Lights! Camera! Action! Canon Makes Hollywood Debut with Launch of Cinema EOS System

Company’s All-New Cinema Lens Lineup, Video Camcorders and Digital SLR Cameras to Leave No Story Untold

TOKYO, November 4 / HOLLYWOOD, California, November 3, 2011— Canon Inc. today announced Canon’s full-fledged entry into the motion picture production industry with the launch of the Cinema EOS System. Canon’s new professional digital cinematography system spans the lens, digital video camcorder and digital SLR camera product categories.
The Cinema EOS System targets a new area of imaging expression for Canon, building on the company’s 74-year history of innovation and expertise in the field of optical and imaging technology. The company has already earned accolades in the entertainment industry for the EOS 5D Mark II digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, launched in November 2008, which has been used in the production of blockbuster Hollywood motion pictures and hit television programs.
Canon’s new Cinema EOS System, which offers compatibility with Canon’s wide array of high-performance EF lenses, provides cinematographers with a range of unprecedented creative possibilities to ensure that no story is left untold. “As a leading company in digital imaging, Canon’s debut in the film and TV production industry provides a tremendous opportunity to enter into a thriving market,” said Fujio Mitarai, Chairman and CEO, Canon Inc. “Reflecting upon the achievements that Canon EOS Digital SLRs have had in the industry thus far, we are confident the new Cinema EOS series products will bring that success to a whole new level.” With the debut of the Cinema EOS System, Canon today introduced seven new 4K EF Cinema Lenses—four zoom lenses and three single-focal-length models—which complement the company’s current diverse lineup of interchangeable EF lenses for EOS SLR cameras.
The company also announced the launch of the EOS C300/C300 PL interchangeable-lens digital video camcorder, equipped with a Super 35-mm-equivalent CMOS sensor, and a new digital SLR camera currently under development that features a 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor supporting the recording of 4K video. 4K EF Cinema Lens Lineup Canon’s Cinema EOS System makes its Hollywood debut with an all-star cast featuring seven new 4K EF Cinema Lens models: four zoom lenses covering a wide zoom range from 14.5 mm to 300 mm—two models each for EF and PL lens mounts—and three single-focal-length lenses for EF mounts.
All seven new lenses deliver exceptional 4K (4096 x 2160 pixels) optical performance and offer compatibility with Super 35 mm-equivalent sensors. Additionally, the three single-focal-length lenses can be used with cameras equipped with 35 mm full-frame sensors. (See accompanying EF Cinema Lens press release for additional information.) EOS C300/C300 PL Interchangeable-Lens Digital Video Camcorder The Canon EOS C300/C300 PL is an all new digital video camcorder available in two models: the EOS C300, equipped with an EF lens mount for compatibility with the wide array of lenses that make up Canon’s current interchangeable EF lens lineup; and the EOS C300 PL, offering a PL lens mount for use with industry-standard PL lenses.
The camcorder features a Super 35 mm-equivalent approximately 8.29-megapixel CMOS sensor ideally suited for digital cinematography. (See accompanying EOS C300/C300 PL press release.) New Digital SLR Camera with 4K Movie Function (Under Development) Equipped with a 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor and supporting the recording of 4K video* (at a frame rate of 24P, with Motion-JPEG compression), the next-generation digital SLR camera currently under development will enable exceptional image quality for the creation of innovative and expressive images. Additional details, including the product name, specifications and scheduled launch date, have yet to be decided. (See accompanying digital SLR camera press release.)

* Cropped to APS-H-equivalent size (dimensions measuring approximately 80% vertically and horizontally of a 35 mm full-frame sensor) when recording in 4K.

Pixma Pro -1

Canon announced the launch of its new flagship PIXMA Pro series model, the PIXMA PRO-1, the world’s first A3+ printer to feature 12 separate inks. Featuring an EOS-inspired design, the stylish model produces the highest possible print quality in colour and monochrome, perfect for professional and serious amateur photographers, and exceptional levels of productivity make it ideal for studio use and commercial exhibitions.



“The PIXMA PRO-1 is the ultimate A3+ printer for anyone who demands the very best print quality and the longevity that LUCIA pigment inks deliver, or anyone with commercial requirements such as high output productivity, large ink capacity and easy workflow integration.

“Users in professional settings will appreciate the drastic improvements in output performance achieved by the new tubular ink supply, as well as workflow benefits from Ethernet connectivity, automatic ICC profile detection and compatibility with the Adobe Photoshop suite.”

The unique 12-ink system significantly expands colour gamut in most areas and features new Chroma Optimizer for increased black density and uniform glossiness. Five monochrome inks produce professional quality black-and-white prints with excellent detail in shadow and highlight areas, as well as smooth tonal gradation and suppressed graininess. Next-generation LUCIA pigment inks are used for outstanding image permanence, enabling photo-album archival life of more than 200 yearsII.

The PIXMA PRO-1 supports 1200 pixel-per-inch (ppi) input resolution (double compared with previous generations of PIXMA Pros) to reflect the increasing number of pixels available on professional cameras and produce smoother prints with high resolutions of up to 4800 x 2400 dots per inch (dpi). The new Optimum Image Generating (OIG) system analyses the photo colour and precisely calculates the optimum ink combination and volume of ink droplets, which are then accurately placed on the paper by Canon’s FINE print head with 12,288 nozzles.

The OIG system enhances colour reproduction, natural tonal gradations and uniform glossiness in each print mode and media type, to produce print quality so realistic it almost jumps off the page. Smooth tonal gradations in colour and monochrome prints are achieved through 16-bits-per-channel printing capability. The new PIXMA PRO-1 also features three colour modes, including the new Photo Colour print mode which reproduces fresh blues and greens to match people’s memory of colours. Linear Tone mode reproduces colours with a linear tone curve, while the ICC Profiles mode means users can utilise paper-specific colour profiles or create their own for added convenience.

The PIXMA PRO-1 can produce a gallery-quality A3+ print in approximately 2 minutes 55 seconds, down from 7 minutes 55 seconds for the PIXMA Pro9500 MkII. A 2.5x larger ink tank capacity compared with the nearest PIXMA model ensures longer running periods can be maintained between ink changes. Front-opening panels enable easy access to the tanks either side of the main printer body and, for efficiency, the rear tray takes up to 20 sheets of photo paper, while the manual feed slot accepts photo paper up to 356mm (14”) wide and heavier fine art papers.

For saleable prints, real-time droplet volume control stabilises colour and ink density, ensuring consistency of colour output from print to print. Reliability in a commercial environment is assured through the use of features commonly found on large format professional printers, including a mist fan with an air circulation system and a tubular ink supply system separate to the print head for faster print speed. An Ethernet connection ensures the PIXMA PRO-1 can be shared easily over a network enabling multiple device connection for enhanced efficiency.

The PIXMA PRO-1 comes with Easy-PhotoPrint Pro plug-in software which simplifies printer settings and allows batch printing. Support has now also been expanded to the full Adobe Photoshop® family, including Lightroom®III. The printer can also automatically select the correct ICC profile for each Canon paper, and an expanded range of ICC profiles is available for Fine Art papers from well known manufacturers.

Canon’s Colour Management Tool Pro softwareIV supports x-rite colour management tools, including Colour Munki Photo and Colour Munki Design, and enables users to create custom ICC profiles to ensure the optimum output quality. The PIXMA PRO-1 also includes the Ambient Light Correction feature so that users can select the type of lighting under which a print will be displayed. The print colours are then automatically adjusted to ensure the very best colour reproduction under different viewing conditions.

PIXMA PRO-1 Key Features:
• Groundbreaking 12-ink system with exceptional colour gamut
• Chroma Optimizer for uniform glossiness and crisp, sharp blacks
• New LUCIA pigment inks ensure outstanding photo permanence
• New tubular ink supply system for high-speed (A3+ photo in just 2 min 55 sec) and high-capacity ink tanks, ensuring long periods between replacements
• Wide range of media support including 356mm (14”) wide and thick media
• Easy-PhotoPrint Pro plug-in for efficient printing workflow; Ethernet connectivity for sharing