Canon launches Seven New PL Mount Cinema Prime Lenses in Sumire Prime Series
Posted on Apr 3, 2019 by Julian Mitchell
Canon have announced the launch of their Sumire Prime lens series, which is a range of seven fast T-stop cinema prime lenses, all with an interchangeable PL mount. Bolstering its cinematography offering, the new lenses – CN-E14mm T3.1 FP X, CN-E20mm T1.5 FP X, CN-E24mm T1.5 FP X, CN-E35mm T1.5 FP X, CN-E50mm T1.3 FP X, CN-E85mm T1.3 FP X and CN-E135mm T2.2 FP X – are compatible with any PL mount cinema cameras equipped with either a 35mm full-frame format sensor or a Super 35mm format sensor, including selective Cinema EOS cameras.
These prime lenses are designed to enhance creativity and operability in the cinema industry. The Sumire Prime series enters the market as cinematographers aim to meet increasing demands for high-quality content with a more creative, personal and expressive feel.
Optical Excellence
The seven prime lenses offer new imaging capabilities for those working in the cinema industry. Devoted to detail, they feature a large diameter aspheric element and anomalous dispersion glass, offering a delicate, velvety nuance when the aperture approaches its maximum setting during shooting. This optical design results in solid and natural image rendering, bringing impressive image quality and warmer tones to cinema productions. Supporting an 11-blade iris, all the lenses feature precise manual control, providing cinematographers with richer levels of rounded bokeh for better impression of subjects and softer rays of light – perfect for creating intimate shots that direct the viewer’s attention to specific details. Thanks to their large lens diameter, a brighter T-number is possible, making these lenses an ideal choice for filming in challenging low light scenes – as well as capturing the scene with a distinctive shallow depth of field – when ambience and atmosphere is essential.
PL Mount with Full-Frame Coverage
The Sumire Prime lenses come with an interchangeable PL mount, which can be changed to an EF mount and back to PL. This option offers widespread compatibility options for professional filmmakers using full-frame and Super 35mm cameras – responding to the needs of the industry, shooting anything from drama productions to high-end cinema, either in studio or on location. The lenses’ compatibility with Canon’s world-renowned Cinema EOS System, Canon’s flagship full-frame Cinema EOS camera – the C700 FF – and other third-party cinema full-frame cameras helps users produce future-proofed, premium quality footage.
Designed for Reliability and Consistency
The Sumire Prime series lenses inherit the same subtle, warm colour tone as Canon’s full Cinema lens range. Such compatibility makes it easier for cinematographers to interchange lenses on a production without affecting colour tone. Whilst shooting on busy sets, this unity reduces the need for time-extensive post-grading ensuring consistency across shots – no matter what lens is used. All seven prime lenses adopt the 0.8 pitch lens gears for both iris and focus rings and are positioned consistently on the lens. In addition to this, the lenses have the same front diameter, eliminating the need to adjust rigging accessories when replacing lenses. All lenses also have carefully developed focus resistance – enabling delicate and fine focus adjustments which can be made over a 300-degree rotation angle. Cinematographers can rely on dependable framing when composing shots as the lenses control focus breathing, combating the perspective variation that sometimes arise when refocusing to another subject.
Stephen Hart Dyke, Professional Imaging Product Marketing Manager, Canon Europe, commented: “Rising competition in the cinema market and growing viewer demand for quality content has resulted in cinematographers facing increasing pressure to push their creative boundaries. As a result, there’s a growing trend and demand for large 35mm full-frame sensor cameras and fast primes which can achieve a more dramatic look and higher image quality – features which make productions stand out. However, the choice of 35mm full-frame cinema lenses is still relatively limited, which is where the Sumire Prime lenses now offer professional filmmakers additional choice, flexibility and consistency in their shooting, whilst allowing them to personalise their craft and enhance their creative vision with the hotly demanded ’cinematic look’.”
For more information of the new Sumire Prime series, please visit the website.
These seven new prime lenses will be on display for the first time globally at NAB 2019 (8th – 11th April), on the Canon stand – Central Hall, C4425
Key features across the entire Sumire Prime series:
· Compact Cine Primes with a new creative cinematic look
· Interchangeable PL mount with full-frame coverage
· Same unified colour tone as the Cinema Lens range
· Bright T-number and an 11-blade iris
· Reduced focus breathing
· 300-degree focus rotation
· Consistent filter diameter and gear positioning
