Addressing a wide range of users, from HD broadcasters to professional operators, the HDgc series represents a more cost-effective approach to advanced video production.

Previously, only relatively high-end HDTV lenses featured built-in extender. However, the recent arrival of many new lower-cost HD camcorders has created a strong market demand for more affordable HD lenses with built-in extender. This is especially important for journalism and production applications seeking cost-effective HD acquisition systems within limited budgets.

In response, Canon proudly launches the KJ20x8.2B IRSD — a very affordable extender-equipped HDTV lens — that offers newsgathering and production organizations far greater image framing flexibility. The KJ20x8.2B IRSD is Canon's widest (8.2 mm) lens in the affordable 20x class and it's generous range of focal lengths is now augmented with the 2x built-in extender.

Because of its affordability, superior flexibility, and remarkable operational features (detailed below), the KJ20x8.2B IRSD is set to become the next generation's standard HDTV lens.

New design tools, encompassing cutting-edge optical simulation and powerful 3D design technologies, combined with new optical glass materials and new optical coatings produced a novel optimization of the cost-performance ratio of this new lens. The KJ20x8.2B IRSD exhibits a high MTF at picture center that is also well-controlled out to picture extremities. The design optimization maintains that high MTF with operational adjustments of focal length and object distance. Longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberrations have been minimized as well as monochromatic aberrations like coma and astigmatism. Geometric distortion at wide angle settings is imperceptible.

The new optical materials and multilayer optical coatings have effectively attenuated optical artifacts such as ghosting, flare, and veiling glare, that might be stimulated by strong light sources in the scene (for example, sun in daytime and car headlight at nighttime).

Various companies have rolled out cameras with lens aberration correction functions in recent years. For this reason, the KJ20x8.2B IRSD is fitted with a camera-communication interface to support these separate aberration correction functions.*1

The KJ20x8.2B IRSD's zoom can travel end to end in 1.0 seconds. The servomotor has a noise-suppressing construction to ensure there is no corresponding increase in noise. The drive unit features the same ergonomically designed shape of the KJ20x8.5B KRS and others in the family that users have loved for its handling and grip.

On the newly developed advanced drive unit, the Memo switch, which sets specific zoom positions for the Shuttle Shot function (see right page), has been changed to a push switch. On previous drive units, to memorize the zoom position, the operator had to adjust its position by a volume switch. The memo switch enables more reliable Shuttle Shot setup in the field where more consistent functioning of the controls is required.