This is Canon’s first 35mm zoom lens with servo handgrip for documentary, handheld or ENG.
Canon’s 17-120 mm T2.9-3.9 zoom seems impossibly small for a lens that can deliver superb image quality with so much range.
The servo focus/iris/zoom handgrip detaches with 3 screws. When re-installed, there’s no need for manual re-alignment.
I tried out a prototype 17-120 at AbelCine just as we were going to press, and took these photos with the help of Jeff Lee, AbelCine, and Ryan Kamata, Canon.
The lens motors inside the handgrip are quiet and extremely quick. The focus barrel can whip from M.O.D. (Minimum Object Distance) to infinity in 1.6 seconds. The rocker switch in the handgrip is comfortable, sensitive, and offers smoothly feathered starts and stops. You can zap zoom in a blazingly quick .5 seconds, or dial it down to 300 seconds for that slow zoom in title sequence landscape shot.
Lens communicates with camera a number of ways. There’s a familiar broadcast lens style 12-pin serial connector. Cooke /i Technology metadata is supported when using /i equipped PL mount lenses. An added benefit of Cooke /i on PL lenses is that its contacts can also power the focus, iris and zoom motors. Canon Cinema EOS lens data is also enabled, providing power, lens information as well as image compensation of shading and geometry when using Canon EF mount lenses.
One of the most thoughtful touches is how the focus marks are engraved on the slanted part of the lens focus barrel, so you can see the distance with your left eye while shooting.
Canon EF Mount Model: CN7x17 KAS S/E1
PL Mount Model: CN7x17 KAS S/P1
- Focal Length: 17-120 mm
- Zoom Ratio: 7x
- Maximum Aperture: T2.95 at 17-91 mm
- ramp to T3.9 91-120 mm
- Iris Blades: 11
- M.O.D: 0.85 m / 2.8’
- Macro Function: Push button control
- Front Diameter: 114 mm
- Approx. Weight: 2.9 kg / 6.4 lb
- Approx Width: 174.2 mm
- Approx Height: 125 mm
- Approx Length (EF): 262.9mm
- Approx Length (PL): 254.9 mm
- Focus Gear Pitch (forward / rear): 0.8 mm / 0.5 mm
- Zoom Gear Pitch: 0.5 mm
- Iris Gear Pitch: 0.4 mm
- Fastest Focus Barrel Travel end to end: 1.6 sec
- Fastest Zoom Barrel Speed: .5 sec
- Slowest Zoom Barrel Speed: 300 sec
- Metadata /i Technology
- Canon EOS Lens Data
- Angle of View
- Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
- (Sensor Dimensions: 24.6 x 13.8 mm)
- At 17 mm: 71.8°x 44.2°
- At 120 mm: 11.7°x 6.6°
- Aspect ratio 1.9:1
- (Sensor Dimensions: 26.2 x 13.8 mm)
- At 17 mm: 75.2°x 44.2°
- At 120 mm: 12.5°x 6.6°
- Object Dimensions at M.O.D.
- Aspect ratio 1.78:1
- (Sensor Dimensions: 24.6 x 13.8 mm)
- At 17 mm: 86.3 x 48.4 cm
- At 120 mm: 12.0 x 6.7 cm
- Aspect ratio 1.9:1
- (Sensor Dimensions: 26.2 x 13.8 mm)
- At 17 mm: 92.1 x 48.5 cm
- At 120 mm: 12.7 x 6.7 cm
- (M.O.D. is Minimum Object Distance from Image Plane)
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Great!
But I wish they shipped a modern super 16mm zoom lens with servo handgrip, so we would easily get a higher x factor. It would be perfect on a super 16mm cropped F5/55 for broadcast live shows and documentaries.
I’m sure there is a market for it too!
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