Canon U.S.A. Improves Upon Performance, Operability And Usability With New HJ24ex7.5B Broadcast ENG Lens

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today the launch of the Canon HDTV Zoom Lens HJ24ex7.5Bi, an affordable, high-quality portable telephoto HD lens for high-end Electronic News Gathering (ENG) applications. As the successor to the Canon HJ22ex, one of the market leaders in its class, the new HJ24ex7.5B lens boasts a 24x zoom ratio with the highest magnification and longest focal length in its class*. Improving overall lens mobility and operator comfort, the new lens design decreases both size and weight from its predecessor, and has the balance point closer to the camera body, allowing for easier handling and less operator strain in the field.

“Canon has been a strong player in the broadcast lens category for many years with the HJ22ex,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “With the new HJ24ex7.5B lens, we are able to put forth superb optical performance in a lighter weight package, with improved power consumption and a competitive price point. This lens will help Canon continue its success in the ENG lens space.”

With a 24x zoom ratio, 7.5mm wide-end focal length and 180mm tele-end focal length (360mm with built-in 2x extender) , the Canon HJ24ex7.5B lens has the highest magnification and longest focal length in its class*, providing customers with the great flexibility to compose and acquire their shot, such as when filming local HD news gathering, sports videography, or small production filming. The resolution of the lens has been improved from the center to the periphery of the frame at both short and long distance ranges, to help keep images crisp under all conditions.

The Canon HJ24ex7.5B lens user will immediately feel a difference in the center-of-gravity balance compared to the previous model. With the redesigned layout of optical parts and body structure, combined with a decrease in lens weight - less than four pounds - the balance point of the lens is now closer to the camera body, resulting in improved side-to-side on-shoulder shooting, ideal for cameramen in the field. In addition to the decreased size and weight of the lens, which allows it to be held more easily for longer periods of time, the power consumption when using the zoom, iris and focus controls has been reduced compared to the HJ22ex, allowing for longer shooting time.

The lens also features a new drive unit further enhancing its mobility, system support and operability. The newly developed Digital Drive Unit supports auto lens aberration compensation with compatible camera models with immediate lens positional data output resulting in faster start-up to shooting times. Equipped with three 20-pin connectors this lens is capable of high-definition lens metadata output, even during full-servo operation, for enhanced virtual operability and precision image expression. This simplifies calibration when composing virtual and live-action images, resulting in more accurate composites.

The Canon HJ24ex7.5B lens is scheduled to be available in May 2015. For more information about this lens, and Canon’s line of HDTV lenses, please visit: http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/professional/products/lenses/broadcast_lenses

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean (excluding Mexico) markets. With approximately $31 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2014† and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2014. In 2014, Canon U.S.A. has received the PCMag.com Readers’ Choice Award for Service and Reliability in the digital camera and printer categories for the 11th consecutive year. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. In 2014, the Canon Americas Headquarters secured LEED® Gold certification, a recognition for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of high-performance green buildings. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. For media inquiries, please contact %20pr@cusa.canon.com.

† Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Specifications and availability subject to change without notice.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

* Among portable zoom lenses for 2/3" HD cameras with zoom ratios of 20x or more suitable for ENG-style shooting as of February 18, 2015.

i These devices have not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. These devices are not, and may not be offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.