1 of 3
Cine-Servo 17-120 mm | $26,350
2 of 3
Compact-Servo 18-80 mm | $5,225
3 of 3
Compact-Servo 18-80mm | $70,200
When considering a camera system, the body itself is only one part of the equation. The quality and features of the lens itself plays an enormous role in determining the overall aesthetic of the final footage produced by a given camera. Over the past few years Canon has been making a significant splash in the cinema lens world, and earlier this year we had the opportunity to review some of their newest offerings in the line.
Having a lens [Cine-Servo 17-120 mm] that maintains a constant T2.95 aperture across most of the zoom range meant we were able to enjoy very shallow depth of field, even while shooting run-and-gun.
Cine-Servo 17-120 mm
The first lens we had a chance to try out was the Cine-Servo 17-120 mm T2.95. Designed for both cinema and ENG shooting styles, this lens quickly became one of our favorites for documentary-style filming. The lens features optics designed to resolve 4K imagery and an 11-blade aperture for controlling highlights and creating extremely pleasing bokeh effects. It also features manual iris, zoom and focus control, with a detachable motor for controlling all three parameters. The image quality from the Cine-Servo 17-120 mm was some of the best we’ve seen from Canon, which is saying quite a lot. The zoom length on this lens is ideal for shooting in documentary setups, and the images it produced were detailed and beautiful from edge to edge. Having a lens that maintains a constant T2.95 aperture across most of the zoom range meant we were able enjoy very shallow depth of field, even while shooting run-and-gun. The T2.95 aperture holds between 17-91mm, but ramps down to T3.9 between 92-120mm. Not a huge deal, but on an investment like this it’s something to be aware of. One final aspect to note about the Cine-Servo 17-120 mm is the fact that, as a cinema-quality lens featuring full servo control, it weighs in at 6.4 pounds. It’s not overwhelmingly heavy, but it has enough heft that cinematographers will need a rail-mounted lens support system to accommodate the weight safely. Producers already used to ENG and higher-end filmmaking will likely be used to these kind of considerations, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re coming from a smaller form factor shooting style.
Compact-Servo 18-80 mm
The next lens we had a chance to test was the Compact-Servo 18-80 mm. At just over 2.5 pounds, the Compact-Servo 18-80 mm is an extremely lightweight option for run-and-gun shooting. It also features manual focus, zoom and iris controls rings, as well as a built-in servo for quick and accurate zoom control.
Like other lenses in the Canon Cine line, the images coming off the Compact-Servo 18-80mm were first rate, especially when filming at 4K. At a constant T4.4 across the entire zoom range, it wasn’t the fastest glass we’ve ever seen, but what it lacked in light gathering abilities it more than made up for with its three distinct image stabilization modes built directly into the lens. On a lens designed for this kind of shooting stabilization can be an absolute life saver, and it’s this feature that really sets the Compact-Servo 18-80mm apart from other lenses in its range. Available exclusively in an EF mount configuration, this lens seems custom designed to be paired with a Canon C100 or C300 EOS Cinema cameras. Its parfocal design allows focus to be set and maintained across the zoom range, and we detected little-to-no lens breathing when pulling focus. The Compact-Servo 18-80mm zoom range was ideal for shooting in a wide variety of scenarios, and the lightweight form factor allowed us to film with the slightly heavier C700 in a shoulder-mounted configuration for hours at a time.
Cine-Servo 50-1,000 mm
The final lens we had the chance to try out during our tests was the Canon Cine-Servo 50-1,000 mm T5.0-8.9. A premium lens in every sense of the word, it produced some astounding imagery, boasting cinema performance with a 20x range. In fact, the 1,000 mm maximum focal distance can be quickly boosted to 1,500 mm by engaging the 1.5x extender switch, which only knocks down the light-gathering abilities of the lens by a single stop. The servo motors on the Cine-Servo 50-1,000 mm are extremely powerful, which is an important feature on a lens this epic in scale. The motor control unit also allows for extensive customization, letting users adjust variables like focus, iris and zoom speeds and positions. While Canon is advertising this lens as capable of shooting in a shoulder-mounted configuration, it’s hard to imagine the Hercules that would be able to pull that off for any length of time.
Simply put, this is a heavy-duty lens that will require serious support to get the most out of it. Of course, what matters at the end of the day is the quality of the images produced by this lens, and after spending some time pushing this lens we’re confident that the Cine-Servo 50-1,000 mm is one of the best lenses in this class that we’ve ever tested. For churches looking to capture cinematic imagery in a large-venue live event setting there will be very few lenses that can stand up next to this one.
