Canon Announces CN20x50 Cine-Servo Ultra Zoom Lens

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<p><em>Canon introduces new 4K cine-servo, ultra-telephoto lens with world’s longest focal length</em></p>
<p>United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 16 October 2014 – Canon today bolsters its cine servo lens line-up with the new CN20x50 – a high performance, ultra-telephoto zoom lens for sport and nature TV production. Leveraging Canon’s long-standing and unparalleled expertise in lens design, the CN20x50 delivers 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.</p>
<p>Designed to be a portable solution for broadcast productions using super 35mm cameras – whether HD, UHD or 4K – the CN20x50 is a tool of unprecedented quality, versatility and usability. Featuring a completely removable updated servo drive unit that enables an agile shooting style that’s difficult to achieve with typical cine lenses, the new cine-servo lens helps to meet growing demands for Ultra High Definition (UHD) resolution sport and nature television production.</p>
<p><b>Versatile and reliable</b>

With productions today expected to shoot in demanding and unpredictable environments, a huge level of lens flexibility is required. 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.</p>
<p>Weighing just 6.6kg, the CN20x50 is conveniently portable and lightweight and offers an unrivalled focal length and zooming capabilities for its class. It enables sport and documentary crews to capture footage at a distance, while maintaining the highest quality throughout the zoom range. The lens’s huge zoom range also significantly reduces the volume of hardware that crews are required to carry, offering a superb solution for location shoots.</p>
<p>The latest in Canon’s cine-servo lens line-up, the CN20x50 is also user-friendly and robust. The design has been developed to ensure high levels of ruggedness and reliability, even in unforgiving broadcast environments – combining the finest quality optics with a weather-and-shock-proof construction that makes it suitable for use in the most hostile conditions when on location, to the same level as conventional Canon broadcast lenses.</p>
<p><b>Flexible operability</b>

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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><b>CN20x50 key benefits:</b></p>
<ul>
<li>Ultra-telephoto lens with class-leading focal length</li>
<li>Capture every detail in sports and nature TV broadcast</li>
<li>Achieve stunning shots in outstanding 4K quality</li>
<li>Enjoy a wide variety of shooting and expression</li>
<li>Portable and durable with intuitive operation</li>
</ul>
<p>Source: [<a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/News-Post.aspx?News=12711" target="_blank">TDP</a>] & [<a href="http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/news/canon_unveils_cn20x_50_ias_h_e1_p1.do" target="_blank">CPN</a>]</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
 
Definitely pricey. What about the weight? Also could this fit into an airline legal camera bag?

Too bad Canon does not make similar lens for still photographers. I could use the CINE lens on my 1Dx but then I would have to give up traveling for a number of years.
 
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RGF said:
Too bad Canon does not make similar lens for still photographers.
Would that many still photographers really want 50-1000mm f/7.1 or f/8ish lens? Would they pay $20-30,000 for it (I imagine it'd be cheaper if it didnt have to be parfocal)?

Just trying to imagine the photographer that would use that. Wildlife photogs might prefer their f/2.8 and f/4 super-teles. Sports guys might prefer the 200-400 f/4. Cant imagine trying to do sports photography with that beast of a lens.

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
Sounds amazing...but I can only image what this puppy is going to cost. More than my car, I suspect.
Yeah, if the 17-120 costs $30k, I bet this thing is easily double that.
 
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I think you guys are way off with the price, the closest comparable mainstream super 35 lens is $96,000.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/840535-REG/Fujinon_HK5_3X75_F_HK5_3X75_F_75_400mm_T2_8_T3_8_ZOOM.html
 
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It's not really meant for sale it's a rental item for most users. I can see this being a very popular lens in news/broadcast and sports applications, nothing is like it really, such a technological achievement to make a 50-1500mm cinema-quality lens in a body this small. I know that most wildlife/sports photographers would pay anything for a photographic L version of this. But perhaps it's too expensive to produce for a lower photography-friendly price.

Again, with their continuing update of their full line up of cinema lenses (primes, compact zooms, cine zooms, and servo zooms) and cinema cameras, Canon is showing they're in the cinema business for real and are committed to being the strongest contender. The indie film market? Canon doesn't see us.

By the way it does come in swapable EF and PL mounts, so this baby will probably be most used on Sony F5/55s, Arri Amira (a perfect companion) and of course Canon's own excellent C100/300/500s. It will work as a 1500mm on the 1DC in 4K mode (and the 4K C500) which if delivered in 1080p will make it something of around what, 3000mm?
 
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