Canon announces first full-frame cine-zoom lenses, the 20-50mm T2.4 and 45-135mm T2.4, but they cost $21,999 apiece!
(Image credit: Canon)
Canon has launched its first premium full frame zoom lenses for professional cinema productions, called the Flex Zoom series – and they will cost you a cool $21,999 each! The CN-E20-50mm T2.4 L F / FP and CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F / FP will offer outstanding performance and impressive quality for HDR, 4K and 8K productions.
With the introduction of these lenses, Canon is enhances its line-up to meet a range of filmmaking needs, providing filmmakers with even more options to choose from, supporting high-end content creation for a variety of uses and shooting scenarios. Both lenses offer a constant and fast T2.4 aperture across the entire zoom range, as well as covering focal lengths most popularly used by filmmakers across a variety of productions.
Built with optical excellence at the core, the Flex Zoom series showcases a commitment to cinematic visual storytelling. Suitable for full frame or Super 35mm cameras, they offer incredible quality for 4K and 8K capture, from the centre to the edges of the frame. What’s more, both lenses feature 11 iris blades for natural and cinematic out of focus, and beautiful specular highlights.
Both lenses are Canon’s first full frame manual cine-zoom lenses, with an industry-leading constant T2.4 across the entire zoom range. The ideal pairing for a wide range of shooting scenarios, they offer a broad focal range from the wide angle CN-E20-50mm T2.4 L F / FP, to the mid-focal range of the CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F / FP – covering focal lengths most frequently used in filmmaking and cinema productions.
The two cine-zoom lenses also inherit the same subtle, warm color tone synonymous with Canon cinema lenses – this compatibility makes it easier for filmmakers to use a variety of lenses on a production, without affecting the overall color balance. On busy sets, this reduces the need for time-extensive post-production grading, ensuring consistency across all footage.
The Flex Zoom Series is compliant with industry standard metadata formats thanks to the versatile lens-to-camera mount communication function, including Cooke /i Technology, and Zeiss eXtended Data (on PL mount) and Canon metadata (via EF mount). This allows users to display or record lens information, with the EF communication it allows users to utilize camera functions such as aberration correction and peripheral illumination correction with compatible Cinema EOS cameras. The mount communication also enables Dual Pixel Focus Guide which improves usability and accuracy when manually pulling focus. This is especially useful for critical focusing when shooting 4K or 8K productions with a full frame camera.
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Both the CN-E20-50mm T2.4 L F / FP and CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F / FP are available with either an EF or PL mount – the mount is interchangeable, via authorized third party companies as well as Canon’s service centers – offering widespread compatibility options for filmmakers shooting anything from drama productions, to high-end cinema.
The Flex Zoom lenses feature a unified design, consistent front diameter, gear positions and gear rotation angles and rugged durability – this consistency makes both lenses perfect for professional use in a range of shooting environments. Focus, zoom and iris rings feature industry standard gears and 0.8mm pitch to suit third party accessories such as follow focus and motors. Additionally, the lenses feature luminous (glow in the dark) metric and imperial markings for easy operation in low light environments. Built for longevity, the premium design and outstanding optics and components, offer quick and precise operation, with durability for all types of professional filmmaking.
Also also announced the launch of its latest 4K Broadcast TV lens, the UHD DIGISUPER 122AF, which features an incredible 122x Zoom Ratio that is equipped with Canon’s advanced Auto Focus technology , allowing the lens to reach an incredible 8.2-1000mm focal length range, alongside a firmware update for the DP-V1830 professional reference monitor, supporting 4K HDR quality management for high-end cinema and broadcast production. All will be available in July 2022.
For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.
He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and is a Master of Arts in Publishing. He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association.
He is familiar with and shows great interest in street, medium, and large format photography with products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting Street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in Black and White.
