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18-80mm Canon affordable zoom, $5300 only
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    Very cheap at http://www.adorama.com/CACSER1880MM.html

    Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce today the new COMPACT-SERVO 18-80mm Zoom Lens (model name CN-E18-80mm T4.4L IS KAS S), a compact and lightweight 4K-ready lens constructed for optimal mobility. A bridge between traditional Canon EF photography lenses and CN-E cinema lenses, the COMPACT-SERVO 18-80mm can be ideal for filmmakers and documentary shooters who want the control and quality of cinema optics with the lightweight, compact design and features of photography lenses. The first in a new class of Canon lenses, the COMPACT-SERVO 18-80mm Zoom Lens is a cinema-style lens that includes a newly developed servo drive unit as a standard feature. Additionally, the lens incorporates Image Stabilization* and Autofocus* functionality, two extremely useful features not commonly found in cinema lenses, but which are ubiquitous in photography lenses. The lens also provides high image quality that supports 4K image productions and was designed to be able to be utilized in a variety of shooting styles including, hand-held, shoulder mounted, and tripod mounted.

    Covering the commonly used focal length range of 18mm to 80mm, this new Zoom Lens combines the functionality of Canon EF lenses with the precision and cinematic look of Canon Cinema lenses. The new COMPACT-SERVO 18-80mm Zoom Lens is 4K-ready and features auto focus and optical image stabilization with compatible camera models only, resulting in high-resolution imagery, with the ability to assist filmmakers in capturing the shot they envisioned. Compatible with EF- mount Super 35mm large-format cameras, the lens maintains brightness across the entire focal range at T4.4 (equal to F4.0). For added convenience, videographers can control many of the features of the lens in a variety of ways through the EF-mount communication, including Dual Pixel CMOS AF, push auto iris, record start and stop and remote lens control via the camera with an optional remote control, compensation for chromatic aberration (when paired with the EOS C300 Mark II Cinema Camera), metadata acquisition, and selection of T-number display. The COMPACT-SERVO 18-80mm Zoom Lens features a nine-blade iris aperture diaphragm to help give footage a truly artistic and beautiful look and feel, providing the much desired “bokeh” effect in the out-of-focus areas. For improved operability, focus breathing has been greatly reduced due to the three group inner focusing system.

  • 15 Replies sorted by
  • Wow, T4.4? Really?

  • It's similar to a 24-105mm f/4.0 lens but for Super 35mm sensors. Now of course you could use a full frame 24-105mm lens with a speed booster and have a 17-75mm f/2.8 lens for about $3700 less. But it wouldn't have servo zoom capabilities, may have focus breathing issues, and might not be truly parfocal.

    Canon's entire cinema zoom lineup is pretty expensive (as are most cinema zooms for that matter). The 30-105mm T2.8 costs $21000 so I guess this makes the new 18-80mm a bargain in comparison.

    Having said that, Sony managed to make a full frame servo zoom lens with a similar 4x zoom range (the Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4) and it costs less than half as much as this new Canon lens.

  • I think every such lens must include electronic ND like in FS5 build in.

  • Another test

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    DL: In the documentary world, and for us especially shooting thousands of hours, you have to be really stripped down. I’ve been shooting Canon for a long time, C300 mk I & II. Basically all the Canon EF lenses in a back pack; I try to go with Zooms and Primes. For this it was the Canon C300 mk I & II and EF Lenses. We got our hands on the Compact Servo when it was just released, an early look at it. We were one of the first productions to shoot with it in the field, which was fun.

    I definitely look for versatility [when choosing lenses] and gotta have a range so that when you’re stuck behind a police line and they tell you that you can’t go any further you can still come in and get the shot for example… Some of my favorite lenses are the 16-35, the 50 prime I always have for low light, 70-200 is a beautiful lens. I really try to run the spectrum of the EF lenses.

    https://thecinelens.com/2017/06/16/an-in-depth-look-at-the-canon-18-80-compact-servo-with-dp-dan-levin/

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