Fujifilm debuts its new Fujinon MKX 18-55 and 50-135 mm lenses.

With a lightweight body, these lenses are designed for high-performance film production with 'X series' mirrorless digital cameras.

Next May, Fujifilm will launch the new lenses on the market Fujinon MKX18-55 mm T2.9 (MKX18-55 mm) y MKX50-135 mm T2.9 (MKX50-135mm) for the 'X series' range of interchangeable lenses for mirrorless digital cameras.

These lenses offer high optical performance and comfortable operability for professional video recording and are the first fully manual cinema lens in the X-series interchangeable lens range.

The MKX18-55mm ranges from 27 to 84mm and the MKX50-135mm ranges from 76 to 206mm in the 35mm equivalent format. The MKX lenses, in combination with the Exclusive X Series color reproduction technology, will provide the solution for professional video recording.

The boom that the Internet film industry has experienced in recent years has increased the opportunities to shoot low-budget films using digital cameras.

Under this scenario, Fujifilm presented the Fujifilm X-T2 in 2016, compatible with 4K video recording. Additionally, the Fujifilm

Over the years, Fujifilm has been making efforts to expand the video capabilities of the X series. Demand for video-optimized lenses from video producers and filmmakers is also increasing. However, cinema lenses were often large, heavy and expensive compared to photography lenses to meet their high requirements.

For this reason, Fujifilm presented the MK lens for E-mount cameras in February 2017, praised both for its simplicity of handling, thanks to a compact and lightweight design, and for the same optical performance and operability that uneconomical cinema lenses present, despite their affordable price. The MKX lens is based on the same concept as the MK lens and features a new electrical contact with the X-series cameras. By having an electrical contact to communicate with the camera, you can not only correct color/brightness distortion and shading, but are also capable of achieving various color expressions with film simulation modes.

The MKX18-55mm and MKX50-135mm span the 18-135mm range, the most commonly used focal length in video production, and achieve a constant T2.9*4 aperture across the entire zoom range, enabling shallow depth of field and beautiful bokeh.

The lens design optimized for video recording minimizes focus and optical axis shift during zoom, as well as lens breathing (changing angle of view during focusing).

The goal has three rings to enable manual, independent operation of focus, zoom, and aperture. All this with the gear pitch of 0.8 M (module). To facilitate precise focusing, the focus ring can fully rotate up to 200 degrees. These features make the lenses comfortable to use.

Due to their advanced imaging capabilities, Fujifilm's Fujinon lenses, awarded the 69th Engineering Emmy Award in 2017, have been used in television advertising or film production around the world and are praised for their high-precision optical processing.

Compact and lightweight lens drum

The new objectives offer a advanced optical performance within a compact and lightweight lens barrel. The MKX18-55mm uses an optical construction of 23 crystal elements in 17 groups, with six Super ED lens elements and two ED lens elements. The MKX50-135mm uses 23 glass elements in 17 groups, with two Super ED lens elements and two ED lens elements. These lenses offer advanced edge-to-edge optical performance across the entire zoom focal range.

It is also worth highlighting the T2.9 aperture throughout the zoom range, facilitating the popular bokeh effect with shallow depth of field. This also means that there is no need to readjust the lighting and therefore helps reduce recording time.

By including as much as possible the advantages of the X-mount's short flange focal length in the optical design, MKX lenses achieve advanced optical performance despite their compact and lightweight body. This makes recording with a limited number of people possible.

The electrical contact communicating with the camera can not only correct color/brightness distortion and shading, but is also capable of achieving various color expressions with film simulation modes.

Designed for cinema

Fujifilm's new offerings offer unique features for image recording. The front focus assembly and zoom assembly on the lens elements are controlled independently to eliminate focus shift when zooming. Therefore, there is no need to refocus when zooming in or out. By employing a more optical and mechanical method, the time lags common in an electrical control system have been eliminated.

And front internal focusing system controls lens breathing (changing angle of view during focusing) for smooth focusing on a spectacular image.

Furthermore, the manufacturing technology developed in conventional Fujinon cinema lenses has been applied in its design, in order to control the displacement of the optical axis when zooming and guarantee the desired composition at all times.

He Focus ring rotates up to 200 degrees to facilitate precise focusing even when recording with a shallow depth of field, which requires a high level of precision.

The lenses have three fully manual rings to enable independent adjustment of focus, zoom and aperture. This opens the door to intuitive operations that could never be achieved with electrical mechanisms that often cause time lags.

All operating rings have a 0.8M gear pitch, the same as all other Fujinon cinema lenses, allowing the use of all standard third-party accessories for film production. For example, Follow Focus, which produces smooth and precise focusing.

The diaphragm supports efficient adjustment without click-type mechanisms. This facilitates a precise exposure adjustment, while eliminating the noise and camera shake that occurs when clicking.

Finally, note that so that it is not necessary to move the accessories when changing lenses, all the gears of the three rings are in the same position. Furthermore, the objectives have a macro function that allows close-up recording to expand the range of images that can be covered with the same lens and has a flange focal length adjustment function to achieve the best possible camera-lens combination and thus obtain the maximum benefit from the optical performance of the lenses.