At IBC 2024, Johnnie spoke with Marcus Kwong from Laowa to discuss the company’s latest innovation—the Ultima 12-120mm T4 S35 8K Broadcast Zoom Lens. This Super35 8K lens marks Laowa’s entrance into the competitive 8K broadcasting market. When asked about the target audience for this lens, Marcus explained that it is primarily aimed at broadcasting studios handling fast-paced ENG and EFP work – for example, a football match or live news coverage. Johnnie noted the competition in this field, especially from established players like FUJIFILM/FUJINON. However, Marcus emphasized that Laowa is taking a different approach with Ultima’s 12-120mm focal range, offering an alternative in a fairly saturated market. Constant T4 aperture across the zoom. Source: CineD Optical performance and design Marcus highlighted several technical details, starting with the constant T4 aperture across the zoom. The lens is designed to be parfocal, ensuring no loss of focus when zooming in or out. The lens comes in a PL mount, but a B4 version could be offered depending on market demand. In answer to Johnnie’s question about testing the lens to verify its 8K resolution, Marcus said it was tested on 8K cameras, focusing on MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) and the number of lines per millimeter it could resolve. With an image circle of 29.5mm, the lens slightly exceeds the size of standard Super35 sensors, giving it some extra room over the 8K resolution. Source: CineD Prototypes and final versions of the Laowa Ultima 12-120mm 8K lens Laowa had two lens versions...
Published By: CineD - Today