Canon Enhances Industry's Ability to Deliver High Quality HD Content While Lowering Costs of Production

12-Apr-04

Today's demand for HD programming is dramatically increasing in every area of TV and motion picture production. Canon's new products offer the industry the ability to de-liver high quality HD content while lowering production costs. On display at NAB2004 will be thirteen new Canon products, which each maximize the value of a camera by adding a wider array of options to meet individual users needs. The new lenses allow flexibility such as the use of portable cameras in traditional situations, lighter weight ENG/EFP lenses to combat fatigue, and instant recall of past lens digital settings to ensure image consistency. In addition, Canon is introducing its Anamorphic converter, which converts HD cinematography to CinemaScope size automatically. The converter can be used on any lens and decreases a heavy burden in the movie production pro-cess. ìInnovative products, such as the compact studio lens and the anamorphic converter, deliver application specific solutions and expand production possibilities by offering higher levels of choice at lower price points,î said Gordon Tubbs, Assistant Director, Broadcast and Communications Division at Canon U.S.A., Inc, a subsidiary of Canon Inc. ìCanon's offerings at NAB2004 constitute our most comprehensive selection ever and provide the right lens, for the right application, at the right price.î One of the difficulties Cinematographers face today is the challenge in adapting HD cinematography to CinemaScope size. In the past, tactics such as digitally cropping the base image's upper and lower sides have been employed, which can decrease res-olution during the process. Canon provides professionals with a solution for this challenge with its Anamorphic lens converter for the 2/3"" HD format. The Anamorphic converter fits easily between any electronic cinematography prime or zoom lens and camera, making it possible to easily record a CinemaScope size (2.35:1) image with an HD cinematography camera. By providing HD productions with this highly efficient path to full, theater-sized projection, cinematographers can expect significant time and cost savings in movie production. -- Prime Lenses: The new FJs series of HD-EC prime lenses from Canon has been significantly upgraded and expanded from five to six lenses; -- Anamorphic Converter for Cinemascope: With the ACV-235 Anamorphic Converter, Canon makes it possible to easily record a CinemaScope(TM) size (aspect ratio 2.35:1) image with an HD electronic cinematography camera; and -- Zoom Lens: The line of Canon HD-EC zoom lenses has expanded with the affordable yet high quality new HJ8x5.5B KLL-SC model. Many studios that are seeking maximum value are employing portable cameras in traditional ""hard camera"" situations, such as news and episodic production. The new Canon compact lens allows users to deliver image quality that surpasses any portable HD lens or SDTV box-style lens while taking full advantage of portable cameras. In addition, many facilities are seeking an affordable alternative to larger studio lenses. Canon's new compact HD studio lens combines high performance with an economical approach. -- The compact Canon DIGISUPER 22xs lens or XJ22x7.3B IE-D model provides superior optical performance for HDTV or SDTV in an extremely compact box-style design; and -- An affordable option for complimenting Canon's DIGISUPER 25xs lens is the new DIGISUPER 23xs lens, or XJ23x7B IE-D model, which offers high optical performance and an impressive f-1.7 aperture as well as a focal length of 7-161mm. In addition to these new products Canon will display the DIGISUPER 100X lens, or XJ100x9.3B IE-D model, the DIGISUPER 86xs lens and DIGISUPER 75xs lens for field production applications. Camera operators often have to re-shoot the same scene after changing the camera and/or lens position. Canon has integrated its e-IFxs/e-HDxs enhanced digital drive technology across the entire lens line, allowing operators to customize the multiple digital functions of their lenses with a high level of efficiency and precision. At the touch of a button this technology also enables the lens to automatically recall past settings. -- Feature Enhancements for Full Canon Lens Product Line: The well-received and highly advanced e-IFxs/e-HDxs technology is now available on Canon's full line of portable HDTV and SDTV lenses; -- Remote Lenses: The Canon Remote Control Lens Series now includes three new HD lenses, the HJ22ex7.6B ITS lens, HJ17ex7.7B ITS lens, and wide angle HJ11ex4.7B ITS lens; and three new SD broadcast lenses, J22ex7.6B ITS lens, J17ex7.7B ITS lens, and wide angle J11ex4.5B ITS lens; and -- Optical Accessories: Canon's expanded line of new optical converters and attachments for HDTV as well as existing SDTV accessories includes a 1.5x tele-side converter, .8x wide-angle converter, .75x wide-angle attachment, and fish eye attachment. The new ENG/EFP lenses offer additional choices to meet HDTV and SDTV challenges. The new high quality lenses are light in weight and offer telephoto focal lengths for sports production, newsgathering, documentaries, or stabilized helicopter systems. -- Portable HD Lenses: The HJ22ex7.6B lens with e-HDxs technology is the highest-quality tele-portable lens yet from Canon; and -- Portable SD Lenses: Canon's new J35 series of lenses advances the art of portable long lens technology. Canon will also display their full line e-IFxs technology lenses for SD, including the portable J22ex7.6B lens, J17ex7.7B lens, and J11ex4.5B wide-angle lens. Canon will also have on display at NAB2004 its entire line of digital video camcorders, including the XL1s and GL2 digital video camcorders, its network video solutions and Pan/Tilt/Zoom (P/T/Z) system cameras, and full line of projectors. Also on display will be Canon's NU-700N, a turnkey Network Controllable Pan/Tilt/Zoom (P/T/Z) system ideal for broadcasting and professional video applications such as traffic, weather observation and remote city views. For broadcasters in need of a wireless high-bandwidth connection in situations where fiber is cost prohibitive or logistically impossible, Canon offers its Canobeam DT-100 Series, an optical beam communications transceiver. See the full line of Canon products throughout NAB2004 at Booth# SU9649, Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information, please visit www.usa.canon.com.

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