Canon introduces new 4K cine-servo, ultra-telephoto lens

Canon has announced the bolstering of its cine servo lens line-up with the new CN20x50 – a high performance, ultra-telephoto zoom lens for sport and nature TV production. The CN20x50 is said to deliver superb image quality and exceptional creative control, and is the first lens of its type to combine a built-in 1.5x extender, class-leading 20x magnification and a removable servo drive, with a native 50-1000mm focal range that expands to a huge 75-1500mm.

Designed to be a portable solution for broadcast productions using super 35mm cameras – whether HD, UHD or 4K – the CN20x50 features a completely removable updated servo drive unit that enables an agile shooting style that’s difficult to achieve with typical cine lenses.

For wildlife television, operators typically work in hostile and sensitive conditions which often necessitate shooting from extremely long distances, while sports productions typically require extremely high resolution for close-to-the-action stadium work. In both situations, operators require fast, reactive positional changes, shooting flexibility and nimble hardware that allow them to respond to changes in the scene.

Weighing just 6.6kg, the CN20x50 is conveniently portable and lightweight. It has also been developed to ensure high levels of ruggedness and reliability, even in unforgiving broadcast environments.

Compatible with a wide range of cameras, the CN20x50 also supports communication between lens and camera, and will be available in both EF-mount and PL-mount variants. The EF-mount version utilises Canon’s own system, while the PL-mount variant supports Cooke’s/i Technology standard. Both models feature a 12-pin serial connection for integration with typical broadcast equipment.

The focus ring rotation is 180 degrees, balancing the accuracy required for 4K imaging with the speed needed for broadcast use. In scenarios where every second counts – and operators only have one opportunity to capture a shot – high speed zoom, iris and simple focusing operation mean that even rapidly changing scenes can be captured with ease and accuracy.

The lens’ design supports a range of cinema and broadcast accessories including operational zoom and focus controls, matte boxes and 0.8- and 0.5-type gear module accessories such as follow focus units, to provide a truly versatile solution.