Canon recently announced its new CJ27ex7.3B 2/3” portable ENG lens with a 27x optical zoom and we caught up with them at NAB 2024 to look at it more closely. The 27x zoom ratio was previously typically only available in 2/3” box lenses.
The lens has a focal range of 7.3mm to 197mm. With a built-in 2x extender, the lens’ maximum telephoto reach increases to 394mm. This focal range makes it suitable for use in hand-held news, live sports, and broadcast studio applications.
The CJ27ex7.3B lens was designed to be portable, with the mobility of a conventional ENG (Electronic News Gathering) lens.
What is interesting is that the lens features Focus Breathing Compensation which helps minimize image distortion when racking focus. This is something we are now seeing quite a few manufacturers introducing into not only stills lenses, but also servo zooms as well.
According to Canon, the lens features superb optical performance, and it is classified as a UHDxs lens, Canon’s highest image quality rating for broadcast optics.
The new lens also features Canon’s next-generation drive unit, the e-Xs V. The new drive unit features an angled 20-pin connector and a built-in USB-C connector, giving users a better experience with equipment setup and maintenance and improving operability with an updated display menu.
Automatic Restoration of Illumination Attenuation (ARIA)ii technology is also supported to help minimize the effects of f-drop/ramping as the lens zooms.
Price & Availability
The CJ27ex7.3B broadcast lens is expected to be available for purchase in August 2024. It will retail for $43,000 USD.
