FUJINON BROADCAST AND CINE-STYLE Lenses take flight with GSS and Angel City Air

25-300mm Cabrio Fast Becoming Go-To Zoom for Aerial Digital Cinematography

Grass Valley, CA-based Gyro-Stabilized Systems LLC (GSS) has designed their aerial gimbal systems to employ a variety of FUJINON lenses for use in the company’s pre-assembled yet customizable gyro-stabilized camera platforms. GSS has seen the popularity of certain FUJINON lens models escalate in regard to aerial digital cinematography. GSS sells its gimbals for aerial video production surpassing 4K/UltraHD for broadcast and feature productions, utilities inspection, and surveillance applications.

“FUJINON lenses are known as top-quality optics for both broadcast and digital cinema applications,” said Jason Fountaine, Managing Director, GSS. “Our customers make the final decision as to which camera and lens they want on their platform, but I’ve noticed the new Cabrio PL25-300mm lens has been gaining particular popularity in the aerial digital cinema market recently. Our systems are perfectly setup for this lens. FUJIFILM has always gone the extra mile getting us engineering resources we need to help us design and integrate great lenses into our platforms.”

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The new FUJINON Premier PL 25-300mm Cabrio (S35 format PL Mount, 4K) boasts a zoom a range of 25mm to 300mm which is an extremely versatile range for aerial motion picture production needs. It starts wide enough and zooms far enough to not have to change lenses with most applications and has a relative compact size and weight for its performance. The PL 25-300mm can use an optional, detachable servo drive for electric zooming, focusing and iris, however GSS employs their own special motors for their aerial applications.

GSS’ Broadcast Series B516 and B520 gyro-stabilized camera systems typically use large FUJINON HA42x9.7 and HA42x13.5 Super Telephoto lenses (HD B4 mount), but these systems can also employ almost any FUJINON broadcast lens. FUJINON HA42x lenses in a GSS gimbal are used for televised sports, features films, documentaries, TV shows and commercial productions but are also widely used for surveillance, law enforcement and homeland security applications.

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With PL mount S35 format camera productions GSS’ Cinema Series C516 and C520 systems typically use FUJINON Premier HK and ZK Cabrio PL mount lenses.

GSS customer Angel City Air, a division of Welk Aviation that specializes in aerial production and electronic newsgathering, employs the ultimate performance FUJINON Premier HK 18-85mm T2.0 4K+ cine lens on its stabilized camera platform for projects including: NCIS LA, The Late Late Show, Discovery Channel, The Discovery Children’s Museum, Kombine Media, and TK Digital.

Shot with Angel City Air's GSS C520, Fujinon Premier PL 18-85mm T2.0 lens, and Sony PMW-F55 camera with AXS-R5 RAW recorder

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“The FUJINON 18-85mm PL lens gives our footage the most amazing clarity and T-stop speed throughout the entire frame,” said Fred Grullon, Production and Broadcast Operations Manager Angel City Air.

Click on the link to see a nighttime 4K video shot in Los Angeles with Angel City Air’s GSS C520 system equipped with a Sony PMW-F55 camera and FUJINON Premier HK 18-85mm T2.0 lens.

GSS gyro-stabilized camera systems are the smallest and lightest in the industry and ensure a future-proof, fully upgradeable platform. GSS lens and camera integration kits are pre-assembled and precisely balanced so there is no gimbal technician or extra rig day needed. GSS systems are hand-built by engineers at GSS headquarters in California, USA.

About GSS
Gyro-Stabilized Systems, LLC (GSS) designs, manufactures, markets and supports stabilized camera, sensor, and other system platforms worldwide. GSS specializes in the development of leading-edge stabilized camera systems, including customizable stabilization technologies and solutions.
GSS has expert mechanical, hardware, software and systems development engineering resources in-house, which provide customers with the latest stabilization technologies combined with cutting-edge camera and sensor technologies. The company’s objective is to be first-to-market with these carefully selected technologies. GSS gyro-stabilized camera systems are fully upgradeable with any new cameras and sensors that become available.

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FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including: healthcare, with medical systems, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; graphic systems; highly functional materials, such as flat panel display materials; optical devices, such as broadcast and cinema lenses; digital imaging; and document products. These are based on a vast portfolio of chemical, mechanical, optical, electronic, software and production technologies. In the year ended March 31, 2014, the company had global revenues of $23.9 billion, at an exchange rate of 102 yen to the dollar. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship.