Gravity Frames FUJINON 4K Lenses for Supercars

TO CATCH ALL THE ACTION of the Repco Supercars Championship races, Gravity Media bolstered its 4K broadcast lens inventory with FUJINON UA125×8BESM and FUJINON UA107x8.4BESM lenses.

Gravity Media’s Broadcast Project Manager – Supercars, George Hennessy, said, “Our requirements were to upgrade the fleet of our large lenses from HD to 4K standard. Our criteria was based on the robust and dynamic environments of both outdoor fast-moving sports such as Supercars and Touring Car Racing (TCR) in locations around Australia through all months of the year. After a full and comprehensive assessment of all available 4K large lens options, FUJINON’s UA125×8BESM and UA107x8.4BESM lenses were deemed the best and those that met our requirements perfectly. “The motorsport calendar of Supercars and TCR takes the season of racing from sub-tropical to sub-Antarctic locations and experiences all weather extremes. Heat haze with high humidity in some locations with cold winter weather and foggy conditions in other areas of the country require broadcast lenses not only able to perform in optimal conditions, but more importantly also in highly challenging atmospheric conditions when they are called to still perform and cut through these environmental challenges. The cameras we use with the lenses are not only for the live action, but also extreme slow-motion replays with both foreground and background framing to shot composition vital to the production’s storytelling narrative. I’m happy to say the new FUJINON 4K box lenses suit and meet these styles and requirements perfectly.” in complex live creative production and media services, will ensure that fans have access to more than 370 hours of all-screens coverage across the 12 rounds of the Championship.”

FUJINON’s UA125×8BESM achieved both the highest magnification 125x and 4K optical performance of any zoom lens and the UA107x8.4BESM was specifically designed to produce 4K UHD performance from the latest 4K 2/3″ Ultra HD cameras. Both lenses are suitable for live sports coverage particularly when they are used together in a production. They both carry a unique optical image stabilisation mechanism and produce a vivid colour reproduction and HDR-based rich tonal gradation for superior video production. Users of the lenses also enjoy a natural bokeh achieved with a 9-blade diaphragm and the standard feature of built-in 16 bit encoders.

Last October, Gravity Media used the UA125 and UA107 lenses at Supercars races on the Gold Coast and in Adelaide.

Ben Madgwick, Director, Media Services and Facilities at Gravity Media Australia, said:

“Gravity Media Australia takes great pride in its partnership with Supercars Media. It is an extraordinary logistical and technological undertaking as we capture every moment of the Championship and we look forward to once again delivering the broadcast and technology solutions for Supercars Media.

“We continue to refine and develop our broadcast technologies, working closely with Supercars Media to create and deliver an internationally acknowledged coverage of one of the world’s leading motorsports championships. We are pleased to be the technical partner for Supercars Media.”

Visit https://www.gravitymedia.com

Hennessy explained, “On the Gold Coast Street circuit we used six of our new FUJINON lenses on field of play cameras to shoot field coverage of the Gold Coast Street Circuit. Typical shots included fast panning and long throw zooming to tight shots from 400 metres down to 15 metres in distance. The FUJINON lenses gave good throw and could easily go further if needed. The lenses performed brilliantly with zero issues despite very high temperatures and significant humidity. It was the same story for the Adelaide 500 where we used eight of the FUJINON lenses in a similar way for similar shots and again, all of the lenses performed perfectly and without any issues.”

Visit https://www.fujifilm.com/au/en