Thom: Lyon Video, based in Columbus, Ohio, services broadcast networks coast to coast with mobile units, facilities, and crews. Some of their notable sports clients include: ESPN, Fox Speed Channel, CBS Sports, and ABC. They also have a production company that handles broadcast productions for several Major League Baseball teams, namely the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians. Their non-sports production and programming includes the Antiques Roadshow and Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction.

Bob Lyon: Fujinon lenses provide the quality, durability and serviceability that are critical requirements for our HD and 3D business. We’ve dedicated over ninety percent of our fleet to a variety of Fujinon lenses because they have the road-ability and stand up to ranges in temperature and environment – from baseball in Arizona in August to outdoor hockey in Chicago in December.

Thom: For long lenses, also known as box lenses, Lyon uses Fujinon’s XA101x8.9BESM super telephoto field lenses, XA88x8.8BESM telephoto field lenses, and 10 XA72x9.3BESM lenses.

Bob Lyon: On all our mobile units, we like to give our clients, the producers and directors, the longest lens out there, which is the Fujinon XA101x8.9BESM. With many of the outdoor sports like football, auto racing, or baseball, where you may be very far away from the action, the long lenses capture the personality of the event for the production teams, and for the networks.

Thom: For handheld configurations, Lyon uses Fujinon’s ZA22X7.6BERM ENG-style HD lenses with 2X extender, plus the ZA12x4.5BERM super wide angle HD ENG lens with 2X extender. Both lenses feature Fujinon’s Quick Zoom, which provides a rapid zoom to the telephoto position to check focus with the push of a button. Then, it returns the lens to the previously selected zoom position when the button is released.

Lyon’s new MU-11 truck is 3D, 3G and Fuji. It’s 3D ready, has 3 gigabit bandwidth throughout the rig and rolled out in September outfitted with Grass Valley’s LDK 8000 Elite cameras, their 8300 Live Super SloMo camera, all paired with Fujinon lenses.