You climb a mountain because it’s there. Canon makes a new lens because they can. And probably when users ask. Clearly, cinematographers were calling to go wider and tighter.

Canon introduces the new CINE-SERVO 40-1200mm T5.0-10.8 zoom lens in PL or RF Mount. That’s a zoom range of 30x. 

Remarkably, the lens is the same size and weight as the Canon 50-1000 mm 20x zoom introduced 111/2 years ago, in October 2014.

The new 40-1200mm zoom lens is lightweight, compact and versatile. It will be welcomed by sports, nature, documentary, broadcast and live event cinematographers. With the built-in 1.5x extender, it reaches 60-1800mm. This is a Super35 format zoom lens but because an extender enlarges the image circle, it’s also an expander to cover Full Frame. (Note: Canon is strict about image circle coverage—your mileage may vary.)

Lens-Camera Communication

The Canon CINE-SERVO 40-1200mm T5.0-10.8 zoom lens uses industry standard camera-to-lens communication protocols. The PL mount has Cooke /i Technology and ZEISS eXtended Data. The RF Mount version uses Canon RF communication protocol. 

The Servo Unit is removable. It has a traditional zoom rocker. External control of focus, iris and zoom is managed through  20-pin or 12-pin ports that also supply power and serial communication with the camera. Absolute encoders ensure that zooms are smooth and focus is without lag. A snap zoom from 40mm to 1200mm can be done in about 1 second with external power. An imperceptibly long zoom, perhaps for a title sequence, can be adjusted to a very slow 180 seconds. A small LCD display on the drive unit displays menus and current settings. 

Canon Cinema EOS Lens Family

The new Canon CINE-SERVO 40-12000mm T5.0-10.8 Zoom lens joins this family:

CINE-SERVO 11-55mm T2.95-3.95 RF/PL

CINE-SERVO 17-120mm T2.95-3.9 RF/PL

CINE-SERVO 15-120mm T2.95-3.95 EF/PL

CINE-SERVO 25-250mm T2.95-3.95 EF/PL

CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 EF/PL

usa.canon.com