Fujifilm today announced the availability of its new flagship FUJINON Duvo HZK25-1000mm F2.8-F5.0 PL Mount Cinema Box Lens (“Duvo 25-1000”). The lens was designed to deliver extremely high zoom capabilities which are characterized by broadcast lenses but to Super 35mm sensors and beyond. The price: $265,000.

FUJINON Duvo 25-1000 Cinema Box Lens: Now shipping

Fujifilm today announced the availability of its new, “Ground-Breaking” FUJINON Duvo HZK25-1000mm F2.8-F5.0 PL Mount Cinema Box Lens (“Duvo 25-1000”). As noted in Fujifilm’s prior October 2022 development announcement, this native PL-mount cinema box lens achieves a zoom ratio of 40x and a telephoto focal length of 1000mm, the highest combination of magnification and telephoto reach available to date for large cinema sensors. BTW, if you wondered regarding the term Duvo, Fujifilm states that it is a coined word combining the Latin words Duo (=Dual) and Vivo (=Live), meaning a lens with dual characteristics that is compatible with two sensors and capable of cinematic image expression while being a broadcast-use lens suitable for live shooting.

Fujinon says that the Duvo 25-1000 is the first in Fujifilm’s new “Duvo” series of cinema lenses, and it will continue its efforts to enhance the world of cinematic image expression by expanding its lineup of lenses that employ its dual-format system to accommodate two large sensors.

First in the ‘Cinematic Box Lens’ series tailored for large sensors

Fujinon says that the Duvo 25-1000 is the first in Fujifilm’s new “Duvo” series of cinema lenses. Duvo 25-1000’s ability to provide telephoto filming with high magnification makes it suitable not only for sports broadcasts and live concerts, but also for movies, commercials, and other production uses. “In actively observing and gathering feedback from professionals about the emerging world of cinema-sized imagers in live production, our customers helped us identify a very clear need for a long and fast cinema lens that can produce cinematic results in a live production environment,” said Stosh Durbacz, national sales manager, Optical Devices Division, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “With a pedigree that hails from the highly respected FUJINON PREMIER Series, Duvo 25-1000 provides the production with unmatched flexibility and reach while producing the highly sought-after cinema look to live audiences”. Fujifilm adds that it will continue its efforts to enhance the world of cinematic image expression by expanding its lineup of lenses that employ its dual-format system to accommodate two large sensors.

Duvo is a coined word combining the Latin words Duo (=Dual) and Vivo (=Live), meaning a lens with dual characteristics that is compatible with two sensors and capable of cinematic image expression while being a broadcast-use lens suitable for live shooting.

Fujifilm

Dual-format system

Duvo 25-1000 deploys a dual-format system that supports two single sensor sizes: a large format sensor size and a traditional super 35mm sensor. Duvo 25-1000’s use of Fujifilm’s newly developed 1.5x expander shifts the focal length of the telephoto side, enabling super-telephoto image capture of 1500mm (1000×1.5)5. Duvo 25-1000 enables filming with the same field of view in both formats and produces rich image expression by taking advantage of the camera’s cinematic look.

Cinematic broadcasting

According to Fujifilm, camera operators can operate Duvo 25-1000 in a setup specialized for live broadcasting, since existing FUJINON box lens accessories can be used in support of the multi-camera operation. For film and commercial production, the lens’ focus/iris/zoom features can also be remotely controlled by connecting to compatible wireless lens controllers. Duvo 25-1000 also features Breathing Compensation Technology, ensuring the subject framing does not change during focusing, helping to ensure natural-looking images. Furthermore, to maximize portability, the upper grip of Duvo 25-1000 is designed to be slightly longer than conventional box-type broadcast lenses. As a result, it can be lifted stably near the center of gravity. In addition, a new lower grip has been integrated to improve portability.

Key features and highlights

To sum it up, here are the key features of the HZK 25-1000mm f/2.8-5.0:

1. 40x Box Zoom, ARRI PL Mount
2. 25mm Wide to 1000mm Tele, 1.5x Extender
3. For Super 35 and Full Frame Cine Cameras: Super35 sensor coverage is provided in the 25-1000mm range and full-frame coverage is offered at 37.5-1500mm using the built-in 1.5x extender.
4. f/2.8-5.0 Max Aperture Range: This longer zoom maintains a maximum f/2.8 aperture from 25-465mm, ramping to f/5.0 at the 1000m telephoto end.
5. Optical Image-Stabilization System: Uses Fujifilm’s ceramic roller system to compensate for vibration, helping to maintain a stable image even while shooting in windy conditions and to eliminate footsteps and any shaky hand motions.
6. High Optical Quality with 30+ Elements
7. Automatic Breathing Compensation: The automatic breathing compensation corrects breathing by keeping the zoom focal length synced with the focus.
8. 241mm Front Filter Thread
9. Soft, Natural Looking Bokeh
10. Works with Preston & ARRI FIZ Controls

Price and availability

Fujifilm North America Corporation expects to begin shipping initial orders of Duvo 25-1000 to its customers later this week. The price is $265,000 per lens. You can order the lens on the B&H website.  

Wrapping up

Fujifilm wants to set the groundwork for ultra-long-range broadcast lenses that can be paired with large sensors. As proof, check out Fujifilm’s most recent ambitious project trying to utilize the Duvo 25-1000 on an actual cinematic commercial, together with the Sony VENICE. There are numerous challenges to using this cumbersome and heavy lens on that kind of project. On a personal note, the practice is questionable. However, in conventional broadcast use (live events, sports, concerts…) it surely has a place. Also, it will be interesting to explore this lens utilized in high-budget films (paired with an IMAX camera?).

Support Y.M.Cinema Magazine by purchasing our one-of-a-kind stainless steel model of 65 motion picture film camera – A perfect gift for filmmakers.