Canon HJ14 – super-wide at its best

Equipment Rental
UK

Canon has set the benchmark with this class-leading HDTV lens. The HJ14 manages to combine a leap in optical performance with a super-wide angle, to create an outstanding piece of kit that’s extremely popular with our clients. In particular, Canon has invested time and effort on the ergonomics of the lens and drive unit, to make sure it feels good and works well in the hands of operators. This lens is the successor to the hugely successful HJ11 wide angle, and in every way it’s superior piece of technology.

The Canon HJ14 provides the widest wide angle in broadcasting, with a focal length of 4.3mm and an angular field of view of 96.3°(2/3, 16:9) at its widest. It presents 14x zoom ratio reaching to 60mm (120mm if the 2x extender is deployed). This capability comes with no diminution to resolution, which remains very high from center to extremities, yet with reduced focus breathing, distortion, ghosting and color aberration achieved both from lens design and through the use of new coating technology.

The HJ14 also features a new drive unit that has built on of a decade’s worth of operator feedback and usage research, development and testing. The design reduces fatigue and makes the lens a cinch to use. It measures 163.5mm x 110.8mm x 247.8mm, and weighs under 2kg.

Steve Snook, Gravity Media’s UK Engineering Manager, says: “I’ve been a big supporter of the outgoing HJ11, which has undoubtedly been the most popular HDTV wide angle lens we’ve ever stocked thanks to its fantastic optical performance and ease of use. The HJ14 leaps ahead of the HJ11, bringing a host of upgrades without sacrificing any of its predecessor’s virtues. It provides the widest angle available for a broadcast lens and sets the standard for equipment in this class. The feedback we get from operators is that the combination of performance and ergonomics make this unit ideal for shoots where high-quality capture matters, but not at the expense of comfort during extended periods of use. It’s equally at home filming live sport as it is studio-based entertainment.”

To speak to one of the team about hiring the Canon HJ14 – or for any other help with your next production – drop us a line on enquiries@gravitymedia.com