MELVILLE, N.Y., April 15, 2026, 14:51 EDT.
- Canon introduced the CINE-SERVO 40-1200mm T5.0-10.8 lens and a firmware package for the EOS C400, C80, C70, C50 and R5 C ahead of NAB 2026.
- The lens is due in September 2026 at an estimated $79,999, while the firmware updates are slated for summer and will be shown at NAB in Las Vegas from April 19 to 22.
Canon on Wednesday unveiled what it said is the world’s longest focal-length servo zoom lens compatible with large-format sensor cameras, launching a $79,999 CINE-SERVO 40-1200mm T5.0-10.8 and a fresh round of Cinema EOS firmware updates ahead of NAB 2026. The lens is due in September, while the updates for the EOS C400, C80, C70, C50 and R5 C are slated for summer.
The timing matters because NAB Show opens in Las Vegas on April 18 and its exhibit floor runs April 19-22, when camera and broadcast suppliers make their main case to production crews and rental houses. Canon said the new lens and firmware are aimed at wildlife, sports, live events and other high-end work.
The new lens replaces Canon’s 50-1000mm model, a servo zoom — a motor-driven lens common in live TV and documentary work. Canon stretched the range to 40-1200mm, and a built-in 1.5x extender takes it to 1800mm while letting the lens cover full-frame sensors; the company will sell RF and PL versions.
Canon and trade outlets said the new model keeps roughly the same size and weight as the old one, so crews can stay with existing rigs and housings, and a new USB-C drive unit handles faster zoom and setup changes. There is a trade-off: PetaPixel reported the lens stays at T5 until 560mm before falling to T10.8 at full reach, meaning less light reaches the sensor when operators zoom all the way in.
On the camera side, the EOS C400 is getting Auto Exposure Ramping Compensation, which offsets the brightness drop that can happen when a variable-aperture zoom moves through its range. Canon also said the EOS C400, C80 and C50 will gain new USB control protocols for remote start/stop, iris, shutter, ISO and focus, while SRT, or Secure Reliable Transport, streams will automatically reconnect if a feed drops and selected models get a leveling display.
Erik Naso, an 18-time Emmy-winning director of photography writing for Newsshooter, called USB-C gimbal control “one of the most interesting new features” in the update package. He wrote that it lets operators change record start/stop, iris, shutter, ISO and focus from the gimbal itself. Newsshooter
Canon is not alone in using NAB to make its case. Sony said on Wednesday it would use the show to highlight new system cameras, virtual-production tools and firmware updates, while Fujifilm is bringing a new range of broadcast zoom lenses to NAB, showing how vendors are focusing on live-production and sports workflows.
But the market for Canon’s new lens will be narrow. At $79,999 and with a slower aperture at the long end than the 50-1000mm it succeeds, the 40-1200mm is likely to appeal mainly to broadcasters, rental houses and specialist wildlife crews, while buyers will not get the firmware until summer.
Canon said the lens and firmware will be shown at its NAB booth during the show’s April 19-22 exhibit run in Las Vegas. The software is due first in summer and the lens later in September, spacing the release calendar beyond the trade show itself.
