Newly announced the FUJINON Premista 19-45mm T2.9 (“Premista 19-45mm”) lens to be released on January 28, 2021. This lens is the third model to join the Premista Series of cinema zooms that support Large Format sensors.

Fujinon Premista 19-45mm Features

• Stunning optical performance delivers the full benefits of a large format sensor
• Natural depictions with little distortion throughout the entire zoom range
• Durability and lightweight thanks to lens barrel assembly with high accuracy
• Covering 19mm to 45mm and achieving T2.9
• Comfortable operability
• Compatible with the “ZEISS eXtended Data” system

The Premista 19-45mm is a short, lightweight wide-angle zoom that produces images with natural and beautiful bokeh, outstanding high resolution, accurate color rendition, and controllable flare with minimal ghosting for capturing high dynamic range (HDR). The lens shows minimal distortion throughout the entire zoom range, alleviating the burden of correcting footage after shooting and allowing high-quality cinematic images to be created more efficiently. 

When the new lens is combined with the standard zoom (28-100mm) and telephoto zoom (80-250mm) in the Premista Series, the kit covers focal lengths from 19mm to 250mm, catering to a wide range of shooting scenes from wide-angle to telephoto. All three lenses also share the same front diameter and gear position for the focus, zoom, and iris operating rings, enabling efficient operability and production of high-quality images. Additionally, the focus ring has a wide rotation angle of 280 degrees and gives smooth torque during rotation for precise focusing and excellent control. Fluorescent paint is applied to index marks on the focus, zoom and iris rings, allowing these settings to be visibly checked in dark environments.

In addition to prime lenses compatible with Large Format sensors, the demand for zoom lenses is increasing due to their ability to efficiently capture high-quality footage without the delays caused by frequent lens changes, and without taking actors out of character.

“The response we’ve seen to the Premista lenses since their 2019 launch has been tremendous both in terms of excitement and usage across feature film, high-end TV productions, and commercials,” said Thomas Fletcher, director of marketing, Optical Devices Division, FUJIFILM North America Corporation.” Now, with stricter safety and efficiency needs on set, there is a growing demand for high-quality zoom lenses that match the quality and ‘look’ of prime lenses and efficiently capture images without the hassle of having to change lenses frequently. The Premista family checks all the boxes, with no compromise.”

The new Premista 19-45mm T2.9 offers a constant T-stop of 2.9 across its focal length range from 19mm to 45mm, covering focal lengths equivalent to five prime lenses, thereby reducing the need to change lenses for fast and efficient video shooting. Featuring large-diameter aspherical lens elements polished to ultimate precision with Fujifilm’s unique zooming system to effectively correct chromatic aberration issues, the lens achieves an astonishing level of edge-to-edge sharpness.

Additionally, distortion is effectively controlled even at the widest focal lengths, delivering natural footage with minimal distortion across the zoom range regardless of subject distance and zoom position. The Premista 19-45mm also features a flange focal distance adjustment mechanism, allowing users to easily adjust the flange focal distance by simply rotating a ring on the lens barrel to correct shifts caused by rapid temperature changes.

The use of proprietary optical simulation technology and mechanical design technology has resulted in a compact yet robust lens body measuring 228mm and weighing 3.3kg (7.3 lbs). This means the lens can be used for handheld shooting using a Steadicam or high-angle shooting using a crane. 

Like the standard and telephoto zooms, the Premista 19-45mm T2.9 lens supports ZEISS eXtended Data, which can record metadata when shooting, thereby reducing video editing workload in post-production and facilitating efficient video production.

The new FUJINON 19-45mm lens is expected to begin shipping on January 28, 2021. The suggested Retail Price is $49,900 USD.