Fujifilm has introduced the FUJINON Duvo HZK24-300mm portable PL mount zoom lens, which is the second lens in its new Duvo Series, which consists of the mighty Duvo 25-1000 cinema box lens. All details are below.

FUJINON Duvo HZK24-300mm

FUJIFILM announces the introduction of FUJINON Duvo HZK24-300mm Portable PL Mount Zoom Lens (“Duvo 24-300mm”), a dual format lens supporting two types of large-image sensors, specializing in shallow depth of field, beautiful bokeh, and cinematic look even for broadcast missions. Complementing Fujifilm’s Duvo HZK25-1000mm F2.8-F5.0 PL Mount Cinema Box Lens (“Duvo 25-1000mm”) — Fujifilm’s first Duvo Series lens (was even utilized on a high-end commercial)— Duvo 24-300mm delivers 12.5x zoom, covering 24-300mm, a focal range that is frequently used on set. The use of the built-in expander shifts the focal length by 1.5 times to 36mm-450mm, allowing users to capture far-away subjects in desirable fields of view. At 10.6 inches long (270.5mm) and 6.5 pounds (2.95kg), Duvo 24-300mm is compact and lightweight, making it easily portable for all types of live production; it can be operated in the same style as a broadcast lens using zoom and focus demands, is able to be used with a variety of accessories specifically designed for portable FUJINON lenses, and can be utilized for shoulder-mounted operation, as well as with a Steadicam or for high-angle shooting using a crane.

Offering as long a focal length in as small and lightweight a package as possible, Duvo 24-300mm gives handheld positions in live production the opportunity to take advantage of that classic FUJINON cinema look that’s been developed over Fujifilm’s almost 90-year heritage, from making film to making cinema lenses, bringing that unique color space, latitude, and shallow depth of field to the show. The most dramatic, shallow depth-of-field shots in live shows often come from those intimate handheld positions, providing viewers with an immersive cinematic experience; Fujifilm’s expanded range of our portable and long Duvo lenses provides directors with that highly desired cinema look from nearly any position.

Stosh Durbacz, national sales manager, Optical Devices Division, FUJIFILM North America Corporation

Cinematic broadcasting

The term ‘Cinematic Broadcasting’ defines the utilization of broadcast lenses on cinema cameras, in order to grant the event a ‘cinematic look & feel’. As stated by FUJIFILM: “In today’s broadcast environments, cameras equipped with large-image sensors are increasingly used amidst the growing needs for immersive cinematic expressions involving the use of shallow depth of field, bokeh, and high dynamic range. While cinema lenses are commonly used for those applications, they are optimized for shooting scripted production and therefore have a smaller zoom magnification ratio than that of broadcast lenses. They also often require a specialist in focus operations, which is uncommon in the broadcast industry. The introduction of this compact, lightweight portable lens to the Duvo Series lens lineup will enable high mobility and portability in realizing cinematic coverage of live sporting events, music concerts, documentaries, and wildlife cinematography”. That’s one of the reasons FUJIFILM has developed the Duvo series —to focus on offering high-end broadcast glass that can be paired on large sensor cinema cameras. Thus, the Duvo series was born. 

Key features

The key features of the Duvo 24-300mm are:

1. Supports cameras with Super 35mm sensors and sensors equivalent to full frame: The lens natively works with the Super 35mm sensor and supports a sensor equivalent to the full frame by engaging the built-in expander to expand the image circle by 1.5 times. When mounted on a camera equipped with a sensor equivalent to full frame, the lens delivers its maximum optical performance while maintaining the same angle of view as when used on a camera with a Super 35mm sensor.
2. Creates cinema-quality imagery with beautiful bokeh: With Duvo 24-300mm’s use of large-diameter aspherical elements and Super-ED (extra-low dispersion) lenses, polished to advanced precision, various forms of aberration are controlled thoroughly to achieve superb optical performance. Ghosting, lens flair, and color bleeding are also suppressed to deliver natural, controllable, cinematic footage. Furthermore, the lens has a maximum aperture of T2.9 at the wide-angle end despite being a high-magnification lens that supports a large sensor. This enables filming in low-light conditions, such as indoor concerts and evening sporting events.
3. With Duvo 24-300mm, out-of-focus areas naturally fall out of focus from the focal plane into the background. This produces a highly sought-after cinematic look with beautiful textures and bokeh, allowing the storyteller to naturally draw the attention of the viewer to the in-focus subject.
4. Access to a wide variety of accessories: Duvo 24-300mm supports multi-camera operations to facilitate efficient production. The lens can be connected to a third-party wireless lens controller, a setup commonly used for movie and TV commercial production, to remotely control focus, aperture, and zoom. This also supports focusing by a dedicated focus operator. The lens focus ring has a gear pitch of 0.8M, which allows the use of all standard, third-party accessories for movie production.

Tech features to enhance shooting and editing

1. Duvo 24-300mm features Breathing Compensation Technology (BCT), which automatically corrects focus breathing (fluctuations in the angle of view) to produce natural footage while maintaining the subject being filmed in the established field of view during changes in focus.
2. The lens also features Remote Back Focus (RBF), which enables the control of the flange focal distance from either the control panel of the camera or the robotic system that supports the RBF feature. It allows for precise adjustment with a large, high-resolution monitor and controlled lighting in a studio control room or in an OB van/production truck as opposed to via the onboard viewfinder.
3. Duvo 24-300mm is compatible with the “ZEISS eXtended Data” system developed by ZEISS based on the open /i Technology standard. It enables the recording of lens metadata (focus, zoom, and iris position), as well as lens distortion and shading corrections.

Expected availability

Duvo 24-300mm is currently expected to be available in the U.S. market in the spring of 2024 but will be previewed at IBC 2023 in Amsterdam, Netherlands from September 15 to 18, 2023 along with Fujifilm’s third Duvo Series lens, a wide portable zoom lens covering a focal length of 14-100mm. No info about pricing.