Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Lens

by Geoff 07 Oct 0 Comments

Canon 800mm 5.6L IS USM Lens

This professional lens has one fluorite element and two UD glass elements which provide very high resolution and high image contrast. The lens is ideal for sports and wildlife photography. It is one of the longest lenses available.

The lens is resistant to dust and moisture and provides Image Stabilization (IS) technology to allow the use of shutter speeds up to four times slower than normal, with no perceptible increase in image blur. Automatic panning detection turns off the IS in either the horizontal or vertical direction when following moving subjects.

For optimum visual performance, the lens incorporates four types of special optical elements: aspherical elements to correct spherical aberrations, and Fluorite, UD (ultra-low dispersion) and Super UD elements to eliminate secondary chromatic aberrations. The result is crisp, high-contrast and undistorted image quality, all the way to the edge of the frame.

A ring type ultrasonic motor drives the autofocus extremely quickly, and in near silence. A virtually circular aperture diaphragm gives out of focus regions a softer, more uniform feel. Sharp foreground objects stand out against a smooth blurred background.

The Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM autofocus Lens is currently Canon’s longest telephoto lens, and an excellent choice for any long distance application, e.g. outdoor sports, wildlife, news photojournalism. Even though it has a long 800mm focal length, the magnesium alloy used in the construction for this lens makes it lighter then the 600mm f/4L lens, weighing in at less than 10 lbs (4.5kg).

For optimum performance, the lens incorporates four types of special optical elements: aspherical elements to correct spherical aberrations, and refracting Fluorite, UD and Super UD (ultra low dispersion) elements to eliminate chromatic aberrations.

In my opinion this would have to be close to the ultimate lens for difficult subjects such as small birds, however a lens such as this is very difficult to handle  and I would almost consider it essential to use a very sturdy tripod and also a gimbal head to get the best results from the lens.

Can0n have a very large range of super telephoto lenses  and the choice can be difficult depending on what your requirements are.

  • EF 300mm f/4L IS USM Lens - An excellent compact telephoto for travelling sports and wildlife.
  • EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens - An exceptionally good general purpose lens for low light photography.
  • EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens – A compact and light f/4 lens for nature and sports where a low aperture is not required.
  • EF 400mm f/4L DO IS USM Lens - A great sports and nature photography lens.
  • EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens – This lens is the ultimate low aperture F/2.8 lens for nature and sports.
  • EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens - A superb lens for both nature (birds) and sports photography.
  • EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens – Superb super telophoto for sports and small birds.
  • EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Lens - The ultimate long super telephoto for sports and small birds.
The most difficult of these lenses to handle are the 400mm f/2.8, the 600mm f/4 and the 800mm f/5.6, the reason being the weight and size of these lenses. It may be a good idea to rent one of these lenses before buying to confirm that it meets your needs before buying.

There are many images on Flickr which have been captured with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens.

Specifications

  • Focal Length, 800 mm,
  • Aperture Maximum, f/5.6,
  • Minimum, f/32,
  • Camera Mount Type, Canon EF,
  • Format Compatibility 35mm Film for full frame digital sensor,
  • Also suitable for Canon APS-C sensors,
  • Angle of View, 3.5°,
  • Minimum Focus Distance, 19.7′, 6 metres,
  • Magnification, 0.14 times,
  • Maximum Reproduction Ratio, 1:7.14,
  • 14 Groups, 18 elements,
  • 8 Diaphragm Blades,
  • Super Spectra coatings for color balance and high contrast,
  • Magnesium alloy construction,
  • Full time manual focus override,
  • AF Stop function shuts off autofocus when obstruction appears,
  • Two stage image stabilization with dual axis camera shake correction or vertical axis only (for panning),
  • Focus preset function,
  • Circular aperture for attractive background defocus,
  • Image Stabilization, Yes,
  • Autofocus, Yes,
  • Tripod Collar, Yes,
  • Filter Thread, 52 mm,
  • Dimensions (DxL), 6.4 x 18.1 inches, 16.26 x 45.97 cm,
  • Weight, 9.9 lb, 4.49 kg,

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