Alan Lewis of Canon USA presents the new Cine-Servo 40-1200mm T5.0-10.8 lens at NAB 2026. This lens maintains the same size and weight as its 50-1000mm predecessor while offering a wider and longer focal range. It is designed for high-end cinema, live production, houses of worship, and nature and wildlife cinematography, featuring Canon’s highest quality optics and coatings for sharp imaging.
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A key feature of the 40-1200mm lens is its built-in 1.5x extender, which increases the maximum focal length to 1800mm. When engaged, the extender also adjusts the image circle to provide full-frame sensor coverage. The lens is available in both PL and RF mounts, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of professional cameras. The optical design results in some light loss, or ramping, when zooming to the telephoto end, with the aperture changing from T5.0 to T10.8.
Paired with the Canon C400 camera, the lens benefits from a new firmware update that introduces auto exposure ramping compensation. This function automatically adjusts the camera’s ISO in real-time as the lens is zoomed, counteracting the natural light loss. This ensures a consistent exposure level throughout the entire zoom range, a significant advantage for live event coverage and documentary work where lighting conditions can be unpredictable.
The lens includes a detachable servo drive unit for motorized zoom control. The drive unit features USB-C power delivery, which, when connected, increases the servo zoom speed. Without USB-C power, the lens racks from full-wide to full-telephoto in 1.5 seconds; with power delivery, this time is reduced to just one second. The servo drive can be removed for manual operation, allowing cinematographers to use traditional follow focus systems.
For precise manual control, the lens offers a 300-degree focus rotation angle. This extensive range allows for very fine and accurate focus adjustments, which is critical for pulling focus on distant subjects, such as in wildlife filming. The Cine-Servo 40-1200mm lens is priced at $80,000 and is scheduled for availability in September.
