Fujinon HD Zoom Lenses Chosen by Venezuela's Largest Sports Network

Meridiano Television, Venezuela’s largest terrestrial sports network, recently selected and is now using Fujinon’s XA101x8.9BESM long-range, HD zoom lens. In its first outing in late March, the lens was used for the Libertadores Cup, an international soccer competition, for Fox Sports. Meridiano plans to deploy the lens at all of its upcoming sporting events, including the Carribean World Series, Series del Caribe, which pits teams from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela and Puerto Rico against each other.

The XA101x will be used to capture the network’s extensive baseball, soccer and tennis coverage, among other sports. “This lens allows us to capture the game with a closer, much more detailed view,” said Inaki Aznar, Manager of Engineering for Meridiano Television. “It helps us create a much more vibrant broadcast, complete with shots we’ve never achieved before. Our equipment selections are extremely important, and we only buy what we think will dramatically improve our broadcasts. I’m thrilled with the reactions we’ve had from our staff and viewers about this new lens already.”

95 percent of Meridiano’s lenses are from Fujinon. They currently have two AH50X9.5ESM telephoto ENG lenses, three A20x8.6 EFP lenses, and a CPT-70 pan/tilt system.

Aznar said the network’s past experience with Fujinon contributed to their decision to purchase the XA101x8.9: “We know that this lens has superior performance at a good price, but we were further convinced to select Fujinon based upon their after-sale service. They’ve always excelled in that area. Fujinon’s local technical support is extremely knowledgeable and always accessible. They’ve been trained extensively on the lenses, and it shows. And their turnaround time with lens replacements is unparalleled.”

The XA101x8.9BESM zoom offers 101x magnification and image stabilization. It has the widest angle of any high magnification sports lens, making it ideal for shooting widescreen 16:9 HD as well as 4:3 standard-definition images. The XA101x8.9BESM includes Fujinon’s exclusive built-in OS-Tech optical stabilization system for rock-steady, crystal-clear image capture, while the built in moisture removal system will keep the lens operating even under the harshest conditions.

Multiple moving zoom groups designed into the XA101x8.9BESM lens minimize coma and field curvature while reducing overall size and weight. In addition, Fujinon's exclusive advanced back focus technology enables remote control of macro and focus fade on wide shots.