Canon Inc. celebrates the tenth anniversary of its Cinema EOS System of professional digital cinema camera and lens products for the film and visual production industries. Since its debut, professional filmmakers around the world have sung praises for the company’s line of products.
In 2011, both film-analog and digital equipment were being used together in the cinema production industry. With digitalisation, digital cameras equipped with Super 35mm equivalent large-format sensors have become the mainstay of the industry. With this growing culture, Canon leveraged its visual technologies, including the optical technologies cultivated since its founding, and launched its Cinema EOS System, and made its entry into the cinema production industry.
When developing such equipment as cameras and lenses for the cinema production market, it’s essential to have assistance from professionals in the field who use the equipment. From the release of its first digital cinema cameras (EOS C300 / EOS C300 PL) and lenses (CN E14.5-60mm T 2.6 L S / CN-E14.5-60mm T 2.6 L SP) in January 2012, Canon has always listened to feedback about performance, ease-of-use and recording styles from experts on the front lines of cinema production. The company has always strived to develop products with designs and intuitive ergonomics that enable the shooting styles and visual expression demanded by professionals.
Ever since Canon has continued to expand the boundaries of visual expression and pursue the development of devices with ever-evolving technology. The company’s first Cinema EOS camera, the EOS C300, which is equipped with a CMOS sensor that realizes video reproduction comparable to 35mm film, was awarded a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award from The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) in 2012. What’s more, the company has been honored for its cinema lenses, having received another Technology and Engineering Emmy award in 2017 for its 4K cinema lenses that have earned high praise from the market for their excellent optical performance.
Widely used is an understatement to the cinema, film, television industry use of Canon’s Cinema EOS System. The EOS C300 Mark II (released in September 2015) digital cinema camera and eight cinema lenses were used in the filming of the 2018 Academy Award-winning documentary Free Solo. The System was also honored at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020, where the winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography, ACASĂ, MY HOME, was filmed with the EOS C300 and EOS C100 Mark II (released in December 2014).
The Cinema EOS System product lineup
Launched in 2011, Canon’s Cinema EOS System leverages the company’s strengths— including the ability to develop and manufacture in-house such key devices as CMOS sensors, visual processing platforms, and interchangeable lenses. Today, the System’s expansive lineup comprises 13 digital cinema cameras and 30 cinema lenses1. In addition to digital cinema cameras and lenses, the System is compatible with the company’s EOS Series RF and EF lenses, thus helping to support a diverse range of visual expression for creators everywhere.