Introducing: the fujinon hkz 25-1000mm duvo zoom

At CineMechanics we're really excited about Fujinon’s brand new powerhouse of a lens, the HKZ 25-1000mm f/2.8-5 Duvo Zoom, bringing unprecedented cinematic image quality to the box-style zoom format. Historically, these box-style zoom lenses have been designed around ⅔” sensors for broadcast cameras, limiting their cinema compatibility and by extension their potential image quality. The Duvo zoom lineup, however—consisting of three brand new zooms, the box-style 25-1000, plus two more handheld oriented offerings in 14-100mm and 24-300mm—has been designed around cinema camera sensors, Super 35 and Full Frame image formats, and the industry standard ARRI PL-mount system. The 25-1000mm especially is a real game-changer, since now cinematographers can take full advantage of both a massive zoom range and state-of-the-art camera systems like the ARRI Alexa 35, Sony Venice 2, RED V-Raptor XL, and others than can offer this truly cinematic look. 

Cinematic multi-cam

The new line of Duvo zoom lenses was built with digital cinema cameras in mind, and are all fitted with a PL-mount so that cinematographers who are uncompromising when it comes to visual fidelity can harness the full power of the latest and greatest cameras on live events. This trend towards a more cinematic approach to multi-cam shooting is also reflected in newer offerings from other manufacturers, like ARRI’s new Alexa 35 Live camera ecosystem, which adds a whole host of broadcast-oriented features to their flagship Alexa 35 camera.

Beyond their cinema-focused physical design, the optical and aesthetic qualities of the lens were built with discerning cinematographers in mind, matching well with Fujinon’s other cine lenses like the Premier, Premista, and Cabrio zooms. Users can expect sharp, high-resolution clarity with almost no distortion, plus a flattering focus falloff and smooth bokeh—ideal qualities for capturing images that feel both true-to-life and cinematic.

Seasoned DPs and camera department crew will also appreciate that this lens can interface with industry-standard lens control systems such as the ARRI Hi-5 and Preston FIZ, making its operation much more familiar to operators and focus pullers who don't necessarily come from a live events/broadcast background.

scenarios & use cases

The Duvo 25-1000mm shines in multi-camera live event shooting scenarios, ranging from sports, to comedy shows, to concerts and music festivals, and more. When you have a whole team of cameras equipped with this lens, the extremely wide focal range means that any operator can quickly switch roles as needed, for example from capturing a wide angle crowd shot to a closeup on the lead performer. And because it was designed to match many qualities of Fujinon’s other lenses like the Premiers and Premistas, DPs could easily design a well rounded mixed and matched multi-camera setup with a variety of sizes and focal ranges. Plus, the f/2.8 maximum aperture is a major help for darker settings, so no matter whether you're at a dimly lit indoor concert or a football field in broad daylight, you're covered. 

Outside of live events, the Duvo 25-1000mm can also work well on many other sorts of projects, such as reality shows, or even single-camera narrative filmmaking on TV series and features. It's certainly not a "do-all" lens (good luck shooting handheld with it!), but its versatility shouldn't be underestimated.

Tech specs

There’s a lot to talk about with the 25-1000mm when it comes to tech specs, but here are the main things to know: 

• Maximum aperture of f/2.8 at the wide end and f/5 on the long end. Quite fast for this focal range!

• Built-in 1.5x expander, which brings the sensor coverage from Super 35 to Full Frame, and the focal range to 37.5-1500mm

•Image stabilization using Fujinon’s ceramic roller system, which helps isolate unwanted shake from winds, operator input, and so on

• Automatic breathing and chromatic aberration correction

• It weighs about 62 lbs, and measures roughly 10”x10”x26”

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