FUJIFILM has announced the development of a new wide-angle zoom lens for its Premista line of cine lenses, which are designed for large format video and film cameras. The FUJINON Premista 19-45mm T2.9 lens will join the Premista 28-100mm and 80-250mm lenses, which were introduced last year. The new PL-mount wide-angle zoom is scheduled for release in early 2021.
In response to the popularity of the Premista standard and telephoto zoom lenses and recognizing the demand for versatile and high-quality zoom lenses in the cine field, FUJIFILM has advanced the development of this constant-aperture, wide-angle, spherical zoom to create a comprehensive set of large format cine lenses that cover focal lengths from 19 to 200mm at T2.9, and then up to 250mm at T3.5. With advancements in design and optics, efficient and time-saving zoom lenses are replacing prime lenses in the kits of cinematographers, and this series has been praised for its prime lens “look.”
The Premista 19-45mm produces an image circle with 46.3mm diameter, supporting all current large format sensors and film. Its large-diameter aspherical lens elements and unique zooming system achieve an impressive level of edge-to-edge sharpness and display minimal distortion throughout the zoom range, even at the widest focal lengths. It produces images with natural bokeh, accurate color rendition, and minimal chromatic aberration. FUJIFILM’s coating process minimizes ghosting and flares to maintain contrast and maximize the image’s dynamic range. These unique coatings also maintain a neutral cinematic color tone that matches seamlessly with other Premista, Premier, and Cabrio lenses. It features a 13-blade circular aperture design.
Enabling creative perspectives and flexible camera placement options, the 19-45mm is a compact (9.0") and robust lens, ideal for handheld shooting, use with a stabilizing system, as well as on a crane. It is 1" shorter and 1.1 lb lighter than the other two Premista lenses but shares the same 114mm front diameter and 0.8 MOD pitch gear position for the focus, zoom, and iris operating rings. The same matte box, follow-focus system, and other accessories can be used without the need to readjust when changing between Premista lenses. Its focus ring has a full rotation of 280⁰ and provides smooth torque for precise focusing. Fluorescent paint on the index marks of the focus, zoom, and iris rings enhances their visibility.
The Premista 19-45mm features a Back Focus function allowing flange focal distance adjustment on location. Like the other lenses in the Premista series, the new 19-45mm supports both “ZEISS eXtended Data” and “Cooke/i technology,” which allow lens metadata to be recorded during shooting.
This latest Premista lens will round out the series of three high-quality cinema zoom lenses, providing a comprehensive set of focal lengths from 19mm to 250mm. In the Comments section below, let us know your experience using the two current Premista lenses.
