Canon develops a system specially designed for virtual studios

The Digital Drive unit together with the HJ14ex4.3B optics offers connection for output of positioning data in virtual studios that facilitate the control and integration of zoom, iris and focus in an automated way. The unit includes connectors for outputting position data to send it to virtual studio systems, allowing you to recompose a virtual set even while moving or zooming, with a truly convincing result for viewers.

Canon has developed a system composed of a 4.3 mm wide-angle lens and a 14x zoom and a digital unit that provides positioning data output, thus facilitating its integration and management of zoom, iris and focus in a virtual studio system. The new HJ14ex4.3B lens together with the so-called Digital Drive unit allows operators to program zoom and speed positions, as well as focus and iris, in virtual stage environments.

The unit also includes connectors for outputting position data to send it to virtual studio systems, allowing you to recompose a virtual set even while moving or zooming, with a truly convincing result for viewers.
This configuration is already being used in some installations, including several cameras with zoom and automated focus that interact with data elements from the rest of the HD camera system and a real-time rendering engine that recreates the different spatial axes with great realism.

The Digital Drive unit incorporates a series of ultra-compact encoders capable of capturing and transmitting a position of 0.1um. These encoders use Micro Roofmirror Array (MRA) technology that provides 16-bit zoom, iris and focus resolution. This provides camera operators with great ability to accurately and repeatably configure their lenses for focus, iris and zoom positions and speeds. In addition to ARM, the new digital unit also includes a connector to output this information to virtual studio systems.