fujinon – Fujifilm Corporate Blog

From Broadcasting to Manufacturing – the advantages of using FUJINON Lenses for your Machine Vision needs

Machine vision lenses have become an essential component in various industries, from manufacturing to quality control. These lenses allow machines to ‘see’ and capture images with high accuracy and precision. Among the many lens manufacturers in the market, why do people choose FUJINON lenses?

One reason is the wide range of product categories that Fujifilm offers. They are the only comprehensive lens manufacturer handling lenses in a wide range of sizes, materials, and shapes. Their lenses range from large to tiny aperture lenses, lenses for 8K and 4K high-definition TV broadcasting, interchangeable lenses, and cinema lenses for digital cameras. Professionals in the broadcasting industry worldwide recognize the high performance and quality of FUJINON lenses, as evidenced by their several Engineering Emmy Awards.

Another reason is the advanced technologies that Fujifilm has accumulated over its more than 80 years in the business. The company has been manufacturing high-precision lenses since 1940 and has since developed numerous products that lead the world. Fujifilm’s expertise in manufacturing, processing, assembly, and other technologies allows them to deliver consistent high resolution performance in a wide range of installation environments.

Fujifilm’s global network is also a notable advantage. With sales and production bases in more than 30 countries worldwide, the company develops its logistic marketing from a global perspective and provides quick and tailored local services at each base. This ensures that customers receive the best possible service, regardless of their location.

The total number of FUJINON Machine Vision Lenses produced is a testament to the brand’s quality and reliability. With more than 1.1 million lenses produced, the company continues to evolve technologically and address customer needs with a variety of products. Fujifilm lenses manufactured by bringing together the company’s state-of-the-art technologies are used at production and quality inspection sites all around the world.

FUJINON SX801, The next-generation surveillance camera system

Together with Chromos Group AG in Switzerland, our colleague Rob van der Spank, Manager of the CCTV, Machine Vision and Binoculars department FUJIFILM Europe, tested the SX801, which was launched in late 2021. On one of the highest mountains, the Chäserrug mountain near the Chromos office, this FUJINON long range camera system was put to the test.

One of my responsibilities is the SX surveillance camera system range, of which I am very proud when I present this monster at exhibitions or during field tests, as we did in Switzerland for the SX800 back in 2019.
Rob van der Spank

This advanced camera system is a further development of the FUJINON SX800 with Full-HD resolution and a stabilized 40x zoom lens that was introduced at Milipol 2019. Thanks to its powerful 1/1.8” image sensor, the long focal length range of 20 mm to 800 mm and state-of-the-art image processing technology, the FUJINON SX800 and SX801 are ideally suited for advanced long-range surveillance applications. This makes it the perfect application to protect critical infrastructure and transportation networks, including airports, harbors, highways, borders, and the environment in general.

Unlike the FUJINON SX800, the SX801 can output three streams in parallel. It also comes with a new host software for easy configuration, playback and live-streaming.

It was an amazing experience as you can see in the movie and the performance of the SX801 was outstanding especially on the long(er) range surveillance. If we ever go back to Switzerland to shoot another movie? Who knows, if I were you, I would keep my eyes open somewhere in April next year.
Rob van der Spank

Check out the video down below to learn more from Rob about the FUJINON SX801 and its features.

Have we sparked your interest? Then, check our website or contact us for more information.

Highest Zoom and World’s longest Focal Length

No, we are not messing around with you. FUJIFILM has developed the broadcast zoom lens ‘FUJINON HZK25-1000mm’, which boasts the world’s highest 40x zoom and the world’s longest focal length of 1000mm.

Following many years of developing and supplying broadcast lenses that address broadcast camera operators’ refined needs, Fujifilm became the first in the world to release a 4K-compatible broadcast lens in 2015. Ever since, Fujifilm has established a lineup of 8K-compatible broadcast lenses to lead the industry in raising video image quality.

The Difference Between Lens Focal Lengths

You may notice camera lenses are described by one or two numbers, most often in millimetres, like 14mm or 18-55mm. As a new photographer, you may have no idea what these figures mean because photo websites and product descriptions often list them without explanation. These numbers are essential to know. Once you understand what they are and what they mean for your shots, you can better choose the right lens for the variety of scenes you tend to shoot.

These numbers you see on every lens represent that lens’ focal length. It is the measurement between your lens and your camera’s image sensor. If your lens is fixed-length, or prime, then it always rests at the same distance from your sensor, so its length is just one number. If your lens has the capacity to zoom, then it has two stats for both the minimum and maximum distance it sits from your camera’s sensor.

This distance tells you not only about the physical attributes of the lens but also the type of shots it creates. A lower focal length means a wider field of view, or a greater angle of what the lens can perceive in focus. The Fujifilm XF14mmF2.8, for example, is a prime lens that shoots at an 89-degree angle, with high resolution from the centre to the periphery of the frame. Compare that with the XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6, a super telephoto lens that ranges from 16 to 4 degrees in its field of view. With that latter type of lens, you abandon the wide angle to highlight a closer, more specific segment of what the unaided eye can see.

If you are a new photographer, then you are likely shooting with just one or two lenses. There are great mid-range lenses that work for several situations, including personal use moments, like candid shots of family or friends. The XF18-55mmF2.8-4 is one such option with a broad focal range that spans 79 to 28 degrees, depending on the zoom. That type of mid-length lens with zoom is a great choice for starting your creative endeavour and for shooting as you travel with light cargo.

As you develop your craft, you may wish to utilise lenses designed for specific photo opportunities. If you shoot landscape and architecture photos, then you want a lens with a low focal length, between 14 and 18mm, for its wide angle. For your full-body portraits, you should look at a lens with a mid-range focal length between 23mm and 50mm. When dealing with moving or distant photo subjects, you should choose a zoom lens with a focal length of 200mm or more.

By knowing the difference between lens focal lengths, you can experiment with more lenses and be confident that you know which lens to grab in every situation.

Exploring Panama with the X-T1

By Braden Gunem

I like to travel alone. Partners and friends are great, but they can also hold you back from really experiencing a culture deeply. Solo travel allows you a freedom and adventure rarely achievable for those rushing back home for dinner. So when a group of friends and I booked a house in a rather touristy area of Panama, I didn’t plan to spend much time shooting. I grabbed my trusted X-T1 and my favorite lens – the XF23mmF1.4 R.One of the local attractions in this area is a beach only accessible by boat or a long muddy trail through the jungle. After attempting the trail, we opted for the boat and were dropped at a small dock in a lagoon filled with mangrove trees. A short walk across the island towards the sound of surf led us to a beautiful beach. We were walking along the beach when a foreign couple approached saying that a man with a machete had tried to rob them, but they were able to run away. Suddenly. I regretted bringing my camera. We stopped walking for some time. We swam, did hand stands, and drank beer. Eventually, the allure of discovery won over and we continued along the deserted beach.

On my extensive travels, I often have a specific image in my mind when I’m shooting. Sometimes, the search for this image blinds me from all the other potential shots present. It’s refreshing to go out with no expectations and see what organically appears. When I saw locals on horseback approaching, I sank into the jungle looking for a frame to contain them as they passed. They had ridden the muddy trail, and were headed to the far end of the island to go hunting.This long strip of sand is interrupted occasionally by large trees overhanging into the ocean. They are a natural jungle gym, and soon we were climbing all over them. From the trunk of a tree,I realized there was a good shot and picked up the camera again. I tilted the LCD to get super low to the ground and avoided wallowing around myself. Monkey As my friend Laura was working on a new route for this particular tree, I switch on the Cinematic Mode; it’s accessible on your camera by turning the mode dial to CH and holding down the shutter release button. As it’s clicking away, I’m able to make slight adjustments to the composition. But, I’m mostly waiting on the subject to look at their best. Yes, it fills a memory card really fast. That’s why I use Lexar 128s, so I don’t have to worry about changing cards very often. Tarzan Beyond the beach, we came across some boys walking around with machetes. They seemed to be out honing their skills with these essential jungle tools. One boy was carefully opening a coconut to drink the water. I sat my X-T1 on the ground near his feet, using the tilting LCD to compose. It must be great to grow up in a land where snacks fall readily from the trees.In the evening, we returned home to discover the hunt had been successful. Dinner It’s rare that I do a trip with no photographic objective. It’s refreshing to travel light and go with the flow – and it’s authentic and easy to capture with FUJIFILM X Series. On to the next adventure!

Perfecting Food Photography with FUJINON Lenses

By Nicole S. Young

One of the most common questions I receive from new photographers is which lens to use when photographing food. When choosing gear there is never a correct choice; it all boils down to the type and size of the food, your workspace and setup, the style you hope to achieve, along with how you want your final image will look. Each lens will have advantages, and even disadvantages, depending on your setup. Here is a list of a variety of lenses, along with why you might choose each type of lens for food photography.

Macro

nicolesy-food-1 — FUJIFILM X-T2 with XF60mmF2.4 R MACRO Lens at 1/7 sec at F4, ISO 200

A macro lens is an obvious choice for photographing food. You can get really close to the food to highlight certain elements, and also easily photograph and fill the frame with small items, like berries or tiny bites of food. Depending on the camera you use, macro lenses come in different ranges of focal lengths.

Keep in mind that a macro lens is not always necessary to photograph food. With full-frame cameras it is sometimes necessary to use a macro-capable lens in order to get close enough and fill the frame. And, in some cases, getting too close to your dish may not be the best way to photograph it. With crop-frame cameras, such as with the FUJIFILM X-T2 used for this photo, a macro lens is not always a requirement. Because of the crop factor there is the perception that the camera is closer to the subject, and so a macro lens is only a real necessity when you want to get really close and fill the frame with small items.

Wide-Angle (12–24mm)

nicolesy-food-2 — FUJIFILM X-T2 with XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS Lens at 1/4 sec at F6.4, ISO 200

In most cases a wide lens will be best for overhead setups. The space I use to photograph food in my home is too small for a wide-angle lens to be used without including other elements, such as the window or reflectors. Instead I reserve the wider focal lengths for overhead shots.

Mid-Range (35–75mm)

nicolesy-food-3 — FUJIFILM X-T2 with XF35mmF1.4 R Lens at 1/20 sec at F2.8, ISO 200

A mid-range lens, especially one that has a close focusing distance, can be a good option for food in any environment. I like to use this type of lens when I know I will want to photograph my dinner while traveling (for example). It is long enough to compress and blur the background, but narrow enough to not include too wide of an angle of view. I can also still sit quite close to the food; with a longer lens I need to move back a few feet, which can be difficult when sitting at a dinner table.

Medium Telephoto (90–120mm)

nicolesy-food-4 — FUJIFILM X-T2 with XF90mmF2 R LM WR Lens at 1/9 sec at F4, ISO 200

The medium telephoto lens, also known as a good range for portraits, is also a great focal length range for food photographs. One of my favorites is the FUJINON XF90mmF2 R LM WR; I can get in close to the subject, and also compress and blur the background quite well.

Telephoto (140mm+)

nicolesy-food-5 — FUJIFILM X-T2 with XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR Lens at 1/10 sec at F4, ISO 200

When you have a lot of space to work in and really want to compress and blur your background, then a telephoto lens might be a good option for you. This type of lens will typically work well with crop-frame cameras, which is great news for Fujifilm users! On full-frame cameras, however, you may find that the focal length will not allow you to get close enough to the subject to get it in focus. However even with this setup (a small item of food) I was unable to get a tight shot of the bruschetta with my FUJIFILM X-T2 because of the limited focusing distance, but with a larger dish this lens might work well.