Remember when you would dream…. If only I could have a zoom lens like a broadcast lens or cine lens but it would fit easily on my Sony E-Mount and not cost $13,000? When I saw that Fujinon had released not one but two affordable cine zooms I fell of my chair! Okay maybe not exactly affordable but if you compare just the price alone these two are a bargain at $3799. The new MK Cine zooms are parfocal meaning when you zoom in and set focus the lens will hold it when you zoom out and back again. This is huge for video work. Another great feature is the focus has a 200 degree rotation for nailing focus and maintaining the focus with smooth damping. Getting precise focus is hard on a stills lens because the rotation is so short. From the samples I’ve seen the breathing looks like it’s very low as well. All these things is what makes a proper video lens and it looks like Fujinon just hit the sweet spot.
The wide model is the Fujinon MK18-55mm T2.9 Lens with Sony E-Mount. These are super 35 lenses not full frame. This is great for any E-Mount camera like the A7rii, A7sii and the a6500 but you have to be in APS-C or S35 mode when using them. The MK18-55mm T2.9 focal length is equivalent to a 27-82mm full frame lens. The new cine zoom has a constant T2.9 aperture over the zoom range making it so useful for fast shooting scenarios. When I was going over the specs I noticed that this lens only weights 2.16 pounds. Thats really light for a cine zoom lens like this. Compared to the Sigma 18-35 that comes in at 1.78 lb. and the Sigma 50-100 is even heavier at 3.28 lb.
It features a mechanical design with three independent lens control rings: focus, iris, and zoom. Each ring incorporates a cine-style gear with a 0.8 MOD for interfacing with standard cine -style lens accessories. The focus ring features approximately 200° of rotation, which provides room or precise focus pulls, and the iris is clickless, enabling smooth iris pulls. The lens also incorporates a macro mode for close focusing capabilities.
The lens is color matched to other Fujinon lenses such as the HK, ZK, and XK series, which enables smooth intercutting between lenses. The 85mm front enables use with many cine-style matte boxes via use of optional step up rings (rings not included). The lens weighs only 2.16 pounds, which is fairly light for a cinema zoom that holds focus and aperture throughout the focal length range. It is designed for camera’s with a Sony E-mount, so it has a short flange focal distance, but the lens allows for flange focal distance adjustment so you can fine tune it to the camera you are using the lens on.
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
- Covers Super 35 Format
- Sony E-Mount
- Consistent T2.9 Aperture Over Zoom Range
- 3 x Standard 0.8 MOD Gears
- Clickless 9-Blade Iris
- 200° Focus Rotation and Macro Mode
- Color Matched to Fujinon HK/ZK/XK Series
- 85mm Front Outside Diameter
- Weighs 2.16 Pounds
- Flange Focal Distance Adjustment
Newsshooter.com’s Dan Chung demos the new Fujinon MK18-55mm T2.9 Lens
Need to go longer? Well how about this Fujinon MK50-135mm T2.9 Lens (Sony E-Mount)
I think I would find this focal length more useful in the type of work I do. the Fujinon MK50-135mm T2.9 Lens is equivalent to 75-202 mm full frame lens. Remarkably it weights the same as the wider model. Only 2.16 lb.
- Covers Super 35 Format
- Sony E-Mount
- Consistent T2.9 Aperture Over Zoom Range
- 3 x Standard 0.8 MOD Gears
- Clickless 9-Blade Iris
- 200° Focus Rotation and Macro Mode
- Color Matched to Fujinon HK/ZK/XK Series
- 85mm Front Outside Diameter
- Weighs 2.16 Pounds
- Flange Focal Distance Adjustment
Both of these new Fujinon MK Cine Zooms have a macro back focus switch on them. I used to use this on a B4 broadcast lens all the time when I wanted to get really close to the subject.
These two new Fujinon MK Cine Zooms are really exciting for anyone that needs a cine style zoom at a incredible price. Both retail for $3799. Yes thats a lot of money but you are getting all the features you need in a lightweight smaller package for Sony E-Mount cameras. I see these being very popular in the rental market. As with all things in the rental world the actual price of the item dictates the rental fee so you can rent them for a lower cost. I’ll be checking these out at NAB for sure!
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Interested in buying a new camera? Well I have a course on Lynda.com you should watch that will help you pick the right one for the job.
