Cinema glass comes to RF mount
Posted on Dec 18, 2023 by Samara Husbands
Canon has cemented its filmmaking future with the RF mount, by unveiling two sets of full-frame cine primes, based on the existing EF mount CN-E lenses and PL-mount Sumire Primes
The seven new lenses are Canon’s first cinema lenses equipped with the large RF mount, offering high-speed communication between the lens and camera body.
The lenses are called CN-R and there will initially be a 14mm T3.1, a 20, 24 and 35mm T1.5, a 50 and 85mm T1.3 plus a 135mm T2.2. More focal length options will become available in the future.
The optics are fully compatible with the current EOS C70 and EOS R5C RF cinema cameras, but can be used on any RF mount camera. This hints that Canon’s next-generation cinema line will use the RF mount – the C300 Mark III and C500 Mark II use EF mount, while the C700 FF uses EF or PL mount lenses. These new lenses will also be compatible with Red’s Komodo and V-Raptor range.
The CN-R lenses offer control of magnification, correction for chromatic and distortion aberration, peripheral light correction plus a dual-pixel focus guide via the camera body.
Canon claims the primes have exceptional optical performance, excellent colour reproduction and are suitable for use with 4K and 8K cameras. This is thanks to optimal positioning of large-diameter aspherical lens elements as well as lens elements with anomalous dispersion glass.
The 11 aperture blades grant a shallow depth-of-field and natural round blurring of out-of-focus areas. The optics offer minimal focus breathing and are colour matched for a consistent look. There’s a unified design across the series with a 114mm front diameter, and consistent gear position of the focus ring, lens diameter and rotation angle for speedy changes without resetting accessories like matte boxes or follow-focus systems.
A knurled surface near the mount allows the lens to be gripped without adjusting focus when attaching and detaching.
UK prices are £4200/$3950 for the 135mm, £3700/$3950 for the 85, 50 and 35mm, £4100/$4220 for the 24 and 20mm and £4380/$4220 for the 14mm.
Originally published in the November/December 2023 issue of Pro Moviemaker.
