Canon Release New Optics

[Hamish Gill]

Canon have announced a a bunch of new lenses and a pair of extenders

Lightweight, compact and versatile - Canon unveils the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM

London, UK, 26th August 2010 – Canon today announces the latest addition to its renowned L-series of professional lenses, the
EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM, designed to answer growing demand for a high performance zoom lens which offers outstanding mobility and versatility. The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM offers a 4.3x telephoto zoom range of 70-300mm, with a variable aperture of f/4-5.6. The compact (143mm) design also features the build quality that photographers have come to expect from Canon’s acclaimed L-series lenses. With its impressive focal range and travel-friendly size,
the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM is ideally suited to professionals and advanced amateur photographers wishing to capture portraits, nature and action shots in superb detail.

http://www.canon-europe.com/About_U..._f4-5.6L_IS_USM_Press_Release.aspx?source=rss


See everything through different eyes – Canon launches the EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM zoom lens

London, UK, 26 August 2010 – Canon today unveils the world’s first fisheye zoom lens offering both circular and full frame images, thanks to an extreme wide-angle focal range of 8-15mm. Replacing the
EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye, the new EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM is the latest addition to Canon’s L-series range of professional lenses, providing outstanding image quality, constant aperture throughout the zoom range and a robust design for reliable shooting in challenging weather conditions.

http://www.canon-europe.com/About_U...f4L_Fisheye_USM_Press_Release.aspx?source=rss


Outstanding design, exceptional performance – Canon sets new standards with the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM and EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM

London, UK, 26 August 2010 – Canon today enhances its premium L-series with the launch of the new EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM and
EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM – two high quality super-telephoto lenses designed to meet the demands of professional photographers. Offering optical excellence and consistently high performance, the new lenses combine super-telephoto focal lengths, fast aperture and outstanding image quality, providing photographers with reliability and exceptional results.

http://www.canon-europe.com/About_U...f2.8L_IS_II_USM_Press_Release.aspx?source=rss


Extend the reach of your telephoto lens with Canon’s Extender EF 1.4x III and Extender EF 2x III

London, UK, 26th August 2010 – Canon today unveils two lens extenders designed for its L-series range of new super-telephoto lenses. Designed for photojournalists, nature and sports photographers who need to get close to distant and challenging subjects, the Extender EF 1.4x III and Extender EF 2x III increase the focal length of a lens by a factor of 1.4x and 2x respectively while still delivering superb image quality. To ensure the best possible image quality in all shooting conditions, they also combine enhanced environmental protection, redesigned optics and improved data communication between lens and camera.

http://www.canon-europe.com/About_U...ender_EF_2x_III_Press_Release.aspx?source=rss

 

[Tim Pindar]

Thanks - eye candy for the photographer!

I suspect a remortgage might be needed though...

 

[Hamish Gill]

hi, Tim, can i ask for a bit of feedback on this type of thread, if you look on the home page you will see it is an article that links to this thread at the bottom for discussion... do you think this works?
in time i hope to provide a little more info/thoughts on the new products as they are released, but this is baby steps towards the end goal if that makes sence?

and yeah, its the one thing i prefer about canon over nikon... they are much more productive when it comes to lenses....

 

[Tim Pindar]

Well Hamish I'm afraid I'm one of those people that bypasses the home page on sites like this and has a bookmark straight to the "New posts" page:
http://www.realphotographersforum.com/search.php?do=getnew&contenttype=vBForum_Post

which I then just have to refresh to see new posts once it loads. If I want to go anywhere else I can navigate to it. So I didn't even notice the article. However, this is just my practice and others may do things differently. Sorry if your sterling eforts on the homepage are going unnoticed here!

I'm not really used to the concept of an "Article", though it could be very useful, better perhaps than the "sticky thread" used on some forums. However I think the Articles section needs more work so that when there are say 100 articles it will be possible to navigate and find something interesting, other than by using the search facility.

 

[David Crosbie]

ooooh that 70-300 is interesting. I have the 100-400, but its getting a little old, and the push pull zooming is a tad old school. yet a 70-200 isn't enough range for me.

Interesting indeed.

However, they need to hurry up and update the 24-70 F2.8 L lens. Its starting to get very old, and people are screaming out for a new version, potentially with IS added into the mix.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Well Hamish I'm afraid I'm one of those people that bypasses the home page on sites like this and has a bookmark straight to the "New posts" page:
http://www.realphotographersforum.com/search.php?do=getnew&contenttype=vBForum_Post

which I then just have to refresh to see new posts once it loads. If I want to go anywhere else I can navigate to it. So I didn't even notice the article. However, this is just my practice and others may do things differently. Sorry if your sterling eforts on the homepage are going unnoticed here!

I'm not really used to the concept of an "Article", though it could be very useful, better perhaps than the "sticky thread" used on some forums. However I think the Articles section needs more work so that when there are say 100 articles it will be possible to navigate and find something interesting, other than by using the search facility.

thats what the article categories are for... more will be made of that at some point in the future...

i was just saying to greg, it works for both types of users... the type that go to the front page first and the type that will just find the articles as threads

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Further link on the new kit from CPN

http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/yourspace/newsletter/newsletter_august_10.do

 

[Larry Bolch]

ooooh that 70-300 is interesting. I have the 100-400, but its getting a little old, and the push pull zooming is a tad old school. yet a 70-200 isn't enough range for me.

I have the Nikon equivalent and it is one of the most useful lenses I own. It is a f/4.5-5.6. Compared to the monster 70-200mm f/2.8, it is half the weight, one quarter the price and provides an extra 100mm where it is most needed. It is a very popular lens with Nikon shooters and for good reason. I bought it for full frame use, but have also had it on a DX (APS-C) sensor camera with a 1.5x crop making it a really substantial telephoto. The current camera has superb high-ISO performance, so the f/4.5-5.6 speed is not a problem. The sweet-spot is around f/8.0-11, and that is where I mostly shoot it - even in available darkness. A Canon version should be equally versatile and extremely useful.

However, they need to hurry up and update the 24-70 F2.8 L lens. Its starting to get very old, and people are screaming out for a new version, potentially with IS added into the mix.

Nikon has a top-notch 24-70mm f/2.8 but again is is monstrous, heavy and expensive. Instead I opted for the slower, much lighter and more versatile f/3.5-5.6 24-120mm. It is a consumer-level lens, which I mostly shoot at the sweet-spot - around f/8.0 and get highly acceptable results. A new version with a constant f/4.0 has been announced and it is a "gold-ring" - equivalent to a Canon L lens - and I may trade for it, since it is the lens that I use most. It should perform as well wide open as the current lens does at its sweet-spot. With the great high-ISO performance, I just don't need f/2.8.

Before someone jumps in and says, "But with f/2.8 you can blur the background", I can assure you that the difference between f/2.8 and f/4.0 is just not significant. Zoom to 120mm, get close, and the background and most of the subject's face goes to mush if you like that sort of thing. With a full-frame sensor, even shooting at f/8.0-11, the problem is getting enough depth of field, not achieving blur. In the hands of a truly capable photographer, selective focus can be lovely, but I suspect that for most camera buffs, having f/2.8 is more about bragging rights - just using the blur the background for justification. On a practical level for photographers - not camera buffs - one stop does not warrant paying four times the price, when a bit of skill will produce equal results.

 

[Tim Pindar]

Larry, I learn something new with almost every post you write - thanks for this. I must cut and paste the text somewhere so I can find it later.

 

[Larry Bolch]

I am finally at the stage in my life where I can find the time to share some of my experience. Nice to be here.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Bragging rights indeed ... 2.8 allows more light in too don't forget ... I can think of so many times where the light in a church has been so low that I would have had to shoot at an iso that the noise would have been unacceptable had I not had an extra stop..
I don't buy kit for braging rights, I buy them because I feel like they are the right option for the work I do ... I might make choices that others, like your self, don't feel are the right, or nessasary ones, but I can assure you I don't buy things just to brag about them

As for faster lenses still, my 1.2 50mm for eg, I like the effect at wide apetures, the softness of the images works well as part of my style and the type of photos I like to produce...

Again, braging rights are no part of it...
That's not to say there arnt people who have that sorta kit to brag.... But I'm saying this as I don't think it is entirely fair to taint everyone with that aspersion

 

[David Crosbie]

Oh I entirely bought my 24-105 F4 L IS for the purpose of bragging

Not really of course, its just a damn high quality solution to a wide range of photography needs

 

[Tim Pindar]

Oh I entirely bought my 24-105 F4 L IS for the purpose of bragging

Not really of course, its just a damn high quality solution to a wide range of photography needs

I'm very tempted to get one of those. About £600 second hand?

 

[David Crosbie]

yeah.. i recon £600-650 second hand

i had thought about selling mind in favour of the 24-70 f2.8, but its no sharper, its heavier, has smaller range and there are so few times when the extra stop of light is of any consequence to me.

However, with this new 70-300 lens, i could be tempted to change to a 24-70

 

[Tim Pindar]

Let me know if you decide to sell your 24-105, David

 

[David Crosbie]

well... if i can find a really nice 24-70 for about £700