At the upcoming NAB convention in Las Vegas, the Optical Devices Division of FUJIFILM North America will introduce its 4K Ultra HD Series of lenses for broadcast applications. Designed for a 2/3-inch sensor, the new UA80X9, the first field lens in the series, has an 80x zoom and optical image stabilization, making it ideal for coverage of large-scale live events, such as concerts and sports. In addition to its advanced optical performance, the lens covers focal lengths ranging from 9mm in wide angle to 720mm in telephoto. The UA80x9 size and weight is similar to the popular XA99x7.4 field lens. The lens will be available by August of this year.
The NAB Show runs from April 13-16 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Optical Devices Division of FUJIFILM will exhibit in Booth #C7025.
“NAB is the perfect venue to unveil this new lens,” said Thom Calabro, director of marketing and product development for the Optical Division of FUJIFILM. “Our Premier PL 4K+ cine lenses and Cabrio cine/ENG-Style lenses have experienced a significant boon in popularity. Given the projected growth of 4K production, we needed to extend that 4K optical performance to our customers working with 2/3-inch broadcast cameras for sports and entertainment productions. This lens delivers 4K video with the same focal lengths currently being used on those type of productions. 4K UltraHD productions can now be produced with equipment that has the same ‘look and feel’ capabilities of HD, but with a premium picture quality.”
Designed using the latest proprietary optical simulation software, the UA80x9 offers exceptional optical performance in the center of the image through to the corners of the frame. The digital servo’s 16-bit encoding assures operators that all lens data output—including the position of the zoom, iris, and focus—is extremely accurate. It can be linked with other systems, such as a virtual studio system for combining CG images with live action.
Fujifilm’s proprietary multi-layer coating processing “High Transmittance Electron Beam Coating” (HT-EBC) is applied to the lens for enhanced transmission and color reproduction. The lens also features the company’s unique “optical stabilization mechanism” as standard, which provides optimum adjustment to image shakes caused by vibration and wind. This makes the lens well suited for any application where the camera operator must maintain a rock-steady close up shot for long periods, such as sporting events, houses of worship, corporate presentations, or concerts.
The entire range of FUJINON Premier PL 4K+ cine lenses and the Cabrio cine/ENG-Style lens series will also be on hand and demonstrated within the Fujifilm booth at NAB.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More