The UHD-DIGISUPER 66 is our first 4K compatible medium telephoto broadcast lens, delivering 66x magnification and the operability of a 2/3” HD field lens, all with 4K performance. The lens has a telephoto end focal length of 600mm (1200mm when using the built-in 2x extender), making it ideal for shooting live sports, nature, concerts, live events and other applications where focal length on the telephoto end is prioritized.
The UHD-DIGISUPER 66 broadcast lens achieves 4K optical performance while providing higher magnification than our XJ60x9B HD lens. Our exclusive optical design technology helps ensure consistent 4K resolving power and high contrast from the center of the screen to the periphery. The use of a new floating inner focus system helps minimize focus aberrations and further improves resolving power at the periphery of the screen.
The lens also features a combination of specialized materials, contemporary optical design and multi-layer coatings to produce outstanding 4K imagery, effectively deriving the potential of 4K cameras and expanding possibilities for image expression. The design strategies and optical materials were utilized to help lower the monochromatic and the chromatic optical aberrations to a level consistent with the highest quality 4K portrayal on large screens.
Fluorite and UD glass have been generously utilized and optimally arranged for better correction of chromatic aberrations. This increases image clarity with less color bleeding or coloring around the outlines, achieving superb color reproduction to the edges of the images.
The lens coating helps to control the reflection on the lens barrel’s inner surface, helping suppress ghosting and flaring, resulting in HDR-compatible high-contrast images.
4K optical performance is maintained when the 2x extender is deployed.
When shooting in demanding 4K, even the slightest vibration can affect image quality. Canon’s optical and servo technologies are employed to help ensure 4K performance even when using Image Stabilization (IS). The UHD-DIGISUPER 66 broadcast lens is able to achieve high vibration reduction rates in higher frequency bands (with excellent performance at the telephoto end) and stable operation even when panning.
This function brings changes in angle of view due to focusing (“breathing”) down to near zero. It functions by counteracting the zoom effect by the focus group movement to cancel out the effect on the angle of view.
Great consideration was given to the requisite precision mounting of all optical elements required to maintain full 4K performance over the extended focal range of the UHD-DIGISUPER 66 broadcast lens. Maintaining precision focus tracking over that long zoom rage was a central design priority. Digital servo speed has been optimized to meet the many operational requirements that support creative coverage of sporting events. Advanced, contemporary optomechanical design strategies were used to produce an overall lens size that contributes to its operational ease.
The UHD-DIGISUPER 66 broadcast lens utilizes the same standard controllers for zoom and focus operations that have been optimized over decades of Canon HDTV field lens developments. The lens also uses the standard Canon 20-pin connector that provides an interface for the digital precision positional information of the zoom, focus, and iris operations required by many external virtual systems. The positional data is internally created by high precision digital encoders.
The UHD-DIGISUPER 66 broadcast lens offers similar mobility and shooting style similar to our DIGISUPER 60 xs (XJ60x9B) 2/3” HD lens, while keeping the improvements in magnification and 4K performance.