Canon’s XJ22x7.3B IE-D HDTV Lenses Provide Superior “Box Lens” Performance in a Compact Size Scaled for Portable HD Cameras Configured for Studio Use

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 7, 2007 – Students who choose to enter the broadcasting program at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) benefit not only from the school’s forward-thinking curriculum, but also from its up-to-date television facilities, which now includes three new Canon DIGISUPER 22xs Compact Studio HD lenses. As a whole new class of lens originally innovated by Canon, the DIGISUPER 22xs (model XJ22x7.3B IE-D) provides superior “box lens” optical performance in a compact size scaled appropriately to portable HD cameras. Canon's Compact Studio HD Lens is a cost-effective solution for colleges, corporate producers, and television and cable facilities that enables them to upgrade their studios for HD program production by using cost-effective portable HD cameras configured for studio operation.

“Having a cutting-edge facility is part of a mindset that enables students to constantly look ahead because the broadcast business changes daily,” says Randy Ray, assistant director of broadcasting for West Texas A&M University. “Canon helps us to embody that reality because they provide an excellent product and excellent educational support. I believe that they are a company that is also looking ahead.”

Ray and his colleague, WTAMU Director of Broadcasting Dr. Leigh Browning, specified Canon’s DIGISUPER 22xs Compact Studio HD lenses shortly after the completion of the school’s new Sybill B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex. A large and comprehensive facility, the complex surrounds its 16:9 TV production set with a master control room, four audio production suites, five edit suites and a radio station. The environment is tapeless, HD-ready, and reflects the increasing trend of production facilities employing portable cameras in a studio situation.

“I expect this trend to continue to grow,” says Ray, who explains that the Canon DIGISUPER 22xs Compact Studio HD lenses are mounted on Sony portable cameras. “HD technology is getting smaller, but we get beautiful pictures from this configuration, which saves both space and money.”

The DIGISUPER 22xs Compact Studio HD Lens is a high-end optical system squarely based upon Canon's classic studio lens design principles, but carefully constrained to a physical size and weight (13.4 lbs.) commensurate with that of contemporary portable production cameras (which typically weigh in at about 15 lbs.). Canon’s DIGISUPER 22xs Compact Studio HD lenses enable users to configure cost-effective, compact HD studio lens/camera packages that can be supported on modest-size pedestals or sturdy tripod systems. This low-weight lens/camera combination is also ideal for robotic system applications.

Although small in size, the DIGISUPER 22xs Compact Studio HD Lens is loaded with Canon technology advantages. For example, unlike other studio lenses that use simple LED indicators for zoom, iris and extender, Canon's exclusive eDrive system – coupled with Canon's exclusive optical encoders – provides lens-status information on an easy-to-read display that delivers unequalled accuracy for such settings as f-stop, focal length, focusing distance and other critical lens parameters.

“When we were in the process of selecting lenses, Lubbock Audio Visual, Inc., our project's equipment provider and design/build contractor, recommended the DIGISUPER 22, saying ‘You can't go wrong if you go with Canon,’ ” Ray notes. “We've been really thrilled with the imagery, we're getting a lot of bang for the buck, and in fact the local TV stations have all visited us to see how we're getting the picture that we do.”

In addition to delivering exceptional image quality, reliability and value, Ray notes that Canon has provided an education-friendly experience that has made the company an invaluable addition on campus. “We spent extra time at NAB when we were preparing to build this facility and I noticed that Canon’s people spent a lot of time with me,” he says. “If they didn’t know the answers to my questions, they were sure to get them for me quickly and they gave us the same treatment as a true broadcast facility. As an educator, that level of commitment is really important to me.”

A center for the training of tomorrow’s broadcasters, WTAMU provides its students with a clear picture of how HD technology makes a difference. “It all comes down to the lenses,” Randy Ray concludes. “I’m getting all I need and from Canon.”

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The company is listed as one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies in America and is on the BusinessWeek list of “Top 100 Brands.” Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2006†, with global revenues of $34.9 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

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†IFI Patent Intelligence, January 11, 2007