Canon Ships 2 New Lightweight EF/PL-mount Cinema Zoom Lenses

As the production of motion pictures, episodic television shows, commercials, documentaries, and other program content increasingly transitions to digital, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, continues to provide innovative Cinema EOS products designed to enable the most discerning filmmakers and producers to capture their unique creative visions. The latest of these Canon products, two new compact and lightweight cinema zoom lenses available in both EF- and PL-mount versions, were first announced at NAB 2012 and have now been officially added to the Canon Cinema EOS product line. Designated as the CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L S/SP wide-angle cinema zoom lens and the CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L S/SP telephoto cinema zoom lens, both are engineered to deliver exceptional optical performance for the latest large-format single-sensor 4K and 2K digital cinematography cameras. Both lenses feature a compact, lightweight design to facilitate handheld and Steadicam^TM shooting while also covering a wide range of focal lengths.

“These two new compact lightweight cinema zoom lenses provide exceptional optical and operational performance for creative film and television professionals. The Canon Cinema EOS line of high-resolution cameras and lenses is engineered to affordably serve the highest-performance needs of the production community and enable it to truly ‘Leave No Story Untold,’” noted Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.

A leading maker of precision lenses for professional digital photography, broadcast HDTV sports and news coverage, and many other markets, Canon has leveraged its years of expertise as a world leader in optics and imaging to develop the compact and lightweight CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L S/SP wide-angle cinema zoom lens and the CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L S/SP telephoto cinema zoom lens. Each lens will be available in both EF- and PL-mount configurations. (The EF-mount version is designated by the letter “S” at the end of the model name; the PL-mount version by the letters “SP”.)

Main Features: CN-E15.5–47mm T2.8 L S/SP and CN-E30­–105mm T2.8 L S/SP

1. High optical performance for use with 4K-resolution cameras

• Supports 4K (4096 x 2160 pixels) production standards, with a level of resolution exceeding four times the resolution of Full HD.
• Offers compatibility with industry-standard Super 35 mm-equivalent image format as well as APS-C-size sensors.
• The optimal placement of low-refraction, low-dispersion UD (ultra-low dispersion) glass corrects for axial and lateral chromatic aberrations to realize exceptional imaging performance without color blurring.
• With a T-number of 2.8, the new lens lineup offers bright performance and, with no changes in brightness during zooming, enables the use of attractive blur effects when employing a shallow depth of field.
• Each lens is equipped with an 11-blade aperture diaphragm for soft, attractive blur characteristics.
• The lenses minimize focus-induced changes in the angle of view and, through the latest advances in anti-reflective coating and related technologies, reduce the occurrence of ghosting and flare.

1. Broad focal-length coverage despite compact, lightweight design

• Designed with hand-held shooting in mind, each lens weighs just approximately 2.2 kg, less than half the weight of the top-end zoom lens models that went on sale earlier this year.
• Combining the wide-angle and telephoto zoom lenses as a set enables users to cover a wide focal length range, from 15.5 mm (wide-angle end) to 105 mm (telephoto end).
• Because the lenses provide a long focal length at the telephoto end, they enable the magnification of scenes shot from a distance and the use of attractive blur effects when employing a shallow depth of field.

1. Designed to deliver high operability

• With a focus rotation angle of approximately 300 degrees, the lenses facilitate precise focusing performance.
• Zoom, focus and iris markings all appear on angled surfaces for improved readability from behind the camera.
• Features a unified front lens diameter and uniform gear positions, doing away with the need to adjust or reposition accessory gear when switching between the two lenses.
• By removing the cover ring, users can easily perform flange-back adjustment.

1. Functionality to realize increased shooting convenience

• The new lenses can be used with matte boxes and other standard manual and electronic movie industry accessories widely used in the motion picture production.
• Each lens offers a reduced minimum object distance (0.5 m for the CN-E15.5–47mm T2.8 L S/SP and 0.6 m for the CN-E30­–105mm T2.8 L S/SP) that makes possible tighter close-ups and facilitates shooting in limited-space environments.
• The EF-mount version lenses, when combined with Cinema EOS System cameras, support lens-camera communication enabling the recording of zoom and other settings along with video data, making possible the effective management of shooting conditions. Additionally, a future camera firmware update (release date to be decided) will enable automatic image correction along with other benefits.

Specifications for the Canon CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L S/SP wide-angle cinema zoom lens and the CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L S/SP telephoto cinema zoom lens are as follows:

 

	CN-E 15.5-47mm T2.8 L S/SP	CN-E 30-105mm T2.8 L S/SP
OPTICAL
Image Coverage (Diagonal)	31.4mm	31.4mm
Zoom Ratio	3.0x	3.5x
Focal Length Range	15.5 – 47 mm	30 – 105 mm
Maximum Aperture	T 2.8 (15.5-47mm)	T 2.8 (30-105mm)
Iris Blades	11	11
Minimum Operating Distance	1’8” / 0.5m	2’ / 0.6m
OPERATION
Angle of View 1.78:1 (24.0x13.5mm) (H)	75.5º (Wide)/28.6º (Tele)	43.6º (Wide)/ 13.0º (Tele)
Angle of View 1.78:1 (24.0x13.5mm) (V)	47.1º (Wide)/16.3º (Tele)	25.4º (Wide)/7.4º (Tele)
Angle of View 1.9:1 (26.2x13.8mm) (H)	80.4º (Wide)/31.1º (Tele)	47.2º (Wide)/14.2º (Tele)
Angle of View 1.9:1 (26.2x13.8mm) (V)	48.0º (Wide)/16.7º (Tele)	25.9º (Wide)/7.5º (Tele)
Focus Rotation	300º	300º
PHYSICAL
Mount	PL (SP)/EF (S)	PL (SP)/EF (S)
Filter Size	Dia. 105mm	Dia. 105mm
Lens Front Diameter	114 mm	114 mm
Dimensions (WxHxL) (PL)	114 x 125 x 214 mm	114 x 125 x 210 mm
Dimensions (WxHxL) (EF)	114 x 125 x 222 mm	114 x 125 x 218 mm
Weight (approx.)	4.8lbs/2.2 kg	4.8lbs/2.2 kg
Follow Focus Gear Pitch	0.8	0.8

  

The Canon Cinema EOS System of professional digital cinematography products includes the EOS C300 and EOS C500 digital cinema cameras (available in EF- or PL-mount versions), the EOS C100 digital video camera,  the EOS-1D C DSLR camera, the CN-E14.5-60mm T2.6L S/SP wide-angle zoom and CN-E30-300mm T2.95-3.7L S/SP telephoto zoom lenses (EF and PL versions available), and the CN-E24mm T1.5 L F, CN-E50mm T1.3 L F, and CN-E85mm T1.3 L F prime lenses for EF-mount cameras. Cinema EOS cameras are also compatible with the more than 60 lenses in Canon’s EF lens line (which includes macro, fisheye, telephoto, and tilt-shift models) for maximum creative versatility. Canon continues to enhance its Cinema EOS System product line to support diverse image creation in motion picture, television, and other high-resolution digital production industries.

Pricing and Availability

The Canon CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L S/SP wide-angle cinema zoom lens is expected to be available in November 2012 and the CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L S/SP telephoto cinema zoom lens  is expected to be available in  January 2013, both for an estimated list price of $24,500 each.