Doubling down on the incredible video gear announcements, Canon released information, (officially), on their new CJ15ex4.3B 4k UHD Portable Lens! Again, while this isn’t all that interesting or appealing to the photographers in the room, it’s still pretty groundbreaking for the videographers out there! Based on the previous generations of these lenses, we can expect a price point well above $20k but until the lens is released in 2020 or Canon releases more information we’ll just have to wait and see.

The CJ15ex4.3B 4K UHDxs wide-angle portable zoom lens sets a new benchmark in 4K UHD broadcast production with best-in-class 15X magnification and 4.3mm wide-angle that can achieve jaw-dropping 4K imagery, helping take production creativity to a whole new level. For even greater flexibility, a 2x extender enables the CJ15ex4.3B to provide a super telephoto 130mm focal length.

The first portable broadcast lens to feature Air Sphere Coating (ASC), a unique Canon technology that reduces ghosting intensity and enables more authentic HDR shooting, the CJ15ex4.3B provides excellent gradation and enhanced realism and dimension, including texture, for image quality that’s remarkably close to the real thing. Zoom fluctuation is minimized through the use of a multi-group movable zoom and aspheric lenses that maintain consistent and dependable optical performance and superb color reproduction from the center of the image to the edges.

The first usage of this lens in the United States was at the recent NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. The performance of the CJ15ex4.3B lens in the challenging environment of fast cars and flying debris left NHRA Technology Executive Mike Rokosa enthusiastic about the lens’ capabilities. “When producing a drag-racing telecast, one of our most important shots is a wide-angle shot on a jib arm to capture the pageantry and tension at the starting line, where the driver’s reaction times are measured in thousandths of a second and mean the difference between winning and losing a race that only lasts for a few seconds,” said Rokosa. “I respect the fact that Canon likes to place their products in extreme conditions and our 11,000 horsepower dragsters are all of that. To bring an untested new design, unveil it at our event and for it to perform as it did was impressive. With cars traveling over 300 MPH, it is easy to lose focus or tracking on the cars. Not only was the lens able to capture the shots exactly as our director envisioned, but the added zoom range let us bring viewers even closer to the action.”

The Lens!

Technical Specifications

  • Product Category – ENG Lens
  • Product Series – CJ15ex4.3B
  • Object Image Format – 2/3 inch
  • Aspect Ratio – 16:9
  • Zoom Ratio – 15X
  • Focal Length Range – 4.3 ~ 65mm
  • Angular Field of View –
    • 96.3° x 64.2° at 4.3 mm
    • 8.4° x 4.8° at 65 mm
  • Maximum Relative Aperture (F-Number)
    • 1:1.8 at 4.3 – 40 mm
    • 1:2.9 at 65 mm
  • MOD From Front of Lens – 0.30 Meters (10 mm with Macro)
  • Scene Object Dimensions at MOD
    • 76.1 x 42.8 cm at 4.3 mm
    • 4.9 x 2.8 cm at 65 mm
  • Width – 6.4in (163.0mm)
  • Height – 4.2in (107.6mm)
  • Dimensions – 9.6in (249.6mm)
  • Weight – 4.8 lbs. (2.19 kg)

Pricing, Availability, & Final Thoughts

The Canon CJ15ex4.3B Portable Zoom Lens is currently scheduled to be available in the beginning of 2020. Currently pricing information isn’t available for this specific lens BUT we’ll keep you posted as soon as it’s available. For more information, please visit pro.usa.canon.com/broadcast.