Fujinon announced the purchase of the XA50X9.5BESM HD telephoto lens by Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) near Nashville. Within the Department of Electronic Media Communication in the College of Mass Communication, the new 50x lens is part of an HD upgrade for the Mobile Production Lab (MPL), a truck used primarily for sports coverage that was used last fall for an ongoing NASA documentary.

Working with WNPT, the Nashville PBS member station, students from two MTSU mass communication classes used the MPL to shoot a documentary in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on the transition and reinvention of NASA. Coverage included the test flight of the new Ares I-X rocket from the Kennedy Space Center, along with work surrounding one of the final flights of the space shuttle Atlantis.

For the NASA shoot, the HD telephoto lens was coupled with a Sony HDC-1400 camera. "For long distances, we get a tighter, clearer picture that requires less light," says Toffer King, assistant director of technical systems at MTSU. "All of our HD lenses are Fujinon. The XA50X9.5 is our first HD long lens. It has integrated very well and provides a fantastic picture."

The HD upgrade for the truck was designed by King and Marc Parrish, director of technical systems. In addition to the NASA project, MTSU uses the truck on a regular basis for coverage of university sports, including football, baseball and softball.

"The 50x lens on the truck adds to the existing inventory of three Fujinon HD lenses in our new HD studio on Sony HDC-1400 cameras," says King. "We have enjoyed the tight shots we can get when students produce football games. We use it in particular for the camera that is called on for the most replays because of how tight it can zoom in on the action."

The XA50X9.5B ESM has a 9.5-475mm focal length, and includes a motorized 2x range extender. The lens also features excellent F-stop ramping characteristics and a built-in camera supporter.