Canon announced company's first RF Mount Cinema Prime Lenses

MELVILLE, N.Y., September 12, 2023 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today the introduction of the company’s first RF-Mount Cinema Prime Lenses for the Cinema EOS System. The new lenses combine high optical performance for 4K and 8K shooting, cinema-style operability, and RF mount communications. The first set of seven RF-Mount Cinema Prime Lenses is only the beginning. Canon plans to swiftly expand the lineup of RF-mount-compatible video production equipment to meet the needs of professional video production of such content as movies, TV, and commercials.

The seven Canon CN-R lenses, with focal lengths and T stops of 14mm T3.1, 20mm T1.5, 24mm T1.5, 35mm T1.5, 50mm T1.3, 85mm T1.3, and 135mm T2.2, are compatible with the two existing RF-Mount Canon Cinema Cameras, the EOS C70 and EOS R5 C. These lenses will allow for RF mount protocol transmission, and just like the EF-Mount Cinema Prime Lenses, operators can control magnification, chromatic aberration correction, peripheral light correction, and a dual-pixel focus guide via camera body operations. In addition, the new lenses also feature lens distortion correction. These features support efficient video production during on-location recording and post-production workflow.

The new lenses are able to achieve high optical performance suitable for use with 4K and 8K cameras by optimally positioning large-diameter aspherical lens elements and lens elements with anomalous dispersion glass. Their compatibility with the full-frame large-format sensor, bright T stop values1, and 11-blade iris helps produce a shallow depth of field for subjects, natural round blurring, and soft image expressions. In addition, unified Cinema EOS color balance throughout the series helps provide consistent color, even when changing lenses.

Designed with an ideal level of ring torque, the new lenses allow for the precise and smooth adjustments often needed during cinema productions. Thanks to a unified design across the series, including the gear position of the operation ring, the diameter of the lens, and the rotation angle (operation angle), lenses can be effortlessly swapped in and out without the need to adjust matte boxes or external focus accessories for each lens. A new coarse surface near the mount provides a comfortable and ergonomic fit in the user’s hand, allowing the lens to be held securely without gripping the operation ring when attaching and detaching different lenses.

Pricing and Availability

Product                          Pricing                  Availability

CN-R14mm T3.1 L F $4,220.00 Late February 2024

CN-R20mm T1.5 L F $4,220.00 Late March 2024

CN-R24mm T1.5 L F $4,220.00 Late January 2024

CN-R35mm T1.5 L F $3,950.00 Late January 2024

CN-R50mm T1.3 L F $3,950.00 Late January 2024

CN-R85mm T1.3 L F $3,950.00 Late January 2024

CN-R135mm T2.2 L F $3,950.00 Late April 2024

Canon announced new series of EF Cinema Lenses with wide T2.4 aperture designed for Full-Frame Cameras

MELVILLE, NY, April 12, 2022 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today the launch of a new series of lenses for the company’s EF Cinema Lens lineup — the Flex Zoom Lens series of lenses, which were developed to create cinema-style productions with greater workflow efficiency. The first lenses in the series are the CN-E20-50mm T2.4 L F/FP wide-angle zoom lens and the CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP telephoto zoom lens.

Designed in the pursuit of cinematic beauty, the new large-aperture lenses feature both high-level optical design and performance while maintaining the style and ease-of-use of Canon’s EF Cinema lens series. With the introduction of the zoom lenses featuring focal length ranges of 20-50mm for wide-angle and 45-135mm for telephoto, Canon now offers zoom lenses that cover the same range as its six existing prime (single focal length) lenses. The versatility of these new lenses supports efficient production workflows for a wide range of scenarios, including film, TV programs, commercials, and much more.

When paired with full-frame or large-format cameras, these lenses fully leverage the cameras’ signature shallow depth-of-field look and provide smooth and natural background blur, helping to produce powerful storytelling imagery. The lenses also maintain a bright T2.4 aperture1 across their entire zoom ranges allowing for image capture in both natural light and darker environments. This feature helps to reduce the need for intricate lighting setups, enabling more efficient and cost-effective video production workflows.

Engineered with an optical configuration that creates the optimal placement of lens elements, including a large-aperture aspherical lens and an anomalous dispersion glass lens, the CN-E20-50mm T2.4 L F/FP and the CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP lenses help reduce the potential for color smudging and chromatic aberrations. This enables them to maintain high optical performance from the center of the image to the periphery when paired with 8K cameras.

In addition to supporting EF-mount data transmission2, the new lenses are also compatible with /i Technology3 from Cooke Optics. With this capability, recording metadata such as focus, zoom, aperture, and lens model can be transmitted via the lens mount for visualization on the camera itself. This additional information helps to contribute to more efficient workflows not only during on-location recording, but also during post-production and editing.

Pricing and Availability

The Canon CN-E20-50mm T2.4 L F/FP wide-angle zoom lens and Canon CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP telephoto zoom lens are scheduled to be available in early June 2022 and early September 2022 for an estimated retail price of $21,999.00.*

Canon will showcase its latest digital imaging solutions and products, including the new Flex Zoom Lens series of lenses, at the NAB Show 2022 (Booth #C4432) in Las Vegas, April 24th-27th. For more information about the new lenses and Canon’s presence at the show please visit usa.canon.com.

Canon announced new CINE-SERVO 25-250mm T2.95-3.95 Cinema lens

MELVILLE, NY, April 20, 2020 – Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions today announced the CINE-SERVO 25-250mm T2.95-3.95 (CN10x25 IAS S), a new CINE-SERVO cinema lens designed for use with 4K cameras. The new lens, which is available in both EF and PL mount, features 10x optical zoom, a built-in 1.5x extender and a powerful and removable servo motor drive unit, providing broadcast-friendly shoulder operation for ENG/EFP and documentary style shooters. The lightweight design of the lens (6.7 lbs.) is remarkable given the zoom range and feature set, especially when compared with other lenses of similar focal lengths. This outstanding model, as well as the Sumire Prime Lenses announced in 2019, have further strengthened Canon’s robust lineup of Cinema Lenses.

“As the lines between broadcast, cinematic and commercial productions continue to blur, it becomes more important to have a seamless product line that can provide solutions across a broad scope of applications,” said Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, executive vice president of the Canon U.S.A., Inc. Imaging Technologies and Communications Group. “The CINE-SERVO lens family combines outstanding performance and an unmatched focal range from 17mm up to 1500mm in the three-lens family. The new CINE-SERVO 25-250mm lens adds a great deal of versatility to the lineup, and will soon be a favorite of productions large and small.”

Similar to the existing award-winning 17-120mm and 50-1000mm lenses, the CINE-SERVO 25-250mm offers outstanding 4K optical performance thanks to its ultra-low dispersion glass and a large-diameter aspherical lens. Combined with Canon’s unique optical design technology, these components work to help correct color fringing and limit chromatic aberration during operation. The lens features Canon’s renowned warm color science and an 11-blade aperture that produces a beautiful, smooth bokeh.

The new lens is ideal for cameras with a Super 35mm sensor. While the 10x zoom covers a focal range of 25-250mm, the built-in extender stretches that range to an impressive 375mm with an added benefit of allowing for full-frame sensor coverage with only a stop of difference in light loss.

The servo drive unit included with the 25-250mm lens can be easily removed to allow for manual operation, and the gear pitch is compatible with standard cinema controls of zoom and focus. The EF mount version of the lens allows for the utilization of Canon’s proprietary Dual Pixel CMOS AF, which provides users with smooth AF operation and high-speed tracking performance, and the PL mount version supports Cooke/i Technology. In addition, like the 17-120mm, the 25-250mm lens also features a macro function to enable close-up shooting.

Pricing and Availability

The Canon CINE-SERVO 25-250mm T2.95-3.95 (CN10x25 IAS S) is scheduled to be available later in 2020 for an estimated retail price of $29,999.00.

Canon new Sumire Prime Lenses make Hollywood premiere at Cine Gear Expo

MELVILLE, NY, May 30, 2019 – At the 2019 Cine Gear Expo in Los Angeles, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, will showcase its latest cinema offerings in Booth #12. Visitors to the Canon booth will have the opportunity to experience the recently announced Sumire Prime Lenses, Canon’s first PL-Mount cinema prime lenses. Additional cinema solutions in the booth will include the EOS C700 FF and EOS C200 cinema cameras, CINE-SERVO lenses and 4K Reference Displays. Also on display in the booth will be Canon’s groundbreaking EOS R series of full-frame mirrorless cameras and complementary RF series of lenses.

“Each year, Cine Gear Expo provides Canon with a unique opportunity to interact with one of our most vital customer bases – working cinema professionals, right in their backyard of Hollywood,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Similar to past Cine Gear shows, we are not only excited to showcase our latest products, but also to listen and engage with this audience in order to best serve them not just today, but in the future.”

In addition to showcasing professional products and service offerings, Canon will host a series of educational seminars and panel discussions. On Friday, May 31st from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. in Screening Room 5, Canon Senior Trainer Charles Zablan will provide attendees with a technical overview and in-depth, hands-on opportunities with the Sumire Prime Cinema Lensesi. Canon will also host two panels during the expo as follows:

Friday, May 31st - Opening Up About Canon’s New Sumire Prime Lenses

Paramount Theater 

5:30-6:30 p.m.

Announced earlier this year, Canon’s new Sumire Prime lenses are full frame, PL-mount cinema lenses that offer a unique, artistically pleasing look with gentle and beautiful skin tones and smooth bokeh. In this panel discussion, cinematographers discuss their first impressions after their recent experiences shooting with the lenses.
Saturday, June 1st
Canon Conversations

Paramount Theater 

Canon’s cinema cameras and lenses have had a substantial impact throughout TV and film since the company first entered the market in 2011. In this panel, leading cinematographers will discuss the Canon gear that they’ve used on their recent projects, and how it has helped them capture their vision.

Cine Gear attendees will also be able to learn more about Canon’s CarePAK PRO Accidental Damage Protection Plan, which covers professional cinema and video products. Canon CarePAK PRO offers coverage from accidental damage such as drops, spills and power surges, protecting customer investments from unforeseen repair costs and excessive downtime.

Follow Canon’s Cine Gear activities on Twitter at @CanonUSApro or on Instagram at @CanonUSAprovideo. 

Canon announced Sumire PL-Mount Cinema Prime Lenses

MELVILLE, NY, April 3, 2019 – Covering the core range of focal lengths that cinema professionals desire, Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is excited to announce the company’s first set of seven cinema prime PL-Mount lenses, aptly named Sumire Prime. Pronounced “Soo-mee-ray,” the word is of Japanese origin and is associated with a floral gentleness and beauty. Sumire Prime Lenses offer a unique artistically pleasing look with gentle and beautiful skin tones and smooth bokeh, designed for use with large-sensor cinema cameras, including 35mm full-frame cameras such as the EOS C700FF Cinema Camera.

In addition to bright T-stops and Canon’s renowned warm-color imagery, a unique optical design introduces a nuanced look as the lens aperture approaches its maximum setting - subtly modifying the textural renderings of the human face closeup. It also smooths the transition to the fall-off portions of the scene resulting in a pleasing bokeh. This combination adds emotional expressiveness and provides creative flexibility to create a memorable scene.
“Sumire in Japan is the name of a flower, and like the petals of a flower, our lenses are most beautiful when fully opened. This is the inspiration behind the Sumire look,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “The feedback from cinematographers is crucial and their voices have been heard loud and clear – they asked Canon to introduce a set of PL-mount cinema prime lenses. We went a step further and our new Sumire Prime Lenses produce the beautifully cinematic and unique images professionals desire. We can’t wait to see how the lenses will contribute to the art of filmmaking.”

The new set of seven Canon Sumire Prime Cinema Lenses include the following :

• CN-E14mm T3.1 FP X
• CN-E20mm T1.5 FP X
• CN-E24mm T1.5 FP X
• CN-E35mm T1.5 FP X
• CN-E50mm T1.3 FP X
• CN-E85mm T1.3 FP X
• CN-E135mm T2.2 FP X

All Sumire Prime lenses feature an 11-bladed iris and bright T-stops that allow users to capture images that feature a more natural circular-like bokeh from both maximum to minimum aperture. The use of an odd number of iris blades also helps to diffuse light rays and produce what is generally considered a more sought after, artistically pleasing and cinematic look with warmer colors. The lenses also achieve uniform color balance throughout the lineup, helping to reduce the need for post grading, even when a production is frequently changing lenses.

The highly durable Sumire Prime lenses feature the same outstanding operability and reduced focus breathing as Canon’s well-established EF-Mount Cinema Prime Lenses. Manual operation provides users with the resistance they desire to make precise changes in focus. A 300-degree focus rotation angle and gear position is consistent across the entire Sumire Prime series of lenses - eliminating the need to adjust gear positions when changing lenses.

“The new Sumire Prime lenses are the perfect blend of science and art,” says cinematographer Matt Porwoll, who shot the first U.S. footage with the lenses. “The bokeh comes alive in ways that weren’t occurring with other lenses I’ve used. Lens flares have a dynamic feel to them, rather than behaving in a formulaic manner. I wish I had these on my last project!”

The Sumire Prime Lenses are compatible with the complete lineup of Canon Cinema EOS full-frame and Super 35mm 4K cameras, including the EOS C700 FF, EOS C300 Mark II and EOS C200. In addition to Canon cameras, the new lenses are also compatible with the latest full-frame and Super 35mm PL-mount cameras from leading manufacturers. Additionally, the mount on the Sumire Prime Lenses is interchangeable and can be converted from PL-Mount to EF-Mount at a Canon Factory Service & Repair center. A Canon representative will be able to perform the service or even revert back to original PL-mount upon request at an additional cost*.

Availability* 

The Canon CN-E24mm T1.5 FP X, CN-E35mm T1.5 FP X, CN-E50mm T1.3 FP X and CN-E85mm T1.3 FP X lenses are scheduled to be available in Summer 2019. The Canon CN-E14mm T3.1 FP X lens is scheduled to be available in Fall 2019. The Canon CN-E20mm T1.5 FP X and CN-E135mm T2.2 FP X lenses are scheduled to be available in Winter 2019/Spring 2020. 

Canon Wins Technology & Engineering Emmy Award For Its Cameras & Lenses

MELVILLE, N.Y., September 28, 2017 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that its parent company Canon Inc. will be recognized at the 69th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards for its complete lineup of 4K field production zoom lenses for large-format, single-sensor cameras, which includes all of Canon’s CN-E, CINE-SERVO and COMPACT-SERVO lines of zoom lenses.

Presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards honor development and innovation in broadcast technology and recognize companies, organizations and individuals for breakthroughs in technology that have a significant effect on television engineering.

“We are grateful to receive this esteemed recognition for our comprehensive collection of 4K zoom lenses for large-format single-sensor cameras,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A. “As resolutions leap from HD to 4K and beyond, it is important to recognize the lens’ role in resolving those pristine images and the importance placed on manufacturers and optical engineers to keep pace and match the sensor technologies of the more advanced cameras and sensors in the market today. The images we admire on screen all start with the lens.”

Among those lenses recognized with this prestigious award is Canon’s far-reaching CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens, the world’s longest 4K ultra-telephoto zoom lens. Canon announced the CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm Zoom Lens in October 2014 and it began shipping in early 2015. Since its launch, the lens has been a part of many live broadcast, and innovative television productions including National Geographic’s groundbreaking live television event, “Earth Live.”

“The CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm lens was the ideal piece of glass for what we were trying to capture while shooting Earth Live,” said Al Berman, Executive Producer, Earth Live. “Often when shooting wildlife in their natural habitat, videographers don’t have the opportunity to be up close and personal with their subjects, but Canon’s CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm made it as if we were right there with them. It’s probably the best wildlife lens on the market.”

Canon’s remarkable CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 Ultra-Telephoto Zoom lens was a response to an international plea for a long zoom, Super 35mm lens to extend creative flexibilities in 4K / UHD natural history and documentary productions. The design challenge that Canon faced was significantly elevated by the urging from potential users that the lens be easily portable in the demanding in-the-field situations faced by those originating wildlife productions in remote locations.

The necessary focal range was predicated on the expressed desire to fully frame a subject having a height of four to five feet from a distance of 350 feet. This requirement dictated a focal range of 1000 mm. An additional consensus recommendation from the production community was for the lens to be no more than 15 pounds in weight and 16 inches in length. Canon mobilized the most advanced computer simulation tools to seek the necessary optimization in both the optical system and the optomechanical systems to achieve success.

The design of these lenses leveraged Canon’s decades of expertise in such system designs as well as the deployment of the latest in glass materials to achieve a balance of telephoto 4K optical performance and acceptable image brightness within the physical constraints. The 4K optical performance of the lenses are carefully managed across the entire image plane to ensure superb subjective sharpness especially on the wider angle settings.

The Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards will be presented on October 25th, 2017, during the SMPTE 2017 Annual Conference in Hollywood, CA.

For more information about Canon’s line up of 4K Zoom Lenses, please visit : www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/list/lenses/cinema