Fujifilm developing FUJINON LA30x7.8BRM-XB2 4K broadcast zoom lens

Due to be released later in 2025, Fujifilm plans to display the FUJINON LA30x7.8BRM-XB2 4K broadcast zoom lens under glass at NAB.

The new FUJINON LA30x7.8BRM-XB2 is a big enough deal that Fujifillm has dropped a press release announcing that it will on be display under glass at NAB 2025. No testing, no picking it up, no early footage; just the fact that it exists and will be made available later this year seems to be enough for an announcement. Which given the continued popularity of 2019's sub $4000 FUJINON LA16x8BRM-XB1A lens is probably fair enough.

So, what does the latest entrant in the LA series bring to the table? First off, it boasts a 30x zoom, covering focal lengths of 7.8mm-234mm, while maintaining a compact and lightweight design, measuring just 190 mm ( 7.48 in) and weighing 1.8 kg (3.97 lb). This has been met by adopting a rear focus mechanism, and optimizing the lens configuration and control methods.

A newly developed drive unit features high resolution 16-bit encoders for what the company promises is extremely accurate position detection of zoom, focus and iris in virtual and remote production. The lens achieves maximum speed of 1.0 sec and minimum speed of 120 sec when zooming from wide to the tele end, making it a good fit for a range of live broadcast applications.

There are some ergonomic niceties too. A single button on the lens provides electronic flange back adjustment, while a macro function allows for closer focus than minimum object distance up to 0.05m from the front of the lens by sliding the unique focus ring forward. This enables the operator to film the extreme close-ups without letting go of their focusing hand.

Pricing and availability

All in all, the new FUJINON LA30x7.8BRM-XB2 offers a lot. No word on exact timing just yet nor pricing, but using the LA16x8BRM-XB1A's sub-$4000 price point as a marker we can assume it will be a) more than that but b) not completely out of that price bracket's ballpark.