NAB2024 – NEW from NAB
Canon will release the “CJ27ex7.3B IASE T” 2/3-inch portable lens that supports 27x zoom. It is due to be released to the public in late August 2024. Suggested retail price is to be determined later. The actual market price is around 4,620,000 yen including tax. In dollars, that is approximately $30,500. Once the lens is released the actual retail price will also be released. Canon may also reveal the price during their Keynote at NAB2024.
Canon’s lineup of portable zoom lenses for broadcasting includes the UHDxs series, which emphasizes optical performance, and the UHDgc series, which emphasizes operability. The UHDxs series, which emphasizes optical performance, is characterized by sharper images and a wider focal length, while the UHDgc series is a model that emphasizes lightness and cost performance. CJ27ex7.3B is part of the UHDxs series lineup, which emphasizes optical performance.
High magnification
It is compatible with a variety of shooting scenes. The lens features a high magnification of 27x and a wide focal length that can be used in a variety of shooting situations, with a focal length of 7.3mm to 197mm. Built-in 2x extender supports maximum telephoto reach of 394mm. News reporters no longer need to carry around multiple lenses, and sports scenes can be filmed while creating a sense of realism. In 35mm full-frame equivalent terms, it achieves an angle of view equivalent to 28.7mm to 775mm, which does not exist in the RF lens lineup. It is a portable zoom lens used by professionals for news shooting and studio photography.
Canon listened to users in designing this lens
Canon listened to the opinions of users of the 25x zoom “CJ25e x 7.6B” released in 2019 and designed a complete renewal. The glass material and lens surface coating have been updated. It is characterized by an extremely high level of optical performance, achieving uniform optical performance over a wide zoom range from the center to the edges of the screen. The lens is designed to minimize aberrations, distortion, color fringing, and ghost flare, which are important in broadcast lenses, and is capable of capturing crisp, clear images.
The CJ27ex7.3B integrates the newly developed digital drive unit, the “e-Xs V” unit. The new drive unit features a 20-pin connector and a built-in USB-C connector, making equipment setup and maintenance easier. The display menu has also been updated to improve operability.
The focus grip
The ergonomic grip design provides an excellent operating feel. The use of a free-form surface that matches the shape of the human hand and the placement of rubber finger grips provides a good grip. By ensuring a wide space around the focus ring, operability during manual focusing has been improved.
The position of the grip and the distance between the lens and the lens are important; if the camera is unbalanced when placed on your shoulder, it can cause increased fatigue. As with all Canon ENG lenses, the grip is placed near the optical axis of the lens to eliminate any discomfort when removing it. It is said that the armpits are tucked in when carrying it on the shoulder, reducing fatigue.
It also supports focus aberration reduction, which suppresses changes in the angle of view when operating the focus. The ability to control changes in the angle of view during focus operations allows for high operability. Focus breathing is a feature originally included in box-shaped and large lenses, but due to its design, it was difficult to implement it in small portable zoom lenses. In this design, Canon included this as standard in the UHDxs series lenses. Users can easily turn it on or off according to preference.
It also features remote and virtual support. It is equipped with a high-resolution 16-bit encoder, enabling highly accurate position detection. Calibration when creating virtual content becomes easier. Zoom, focus, and iris position information can be output from the 20-pin connector. Especially as compositing technology for drama scenes is evolving, broadcasting lenses that can be used virtually are also an important point.
Canon will showcase this lens, along with other products, at NAB2024. Take a look at more NAB coverage here.
