Canon has launched its first full-frame cinema zoom lenses: the CN-E20-50mm T.2.4 L F/FP and CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP. Both lenses feature dedicated focus, zoom, and iris rings with industry-standard 0.8mm pitch gears. In addition, the gears are located at the same position on both lenses, so you can switch between both in seconds. The focus throw is 300 degrees on both lenses, with luminous markings engraved for easy operation in low-light environments. According to the company, “the two cine-zoom lenses inherit the same subtle, warm colour tone synonymous with Canon’s full range of Cinema lenses.”
Available in EF and PL mount and designed for use on full frame 35mm and Super35mm cameras, they include Lens Metadata Support such as Cooke /i Technology™ and Zeiss eXtended Data™ protocols.
The new large-aperture lenses feature high-level optical design and performance while sticking with the style and ease of use of Canon’s EF Cinema lens series. With these two zoom lenses — featuring focal length ranges of 20-50mm for wide-angle and 45-135mm for telephoto — you can now cover the same range as its six existing prime lenses, going from 20mm to 135mm, which should cover most of your needs. Both lenses maintain a fast, constant T2.4 aperture across the entire zoom ranges, allowing for image capture in both natural light and darker environments. The lenses also have very similar dimensions and weight.
Both lenses feature 11 iris blades diaphragm and have a 114mm front diameter for clip-on matteboxes. Minimum focusing distance of the 20-50mm is 2″/60cm, while the 45-135mm is 3.3″/1m.
Lens Features from Canon official:
Designed for full frame cinema cameras
Capture increased cinematic quality, wider field-of- view, and greater depth-of-field. This compact and lightweight lens is designed for use on full frame 35mm sensor cameras.
Cinematic look with 4K optical quality
The lens produces superb colour rendition and detail, with sharp images from the centre to the outer edges, perfect for 4K HDR capture. 11 aperture blades create soft beautiful light rays and stunning depth of field falloff, whilst an internal focusing system delivers minimised focus breathing and excellent parfocal performance. The lenses render the beautiful and warm colour tones synonymous with Canon’s cinema lens family.
Constant T2.4 and broad focal length coverage
With a consistent light transmission of T2.4 throughout the zoom range, the Flex Zoom series offers 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. These lenses are the ideal pairing to cover a wide range of shooting situations.
Advanced Lens Metadata Support
The Flex Zoom series are compliant with a wide range of communication standards thanks to the versatile lens-to-camera communication function, including Cooke /i Technology™, and ZEISS eXtended Data™ (PL mount) and EF mount. This will enable to display or record lens meta data as well as utilize camera functions such as aberration correction, peripheral illumination correction and focus guide function with compatible cameras. External 4-pin Lemo communication provides metadata support for cameras not compliant with the above protocols.
Robust design and useful handling features
Both the CN-E20-50MM T2.4 L F / FP and CN-E45- 135MM T2.4 L F / FP share the same design with consistent front diameter, gear positions and gear rotation angles. Focus, zoom, and iris dials feature industry standard gears and 0.8mm pitch to suit third party follow focus accessories. The lens features luminous (glow in the dark) metric and imperial markings for easy operation in low light. Built for longevity, the premium design and outstanding optics and components, offer quick and precise operation, with durability ideal for professional video productions.