MELVILLE, N.Y., April 15, 2026, 14:51 EDT.
- Canon pulled back the curtain on its CINE-SERVO 40-1200mm T5.0-10.8 lens, touting the world’s longest focal length, alongside fresh firmware for the EOS C400, C80, C70, C50, and R5 C, just ahead of NAB 2026.
- Canon’s lens, carrying an estimated price tag of $79,999, is expected to land in September 2026. Firmware updates are set for release this summer, with previews scheduled at NAB in Las Vegas from April 19 to 22.
Canon pulled back the curtain Wednesday on what it calls the world’s longest focal-length servo zoom for large-format sensor cameras, rolling out the $79,999 CINE-SERVO 40-1200mm T5.0-10.8. The lens arrives in September. Cinema EOS firmware updates are also coming, targeting the EOS C400, C80, C70, C50 and R5 C—those are set for summer release, just ahead of NAB 2026.
NAB Show kicks off in Las Vegas on April 18, with the exhibition floor set for April 19-22—prime time for camera and broadcast vendors to pitch their latest gear to crews and rental outfits. Canon described the new lens and firmware as a play for the wildlife, sports, live event, and other high-end markets.
Canon’s latest lens steps in for the outgoing 50-1000mm servo zoom, the kind of motorized glass favored in live broadcast and doc work. Now the reach stretches from 40mm out to 1200mm, and if you flip on the built-in 1.5x extender, it’ll hit 1800mm with support for full-frame sensors. Canon plans to ship both RF and PL mounts.
Canon and various trade publications say the updated model sticks closely to the previous version’s size and weight, letting crews keep their current rigs and housings. A new USB-C drive unit speeds up zoom and setup. There’s a catch, though: PetaPixel notes the lens holds T5 only up to 560mm—beyond that, it drops to T10.8 at its maximum, so operators get less light at the longest zoom.
Canon’s EOS C400 picks up Auto Exposure Ramping Compensation—helpful for dealing with brightness dips when using variable-aperture zooms. The company also confirmed that the EOS C400, C80, and C50 will see expanded USB control options, covering remote start/stop plus iris, shutter, ISO, and focus. SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) streams now reconnect automatically after a drop, and some models will get a leveling display.
Erik Naso, an 18-time Emmy-winning director of photography at Newsshooter, singled out USB-C gimbal control as “one of the most interesting new features” in the update package. Operators can now adjust record start/stop, iris, shutter, ISO, and focus directly from the gimbal, he noted. Newsshooter
Canon isn’t the only one leveraging NAB this year. On Wednesday, Sony announced plans to spotlight fresh system cameras, virtual-production tech, and some firmware upgrades at the show. Fujifilm, too, is set to roll out a lineup of broadcast zoom lenses for NAB, all underscoring a growing vendor push toward live production and sports-centric workflows.
Canon’s new lens targets a pretty specific crowd. Priced at $79,999, the 40-1200mm comes in slower at the long end compared to the 50-1000mm it replaces, so broadcasters, rental companies, and specialist wildlife filmmakers are likely the real audience here. Buyers will have to wait until summer for the firmware, though.
Canon plans to display both the lens and firmware at its NAB booth in Las Vegas during the exhibit’s April 19-22 run. The company expects to roll out the software first, targeting a summer launch, with the lens set to follow in September—pushing the timeline well past the trade show.
