Canon U.S.A. has announced the CJ20ex7.8B portable 4K broadcast lens for use with broadcast cameras featuring 2/3"-type sensors. Featuring With a focal range of 7.8-156mm, the lens features a 20x zoom range, while a built-in 2x extender allows more telephoto operation without sacrificing 4K image quality. A 20-pin connector, capable of reading out the high-precision position information of the zoom, focus and iris are provided as a standard feature. Coming standard with another two 20-pin connectors for zoom and focus control, virtual operations are possible in the full-servo mode, and use of a 16-bit absolute value encoder in the digital drive unit helps eliminate the need for any initialisation, meaning users can simply turn on the camera and begin shooting. The CJ20ex7.8B portable broadcast lens is scheduled to be available in June 2016.

Canon Press Release

Canon Adds Versatility To 4K UHD Broadcast Lens Family

New 2/3-inch CJ20ex7.8B Portable Lens Features 4K Optical Performance and 20x Zoom

Melville, N.Y., November 10, 2015 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the CJ20ex7.8B portable 4K broadcast lens for use with broadcast cameras featuring 2/3-inch sensors. This versatile lens features a 20x zoom range and provides the optical excellence needed for 4K broadcast production. With a focal range of 7.8-156mm, a broad range of scene compositions can be achieved from a single lens. A built-in 2x extender allows more telephoto operation without sacrificing 4K image quality. Editors can then select a 1920 x 1080 crop from within the 3840 x 2160 camera original with full HDTV image quality.  Alternatively, the 4K UHD camera video can be down-sampled to HDTV offering enhanced resolution by virtue of that super-sampled original.  

With its broad zoom range and wide angle performance, the CJ20ex7.8B can be a workhorse lens for Electronic Field Production (EFP) and Electronic News Gathering (ENG) broadcast applications covering news, sports, live events and filmmakers creating documentary projects desiring 4K quality. The CJ20ex7.8B is the fourth lens this year in Canon’s new UHDxs lineup of 4K UHD broadcast lenses, joining the wide-angle CJ12ex4.3B in the portable lens group, and the long-zoom UJ86x9.3B and UJ90x9B field lenses.

"As 4K UHD continues to grow in popularity, Canon is developing more solutions to provide producers and broadcasters with outstanding optical performance,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Complementing the wide-angle performance of the CJ12ex4.3B lens introduced earlier this year, the new CJ20ex7.8B lens provides a versatile option for magnificent imagery, whether in 4K UHD or HDTV."

The form factor and operational controls will be very familiar to anyone who has used Canon's award-winning HD lenses.  The lens is also compatible with standard HD zoom and focus demand controls. Its light weight of four pounds, 13ounces and compact size make it ideal for shoulder-mounted ENG applications.

A 20-pin connector, capable of reading out the high-precision position information of the zoom, focus and iris are provided as a standard feature. Coming standard with another two 20-pin connectors for zoom and focus control, virtual operations are possible in the full-servo mode, and use of a 16-bit absolute value encoder in the digital drive unit helps eliminate the need for any initialization, meaning users can simply turn on the camera and begin shooting.

The CJ20ex7.8B portable broadcast lens is scheduled to be available in June 2016. For full product specifications and more information on the UHDxs family of lenses, please visit: pro.usa.canon.com/broadcast

Your Comments