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FULL FRAME

Canon CN-E

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Origin
Japan
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Year
2014
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Lens Type
Spherical
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Squeeze Factor
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Anamorphic Type
FULL FRAME

Canon CN-E

flag
Origin
Japan
calendar-alt
Year
2014
camera-alt
Lens type
Spherical
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Squeeze Factor
crop-alt
Anamorphic Type

About

To create the CN-E's, Canon started with their exceptional still photography prime lenses. They swapped out their 8-blade irises for 11-blade irises, gave them proper cinema housings, and a new recipe of lens coatings that delivers a slightly warmer look than their still photo predecessors.  

They are sharp even wide open, have high contrast, and they flare quite beautifully. With their high performance and relatively low cost, they are still a very popular choice.

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Focal Length
20mm
24mm
35mm
50mm
85mm
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Max Aperture
T1.5
T1.5
T1.5
T1.3
T1.3
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Min. Focus Distance
12"
12"
12"
18"
38"
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Weight
2.6 lbs
2.6 lbs
2.4 lbs
2.4 lbs
2.9 lbs
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Front Diameter
114mm
114mm
114mm
114mm
114mm

Stats

File
TIFF
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Bokeh Chart
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Projection Tests

Focal Length
20mm
24mm
35mm
50mm
85mm
WFO Center
200
200
200
200
140
WFO Field
100
70
35
100
100
T2.8 Center
200
200
200
200
200
T2.8 Field
100
70
35
100
140
Contrast Average
Medium
Medium
Medium
Medium
Medium
Focal Length
20mm
24mm
35mm
50mm
85mm
Notes

Moderate SA throughout. Center cleans up around T2.8.

Moderate SA, CA throughout. Center cleans up around T2.8.

Significant SA, CA throughout. Cleans up around T4-5.6.

Significant SA, CA throughout. Cleans up around T2.8.

Significant SA, CA throughout. Cleans up around T2.8

Projection Room Notes
ARRI Alexa LF
16x9
No Color Grading
ProRes 422 HQ
ISO - 500
Lighting - Incandescent
ARRI Rec. 709
LF Open Gate 4.5K
No Sharpening
White Balance - 3200K

Test Settings

Mark LaFleur
Lens Test Director, Cinematographer and Owner of Old Fast Glass

Canon CN-Es were ahead of the game when it came to full frame coverage. Their large image circle is thanks to their still photography roots. CN-Es are based on Canon's wonderful, modern, L series autofocus primes. Canon changed the recipe of their coatings, and swapped their original 8-blade irises for 11-blade irises.

They have nice housings with 114mm fronts, and matching gear positions. Their only big downside for me was that they were only offered in EF mount. However Duclos Lenses can convert them to PL for you. Originally their was no fast wide-angle lens in the set, but then Canon added the 20mm T1.5, which rounds out the set nicely.

I think they have a nice look. Sharp and warm, and the flares are pretty nice for modern lenses. Fast, full frame, sharp...they deliver a lot for a very reasonable price.

Brent Barbano
Lens Test Exec. Producer, ShareGrid Co-Founder, Cinematographer

Canon has a long lineage of glass from the K35s, to the FDs and their CN-Es. What I love about the CN-Es is there modern build and functionality but their glass is the same as their L-series stills lenses which almost anyone who has been a photographer or cinematographer is familiar with.

The lack of PL mount as an option is a bit of a bummer but I can understand the reasoning why.

Warmer in skin tones and sharp from edge to edge, the CN-Es are a great entry-to-mid-level lens set that offer a nod to their lineage but represent modern optics of today's cinematography standards.

Matthew Duclos
COO of Duclos Lenses

The Canon CN-E primes, while based on the Canon L-Series glass, do provide a consistent color balance across the range. Their contrast and resolution aren’t quite as consistent as I’d expect considering their price point.

The mechanical build of these lenses is decent but the lack of a PL mount option makes them a bit less attractive. Fortunately the set that we had on-hand for the test was converted to PL mount by Duclos Lenses which made the process much smoother without the need to swap camera mounts.

The widest in the CN-E line, the 14mm does suffer from pretty significant aberrations. But I can overlook that knowing that the 50mm and 85mm are a T1.3! Wide open I did observe a pretty steep drop-off in resolution but overall this gave the CN-E primes a bit of character that was missing in some of the more clinical lens sets.

Christopher Probst, ASC
Cinematographer: Mindhunter

The revolutionary 1970s DNA in the Canon FDs and K-35s carries through Canon lenses to this day and though it has evolved and improved over the subsequent decades, I still see its fingerprints in the more modern CN-E line, which are derived from their L-Series still-lens counterparts.

And though lens manufacturers have had to abandon the use of lead and thorium in their glass types for the newer lenses, the Sumire lenses strive to acknowledge their 70s Aspherical/K-35 lineage, albeit with mixed results, by detuning the lenses in the attempt to induce some aberrations and evoke a more vintage feel.

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