Canon CN-E20-50mm and CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP Full-Frame Cine Zoom Lenses Introduced

Lens News

by Jeff LochApril 12^th, 2022

Canon has just released its first full-frame cinema zoom lenses: the CN-E20-50mm T.2.4 L F/FP and CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP. Both lenses feature a constant T2.4 aperture and cover most of the focal lengths frequently used. They are available in Canon EF or PL lens mounts and have 0.8mm pitch gears for focus, zoom, and aperture controls. Let’s take a closer look at these!

The Canon CN-E lineup is the company’s cinema lenses lineup, launched in 2011. Over the years, Canon introduced the Sumire CN-E primes, the high-end Canon CN-E15.5-47mm & 30-105mm T2.8 zoom lenses, and the more affordable CN-E18-80mm & 70-200mm T4.4 L IS.

While the Canon CN-E and Sumire CN-E prime lenses cover full-frame sensors, the cinema zooms were limited to Super35 covering “only.” With the release of the new Canon CN-E20-50mm and CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP, you now have options to shoot full-frame using Canon cinema zooms.

Canon CN-E20-50mm & CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP features

The Canon CN-E20-50mm and CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP are the company’s first full-frame cine-zoom lenses. Both lenses have a constant T2.4 aperture across the entire zoom range. With only two lenses, you can go from 20mm to 135mm, which should cover most of your needs.

What is nice is that both lenses have very similar dimensions and weight:

• The CN-E20-50mm T2.4 L F/FP is 9.5″/24.1cm long for 7.28 lbs/3.3kg.
• The CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP is slightly longer at 9.7″/24.6 cm and weighs 7.5 lbs/3.4kg.

According to the company, “the two cine-zoom lenses also inherit the same subtle, warm color tone synonymous with Canon’s full range of Cinema lenses.” In other words, it means that they should mix and match with the CN-E primes easily.

The Canon CN-E20-50mm T2.4 L F/FP and the CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP have dedicated focus, zoom, and iris rings with industry-standard 0.8mm pitch gears. In addition, the gears are located at the same position on both lenses, so you can switch between both in seconds without having to readjust the position of your FIZ motors.

The focus throw is 300 degrees on both lenses. Luminous markings that glow in the dark are engraved in metric and imperial scales for easy operation in low-light environments.

Lens mounts

Both lenses are available in either Canon EF or PL mount. The lens mount is interchangeable but not user-interchangeable: you’ll have to send your zoom lens to a Canon service center to change your lens mount.

The Canon CN-E20-50mm and CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP are part of the Flex Zoom series and can communicate with the camera. In PL mount, you’ll get access to Cooke /i Technology and ZEISS eXtended Data. If you go with a Canon EF mount, you’ll get access to Canon metadata.

Both Canon EF and PL mount versions allow you to display/record the lenses information. However, you’ll get extra features if you pair CN-E20-50mm and CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP in EF mount to a Canon camera. For example, you can use your Canon’s camera functions such as built-in Peripheral Illumination Correction and Aberration Correction. Also, the Dual Pixel Focus Guide can be enabled to help you nail perfect focus.

Lens design, price and availability

Both lenses feature 11 iris blades diaphragm and have a 114mm front diameter for clip-on matteboxes but no internal filter thread. The minimum focusing distance of the 20-50mm is 2″/60cm, while the 45-135mm is 3.3″/1m.

Pricing is $21,999 (€18,900 excl. VAT) for each of these Cine zoom lenses. The 20-50mm will be available in June and the 45-135mm will start shipping in September.

For more information, please visit Canon’s website here.

What do you think about the Canon CN-E20-50mm and CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP? Do you believe full-frame zoom lenses are helpful compared to prime lenses? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!