Summary

Sweetwater Digital Productions became the first company to purchase Fujinon's new XA87x9.3ESM 87x HD zoom lenses, acquiring four units for a new state-of-the-art mobile production truck designed for large-scale events and awards shows. The lenses, already deployed on existing Sweetwater trucks for the Academy Awards and Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, offer unprecedented 87x magnification with advanced image stabilization.

Source document circa 2001 preserved as-is

Tuesday, May 8, 2001

SWEETWATER STAYS IN FOCUS WITH NEW FUJINON 87X HD ZOOM LENSES FOR STATE-OF-THE-ART PRODUCTION TRUCK

Premiere Mobile Production Company First to Use Fujinon’s New 87x Lenses

VAN NUYS, California, May 8, 2001 - Sweetwater Digital Productions purchased four of Fujinon’s new XA87x9.3ESM high definition zoom lenses for its new mobile production truck, which will be the one of the world’s largest. The state-of-the-art truck is being custom-designed for large special events, awards shows, concert broadcasts, and any other large-scale televised production. Sweetwater is the first to purchase and use Fujinon’s new XA87x lenses.

“These new lenses give producers more options,” explained Joe Shackelford, Sweetwater Co-owner. “We knew we needed the longest lenses available for the large-scale events we’ll be covering. We intend this new truck to be fully HDTV-compatible in the near future, and we wanted the XA87x lenses to be a part of that. We went looking for the best and hottest HD lens out there. After a thorough shoot out, we landed squarely with this lens. We’re very confident in our selection and excited to be the first owners of these new Fujinon HD zooms.”

With the longer lens Shackelford says, the camera can be placed behind a venue’s seating, allowing all available seats to be used for an event. “Sometimes an event coordinator can lose three or more rows of seating, which is a very expensive proposition, especially at the high-end concerts and awards ceremonies,” he said. “With these lenses, production companies have greater flexibility in camera placement without sacrificing picture clarity or quality.”

While the new truck is being built, the four XA87x lenses have already been put to work since their early March delivery. They’ve gone out on Sweetwater’s current truck to shoot “The Independent Spirit Awards,” an awards ceremony for independent filmmakers; the “Scientific and Technical Awards” ceremony portion of the recent “73rd Annual Academy Awards;” and the “Seventh Annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.”

The XA87x lenses are working with Sweetwater’s Ikegami HK-388W digital studio cameras. Other Fujinon lenses in Sweetwater’s stable of equipment include: three Ah70X DigiPower zoom lenses, two A22X7.8EVM ENG lenses, six A10X4.8 wide angles, one 36X14.5 telephoto lens, and ten A20X8 lenses.

The introduction of Fujinon’s 87x HD lenses marks a milestone in the development of zoom lenses. The lenses offer previously unheard of 87x magnification, ideal for stadium shooting and other applications where extreme close-ups and high-image quality are critical. The new 87x HD field lenses combine Fujinon’s most advanced optics and new image stabilization technology with extremely quiet operation and modular construction. Due to the lenses’ excellent ramping techniques, the XA87x lenses deliver images of unparalleled crispness and brightness, even at the long end of the zoom range.

Fujinon is a major manufacturer and distributor of optics and lens assemblies for the broadcast, closed circuit, and industrial markets. The company’s line of television zoom lenses are used in virtually every segment of the broadcast industry, including electronic newsgathering, studio and field production, and high definition television. For more information about Fujinon broadcast and communications products, call 1-973-633-5600 or visit our web site at www.fujinon.com.