconventional methods to shoot great stuff. If Michael Bay can build an IMAX 3D camera out of two Phantom 65 Gold and utilize it on its crazy insane action shots, then they’re no defined boundaries in cinematography. Hence, the Fujifilm crew deserves a pat on the back for a job well done.

Post Game Questions

1. What do you think about using a TV-broadcast lens in a complex cinematic environment?
2. Did the  FUJINON 25-1000mm F2.8-5.0 PL perform well in this experiment?

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