2 new Canon lenses 50/1.2 & 70-200/4

[Andy]

Canon is please to announce the release of its new L-series standard prime lens: the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM. Sharing the widest aperture of any lens in Canon’s current EF range, the new model offers extremely fine control over depth of field and consummate low available light performance.

It is expected to be popular amongst wedding and portrait photographers, as well as professional photojournalists. Endowed with Canon’s latest AF technologies, the lens embodies the brand’s reputation for superior response high-speed auto focus, while a circular aperture produces beautifully even background blur.

The EF 50mm f/1.2L USM features:
· Latest Ultrasonic Motor (USM) for fast and near silent auto focus
· Full-time manual focus override
· Super Spectra coatings and optimised lens element shaping to suppress flare and ghosting
· Environmental seals providing dust and moisture resistance
· Circular aperture diaphragm for beautifully even background bokeh and ‘removal’ of distracting backgrounds
· Distance information passed back to the new E-TTL II flash algorithm of all current model digital EOS cameras
· Minimum focus distance 45cm
· Lens hood and pouch included in the box.


Low light shooting
At f/1.2, the lens shares the maximum aperture of any lens in Canon’s current range. As such, it is ideal for shooting indoors using available light – a typical requirement of photojournalists and wedding photographers not wishing to disturb or influence a scene with flash.


Fast auto focus
Canon’s latest Ring-type Ultrasonic Motor USM (USM), high speed CPU and improved AF algorithms, combine to ensure rapid, highly responsive auto focus. Canon’s Ring-type USM holds the lens with precision and accuracy, the instant it arrives at the correct focus and without overshoot, and features full-time manual focus override.

Portrait photography
The combination of an almost circular aperture diaphragm for attractive bokeh (evenly graduated blurring of out-of-focus areas) and the extremely narrow depth of field at its widest aperture combine to make this an ideal portraiture and studio lens. The f/1.2 aperture can be used to bring tension to a shot by keeping the focus sharp on the subject’s eyes while blurring other facial features.

L-series construction
The L-series is Canon’s elite professional lens range, designed and built to meet the needs of the most demanding professional photographers. To match the weather resistance afforded by EOS-1 series camera bodies, seals and gaskets and a lens mount O-ring prevent the ingress of dust and moisture to keep pros shooting in inclement conditions.

Aspheric element
To combat the softening caused by spherical aberration in conventional wide aperture lenses, a large aspherical lens element with precise variable curvature is incorporated into the 8 lens, 6 group construction. The aspheric element ensures high sharpness and contrast throughout the focus and aperture range.

Super Spectra coatings
In addition to optimised lens shapings to reduce reflections and the use of anti-reflective material inside the lens barrel, the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM employs Canon’s patented Super Spectra lens element coatings. These suppress flare and ghosting – more prone to occur with digital cameras due to reflection off the image sensor. By increasing light absorption, coatings reduce reflections off lens element surfaces to deliver crisp, undistorted images with natural colour balance.

E-TTL II flash integration
The EF 50mm f/1.2L USM transmits distance information to the E-TTL II flash system of all current model digital EOS cameras, improving flash exposure metering when used in conjunction with Canon’s range of EX Speedlite flash units.
Accessories and the environment
The EF 50mm f/1.2L USM comes with a cylindrical lens hood and lens pouch.

[Andy]

Canon today announces the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM, Canon’s first interchangeable lens with 4 stop Image Stabilizer. This allows hand held photography with no perceptible image blur at shutter speeds up to 4 steps slower than otherwise possible – ideal for low light shooting without tripod or flash.

Dust and moisture resistant, compact, manoeuvrable, and incorporating Canon’s finest standards of precision optics, Canon’s latest professional L-series lens is expected to be popular for travel, expedition and wildlife assignments where there is a requirement to travel light without compromising image quality.

The EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM features
· Compact lightweight body - 760g, 172mm length
· 4 stop Image Stabilizer with 2 modes
· 1 x Fluorite and 2 x UD lens elements for superior optical performance
· Ring type USM auto focus with full time manual override
· Circular aperture diaphragm for even background blur
· Environmental seals for dust and moisture resistance
· Super Spectra coatings to suppress ghosting and flare
· 1.2m minimum focus distance
· Lens hood and soft pouch


The EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM offers a lightweight alternative to the renowned EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, complementing Canon’s other professional L-series lightweight zooms such as the EF 17-40 f/4L USM and EF 24-105L IS USM. f/4L lenses are designed for professional photographers requiring a light zoom lens with a fixed aperture throughout the zoom range. The lens adds Canon’s proven Image Stabilizer technology to the popular EF 70-200mm f/4L USM while maintaining that lens’ compact size.

Image Stabilizer
4 step Image Stabilizer (IS) extends low light options to previously unimaginable levels. Photographers normally shooting handheld at 1/250 sec can switch on IS to obtain a similarly steady and blur-free result with a shutter speed of just 1/15 second.

IS reduces dramatically the image blur caused by camera shake. Gyro sensors detect unwanted vibrations, triggering the corresponding movement of a correcting lens group perpendicular to the optical axis. This alters the light path, returning the image to its correct position on the sensor or film plane.

For shooting immobile subjects, Mode 1 corrects for movement in the image along both the horizontal and vertical axes. For shooting while panning horizontally to follow a moving subject, Mode 2 turns off vertical correction and prevents the effect of dragging the subject back through the frame.

IS switches off automatically when the camera is mounted on a tripod, thus preventing feedback loops between the IS sensor and internal motor vibrations.


Superb auto-focus
The lens’ Ring-type USM employs ultra-sonic frequency vibrations to drive auto focus with unrivalled speed and near-silent operation. A powerful CPU and improved AF algorithm contribute to speed performance. Good holding torque stops the lens with precision and accuracy, the instant it arrives at the correct focus point and without overshoot. Photographers can switch to manual focus instantly and at any time simply by moving the manual focus ring without first having to switch out of auto focus mode.
f/4 from 70 to 200mm

The EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM offers the highest possible optical quality with no change in aperture over the full focal range of the lens. This allows photographers to set exposure at the widest aperture and zoom all the way through to 200mm without having to decrease shutter speed. Lens length does not alter during zooming and the front lens element does not rotate during zooming or focusing. The lens employs an almost perfectly circular barrel aperture, helping create attractive, even background blur.
Image quality

A newly designed optical system limits lens size and improves image clarity over the total image area. 1 x Fluorite element and 2 x Ultra-Low Dispersion glass elements are used to eliminate the secondary chromatic aberrations that otherwise reduce sharpness and introduce colour fringing. By optimising Super Spectra lens coatings and lens element shaping, Canon’s engineers have been effective in suppressing flare and ghosting – more prone to occur with digital cameras due to reflection off the image sensor. By increasing light absorption, coatings reduce reflections off lens element surfaces to deliver crisp, undistorted images with natural colour balance.

EOS system integration
The EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM includes distance metering information, providing compatibility with the E-TTL II flash system of late model cameras such as the EOS-1D Mark II, EOS-1Ds Mark II, EOS 5D and EOS 400D. When used in conjunction with Canon’s range of EX Speedlite flash units, the lens passes distance information to the flash algorithm for markedly improved flash exposure metering. To match the weather resistance afforded by EOS-1 pro camera bodies, an O-ring seals the lens against the lens mount to prevent the ingress of dust and moisture.

AF Mode and IS switches have been reshaped, making them less susceptible to being engaged or disengaged accidentally.
The EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM comes with a lens hood and lens pouch.

[miketoll]

I wish they had brought out a new 100-400 L IS and a new 100mm macro with IS. My wife will be glad they have not!

[Gidders]

Originally Posted by Andy

Canon today announces the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM

Anybody seen anything on indicative pricing?

[miketoll]

Originally Posted by Gidders

Anybody seen anything on indicative pricing?

Only seen an indication of American prices; 70-200 L IS $1250, 501.2 L $1600

[sassan]

Just about the time for both lenses especially the 50mm 1.2 that on most bodies gives an equivalent of 80mm just the right one for portraits etc.

I wish they could come out with an IS version of Bigma 50-500mm in L series.

Also the price of f/4 70-200mm, if correct as stated, is a bit high IMO as it would make more sense to be close or just under the f/2.8 non IS cousin.

What I am just wondering for not only Canon, but Nikon and VR lenses, is what would their response be toward the very smart approach of Sony in keeping IS / VR inside the body, therefore making any lens IS capable, as put on the new married Sony-body, Minolta-Lens digital SLR, "Alpha A-100 DSLR"

[miketoll]

Originally Posted by sassan

Just about the time for both lenses especially the 50mm 1.2 that on most bodies gives an equivalent of 80mm just the right one for portraits etc.

I wish they could come out with an IS version of Bigma 50-500mm in L series.

Also the price of f/4 70-200mm, if correct as stated, is a bit high IMO as it would make more sense to be close or just under the f/2.8 non IS cousin.

What I am just wondering for not only Canon, but Nikon and VR lenses, is what would their response be toward the very smart approach of Sony in keeping IS / VR inside the body, therefore making any lens IS capable, as put on the new married Sony-body, Minolta-Lens digital SLR, "Alpha A-100 DSLR"

The prices are American RRP and no doubt real world prices will be a fair bit lower. I wonder what the UK prices will be though I am not interested in either.
Canon argue that IS in the lens works better rather like the motor in the lens rather than the body for autofocus. The new 70-200 claims 4 stops! However it does make things expensive buying IS for every lens and I think most consumers would prefer body IS. Reckon Canon did not think of it first and then develop it so are a long way down the lens IS route, maybe they will have to drop the price of IS eventually.

[Andy]

The Canon press release to us had the prices in £ but I neglected to post it, a day later we got an apology from Canon saying they gave the wrong price for one of the lenses.

Unfortunately it's all been deleted from outlook now

This what we received initially, but one is wrong... i don't know which. You can tell something is amiss by the EU prices, which may be correct and the £ conversion for 70-200 is wrong.
EF 70-200mm is available from September and will be priced around £689.99 (€1429.99) RRP inc VAT
EF 50mm is available from and will be priced around £1149.99 (€1669.99) RRP inc VAT

[sassan]

They seem to be a lot cheaper in USA. Same numbers Andy has mentioned only $ instead of Euro.
My main question regarding 50mm1.2 is that would you really like to have a lens that in a 15 degree turned head, on of the two eyes would be out of focus?