MLB All-Star Wrap-up: Canon’s New 4K Portable Zoom Lens Debuts on Fox Sports’ Coverage

Canon’s new CJ45ex13.6B 2/3-in. 4K portable EFP lens made its live-production debut on Tuesday, deployed for coverage of the MLB All-Star Game on one of Fox Sports’ two low-home robotic cameras to cover the pitcher and home plate.

Canon’s new CJ45ex13.6B 2/3-in. 4K portable EFP lens debuted in Fox Sports’ coverage of the MLB All-Star Game.

“The additional 5X of lens along with the shallow backstop depth gave us close to the same image size as we were getting with our longer lens last postseason,” says Brad Cheney, VP, field operations and engineering, Fox Sports. “We’re very excited about what this lens is going to be able to do for us long term on all of our properties. We think this lens is a large step forward for compact zoom lenses, especially with its expanded light capture.”

The CJ45ex13.6B, which started shipping recently, offers high-level 4K optical performance, 45X high zoom ratio (and as far as 1,224 mm with the built-in 2X extender), and faster servo operation in the size of an HD super-telephoto lens. With a wide-angle focal length of 13.6 mm, the extensive focal range allows sports producers to cover a wide range of the field with a single lens.

The new built-in image-stabilization system features higher-frequency vibration suppression and panning operability. A high-performance digital drive unit improves servo performance compared with Canon’s HJ40x-generation lenses and can achieve the full focal-range zoom in 1.2 seconds, aperture range in 1.3 seconds, and focus range in 1.8 seconds. The drive unit also supports virtual systems with three 20-pin connectors and includes a digital information display for easier operation.

For more of SVG’s on-site coverage from Washington D.C., visit the SportsTechLive Blog: On Site at MLB All-Star 2018.