Wayne, N.J. – Close-up cameras covering the goal line have moved from the nose-bleed seats to level with the main coverage ‘game’ cameras during ESPN’s Monday Night Football. ESPN, working with longtime partner Fletcher Sports, is using Sony HDC-4800 4K ultra-high frame rate cameras with FUJINON PL 20-120mm Cabrio lenses for goal-line close ups for each Monday night broadcast. Because ESPN’s NEP EN-1 truck uses all Sony cameras, the Sony 4800 cameras easily integrate into the complement, enabling the director to cut to the 4800s live.
For Fletcher Sports, a company that has worked with ESPN since 1991 on the development of specialty cameras, the most exciting part of the Sony 4800/FUJINON lens combination is that cameras once considered “specialty” can now enhance the quality of live-game production in real time.
“In the past, a lot of the 4K and high-frame-rate camera systems, once you get up to the ultra-high frame rates, are pretty much there as just a replay tool,” said Fletcher Sports Program Manager Ed Andrzejewski. “Now with the camera quality that Sony brings and the lens quality FUJINON’s brought on for the 4K cameras, specialty cameras can be cut in live to your regular production.”
Previously, high-speed cameras used for replay shots were placed higher up in the stadium, which required a longer lens. “Now, with the cameras at the same level as the main game cameras, ESPN needed a wider angle lens,” added Ed Andrzejewski.
A variety of lenses were tested prior to the Monday Night Football season opener, and the FUJINON PL 20-120mm Cabrios fit the bill thanks to their wide angle, clarity, and speed. The zoom range enables camera operators to zoom out to capture every player on the field and, in the same shot, zoom in to determine if the ball crossed the goal line.
The FUJINON PL 20-120mm Cabrio zoom features an exclusive detachable servo drive unit, making it suitable for use as a standard PL lens or as an ENG-Style lens. It features flange focal distance adjustment, macro function, and is LDS (Lens Data System) and /i metadata compatible. The lens weighs just 2.9 kg and features a T stop of T3.5 end-to-end, a 20-120mm focal range. It covers a S35-sized sensor (Super 35 format) on a digital cinema-style camera. The lens is also fitted with a nine-blade iris to capture the most natural looking imagery possible. It comes equipped with all the lens data outputs that are required by today’s cine-style shooters. FUJINON’s PL 20-120mm Cabrio offers optical precision and zoom performance in a robust, lightweight, and affordable package.
About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation consists of five operating divisions and one subsidiary company. The Imaging Division provides consumer and commercial photographic products and services, including: photographic paper; digital printing equipment, along with service and support; personalized photo products; film; and one-time-use cameras; and also markets motion picture archival film and on-set color management solutions to the motion picture, broadcast and production industries. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras, and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the graphic printing industry. The Optical Devices Division provides optical lenses for the broadcast, cinematography, closed circuit television, videography and industrial markets, and also markets binoculars. The Industrial and Corporate New Business Development Division delivers new products derived from Fujifilm technologies. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. sells and markets a range of Fujifilm products and services in Canada. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmusa.com/northamerica, go to www.twitter.com/fujinonlenses to follow Fujifilm on Twitter, visit Fujifilm on Instagram at www.instagram.com/fujinonlenses, or go to www.facebook.com/FUJINONLenses to like Fujifilm on Facebook. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.
FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including: healthcare, with medical systems, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; graphic systems; highly functional materials, such as flat panel display materials; optical devices, such as broadcast and cinema lenses; digital imaging; and document products. These are based on a vast portfolio of chemical, mechanical, optical, electronic, software and production technologies. In the year ended March 31, 2017, the company had global revenues of $21.5 billion, at an exchange rate of 108 yen to the dollar. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit: www.fujifilmholdings.com.
