FUJIFILM Day at the ASC Clubhouse – Here’s Our Recap

by Francesco AndreolaFebruary 3^rd, 2023

FUJIFILM recently hosted an event at the ASC Clubhouse to showcase their latest imaging technologies, ranging from prosumer cameras and lenses to high-end cinema products. During the day, we had the chance to talk to Stosh Durbacz and Michael Bulbenko from FUJIFILM and ask them a few questions about their state-of-the-art systems.

Like a chameleon, the Japanese manufacturer seamlessly moves from hybrid mirrorless cameras, such as their popular X-T and X-H series (which, by the way, includes our Mirrorless Camera of the Year 2022), to box-style lenses for cinema and broadcast applications. Their product lineup spans across so many different use cases and targets that it’s not hard to find “the right tool for the job”.

Recently hosted at the historic American Society of Cinematographers Clubhouse in Hollywood, FUJIFILM Day was a perfect occasion for filmmakers, DPs and brand enthusiasts to dive deeper into “all things FUJIFILM”. My colleague Graham was there reporting from the field, so let’s take a look at the main products that caught his eye!

FUJIFILM Day at the ASC Clubhouse: cinema range products

Upon entering the ASC Clubhouse lobby, visitors were welcomed by the grand FUJINON HZKZ25-1000mm box lens, whose development was first announced in October last year. Although we briefly discussed the disruptive concept behind this lens with Stosh in a previous video, its massive focal length range and high degree of flexibility never cease to amaze us.

Unlike traditional broadcast-style lenses, which normally feature a B4 mount, this 25-1000mm Super 35 zoom comes with a native “cinema-style” PL mount. It integrates a 1.5x expander that makes it compatible with large-format cameras, such as the Sony VENICE 2. Hence, while allowing broadcasters to achieve a “film look” during coverage of sports and live events, the features of this box-style lens also wink at large cinema productions.

Furthermore, it’s interesting to see how the contamination between broadcast and cinema also affects the company’s Premista large-format lens lineup. Indeed, while initially conceived for use on film sets, the Premista 19-45mm T2.9, 28-100mm T2.9, and 80-250mm T2.9-3.5 can easily be adapted to ENG-style workflows thanks to broadcast-oriented accessories, such as the Chrosziel Full Servo Drive Unit.

Frame.io C2C integration for FUJIFILM X-H2S

While it might be looked down upon by most purists, the presence of a selection of FUJIFILM mirrorless models at the ASC Clubhouse shows that cameras like the X-H2S are gaining attention from the film industry, which assisted to a blooming of Camera-to-Cloud-related products last year.

Back in October, the X-H2S was the first stills camera to natively integrate Frame.io’s C2C features for direct upload of RAW/JPEG images, as well as ProRes video files to the cloud. While a dedicated FT-XH File Transmitter Grip and blazing-fast internet are minimum requirements, this feature can completely revolutionize the workflow of hybrid shooters.

Price and availability

The company disclosed the final price of the FUJINON HZK25-1000mm PL mount box lens. This exclusive zoom will set rental houses back $265,000 and should start shipping towards the end of next month.

Just in a few weeks, during April, FUJIFILM will also release free firmware updates to support Frame.io Camera to Cloud integration for the X-H2S body + FT-XH grip combo. Both products are already available to purchase and are currently listed for $2,499 (B&H/CVP) and $999 (B&H/CVP) respectively.

Have you ever used a box-style lens for cinema applications? What is your favorite FUJIFILM product from the current lineup? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!