For many years, large-sensor video shooters have been forced to use photo lenses with our Canon, or Canon-adapted large-sensor cameras. As many of us shoot documentaries or documentary-style projects, using photo zoom lenses has been a real frustration as they’re designed for photography, meaning they have a short focus throw, no hard stops, no manual iris control, clunky zooming, breathing, are non par-focal… the list goes on, as these are considerations that aren’t really relevant for shooting still images. Only recently manufacturers have finally started delivering zooms that are fit for video production and are not as heavy on the lens barrel and the wallet as high-end cine zooms. The Sony 28-135mm was the first of its kind, Canon was next, and now FUJINON is the one to catch our interest.

The FUJINON MK 18-55mm T2.9 should be interesting for documentary-style large-sensor shooters because it answers many if not all concerns we have with photo lenses:

• Par-focal – When you zoom in, the focus doesn’t change. Game-changing for focusing quickly – punch-in focus the analog way.
• Smooth Focus and Zoom gears – Made to be used for “motion photography”, for smooth zooms and focusing.
• Larger focus throw – For more precise control while focusing.
• Hard stops – Better than endless focus and necessary when using follow-focus tools.
• Internal Zoom and Focus – The lens doesn’t extend, a feature needed when using a Matte Box and filters.

For now, the FUJINON MK 18-55mm T2.9 comes in native E-Mount only, suitable for all those popular large-sensor Sony cameras we’ve been seeing in the last two years. Another limitation worth mentioning right away is that the new FUJINON Cine Lenses will only cover a Super35 / APS-C image circle, meaning that they are not suitable for full-frame cameras without using some sort of sensor-cropping mode.