Canon K35 25-120mm T2.8 macro zoom explained: the warm vintage look, amber flares, specs, Super 35 coverage, which cameras suit it, and K35 zoom hire in London.
Some lenses are bought for their numbers. The Canon K35 zoom gets hired for its look. It's a 1970s cine zoom from Canon's K35 family, and it gives digital sensors something a lot of modern glass has polished away: warm colour, gentle contrast, a creamy fall-off and amber flares that bloom when you point it at a light.
We have one Canon K35 Zoom 25-120mm T2.8 on the shelf at our counter in Stoke Newington, N16. This guide covers where it came from, what it actually looks like, which cameras it suits, what to pair it with, and how to hire it.
Canon's K35 lenses were built in the 1970s for 35mm motion picture cameras: a run of fast primes and a handful of zooms. They earned a reputation for flattering skin, soft highlight roll-off and lovely flares, and in the digital era cinematographers went back to them for exactly that reason. Rehoused K35 primes are still very much in demand today.
The 25-120mm T2.8 (Canon's K5x25 designation) is the zoom from that family. It shares the same character, so it cuts well alongside K35-style primes, and it gives you a 5x range in one lens, which is handy on music videos, commercials and documentary days where lens changes cost you the moment.
Specs come from published sources on the lens and our own kit list. Canon also made an optional 2x extender (taking it to roughly 50-240mm), but that isn't part of our kit.
We reckon it's at its best on music videos, fashion and beauty films, period pieces and commercials that want a 1970s feel without a heavy grade.
The K35 zoom is a Super 35 lens, so the short answer is: Super 35 sensors, or a larger sensor in its Super 35 crop mode.
We haven't tested it on a full-frame sensor in full-frame mode, and we wouldn't expect it to cover, so plan on a Super 35 crop. At around 5kg it's a proper studio-style zoom: always use the rods and lens support that come with it, and on a lighter body like the Komodo or FX6, build the camera up on a solid baseplate and tripod rather than a gimbal.
We don't stock K35 primes, but there are good ways to build a kit around the zoom:
Our lens hire page lists every lens with its live day rate, and our guide to lens selection for narrative cinema covers how to think about character glass more broadly.
The Canon K35 Zoom 25-120mm T2.8 is available to hire from our counter at Unit H1, 2 Leswin Place, London N16 7NJ, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. The product page shows the live day and week rates, and you can add it to your kit list there. We only have one, so it's worth booking early if your dates are fixed.
If it's your first hire, please register a production account before ordering. Every hire also earns Spikes, our loyalty points, which you can put towards future kit. Questions about coverage or your camera? Call 020 7898 3322 or email rentals@weareyellowcactus.com and we'll check the fit.
The Canon K35 25-120mm T2.8 is a 1970s cine zoom from Canon's K35 lens family, with a macro mode. It's known for warm colour, low contrast, soft fall-off and amber flares while staying sharp wide open.
No. It's a Super 35 lens with an image circle of roughly 29-31mm. Use it on Super 35 cameras like the ARRI Alexa Mini or RED Komodo, or on a full-frame camera in its Super 35 crop mode.
Ours is PL mount. It fits the Alexa Mini natively, and we hire PL to RF and PL to E-mount adapters for the RED Komodo, V-Raptor X and Sony FX6.
The kit is 1x Canon K35 25-120mm T2.8 in PL mount, 2x 19mm rods and 1x 19mm lens support. It weighs around 5kg, so the support is needed.
Not at the moment. For primes with a similar warm Canon look we hire the TLS Canon FD Extended Prime Set, which pairs well with the K35 zoom.
At Yellow Cactus, Unit H1, 2 Leswin Place, Stoke Newington, London N16 7NJ. Collection is Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, and the product page shows live day and week rates.