Canon 24-70mm 2.8L II USM

This new EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is a high quality lens development offering similar performance to prime wide angle lenses.

The lens will offer the best quality available in a zoom lens capable of capturing images with greater flexibility and tonality.

This lens will be excellent when you require the highest image quality and require the convenience of a zoom lens, for example at events where you need to focus and frame very quickly a zoom lens can be indispensable. There is no image stabilisation in this lens. This lens will be excellent for photojournalism, wedding and event photography.

With today’s cameras with  high ISO capability, for general photography a lens with a large aperture of  f/2.8 is often quite adequate for all but really low light photography.

Standard zoom lenses at B&H Photo Video.

Key Features

• Very High Image Quality
• Three aspherical lens elements
• One super UD lens element
• Two UD lens elements
• Four group zoom and inner focus system
• Coating optimization to reduce ghosting
• Optimal colour balance
• High Durability and Reliability
• Dust Proof and Drip proof performance
• Allows for shooting under harsh conditions
• Fluorine coating is applied to the front and back lens surfaces
• Small and light weight design
• Zoom ring lock level to prevent inadvertent activation

Specification

• Focal Length, 24-70mm
• Maximum aperture, f/2.8
• Picture Size, 35mm Full Size
• Filter Diameter, 82mm
• Lens Construction, 18 elements in 13 groups
• Minimum Aperture, f/22
• Closest Focusing Distance, 0.38m
• Focus Drive, Ring USM
• Dimensions, 88.5mm x 113.0mm
• Weight, 805 grams

Accessories (provided with lens)

• Lens Hood, EW-88C
• Lens Case, LP1219
• Lens Dust Cap, E
• Lens Cap, E-82II

Canon 24mm 2.8 IS USM

The Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens is one of the first wide angle prime lenses with a fixed focal length and incorporating Image Stabilisation.

This lens is quite compact and lightweight in design and will offer easy operation and creative flexibility. For easy handling and portability, I really like small prime lenses and this one will be something special where you need to travel light and do not want to use a tripod.

Keep in mind that the image stabilisation in this lens will not help with subject movement, but may be of some assistance to help eliminate image blur due to camera movement.

Canon wide angle lenses from B&H Photo Video.

Key Features

• Image stabilisation provides an equivalent gain to shutter speeds of approximately four f stops
• Short minimum focusing distance of 0.20 metres
• Small ring USM drive
• High speed CPU
• High speed autofocusing
• Full manual focusing function
• Lightweight and compact
• High image quality
• Correction of aberrations caused by lens optics
• Aspherical lens element
• Flare and ghosting are minimized by coatings
• Circular aperture for beautiful bokeh
• Silent Operation
• Optimized USM and IS control for silent focusing

 Specifications

• Focal Length, 24mm
• Maximum aperture, f/2.8
• Picture Size, 35mm Full Size
• Filter Diameter, 58mm
• Lens Construction, 11 elements in 9 groups
• Minimum Aperture, f/22
• Closest Focusing Distance, 0.20m
• Focus Drive, Ring USM
• Dimensions, 68.4mm x 55.7mm
• Weight, 280g

Accessories

• Lens Hood, EW-65B
• Lens Case, LP1014
• Lens Dust Cap, E
• Lens Cap, E-58 II

Canon 28mm 2.8 IS USM Lens

This Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens will be an excellent portable and affordable lens, the EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM is an ideal general purpose wide angle lens for full frame cameras. Also for EF-S cameras it will be an excellent normal focal length lens.

The Canon ultrasonic autofocus motor (USM) provides fast, silent focusing. Full time manual focus override permits fine adjustment without the changing focus modes. This lens will be excellent for travel, landscape and documentary photography due to its small size.

Some of the small fixed focal length lenses are my favourite lenses, due mainly to their compact size and also their exceptional image quality.

Keep in mind that the image stabilisation in this lens will not help with subject movement, but may be of some assistance to help eliminate image blur due to camera movement.

Canon wide angle lenses from B&H Photo Video.

Specification

• 28mm wide angle lens, 45mm equivalent on APS-C sensors
• Maximum aperture, f/2.8
• Minimum aperture, f/22
• Angle of View, 75°
• Minimum Focus Distance, 9″ (22.86 cm)
• Groups/Elements, 7/9
• Diaphragm Blades, 7
• Up to four stop Image Stabilizer
• Ultrasonic autofocus mechanism
• Circular aperture for soft bokeh
• Super Spectra coatings to reduce lens flare
• Close focusing, 0.23 metres
• Weight, 260 grams
• Dimensions, 68.4mm x 51.5mm
• Image Stabilization, Yes
• Autofocus, Yes
• Tripod Collar, No
• Filter Thread, 58 mm
• Distance Information Provided
• Image stabilizer, 4 stops
• AF actuator Ring USM

Accessories

• Lens Hood, EW-65B
• Lens Case, LP1014
• Lens Dust Cap, E
• Lens Cap, E-58 II

Canon EOS 1D X

Canon have just announced that the new EOS-1D X Digital SLR will be available in March 2012. Are they testing our patience? Why announce a camera six months in advance?

The camera is has a 18.1 Megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor which is a little larger than the older 1D Mark IV camera. The sensor is 5,184 x 3,456, with pixels of 6.95 µm and an improved S/N ratio resulting in images with less noise. The imaging sensor has an increased sensitivity by approximately 2 stops over previous models according to the Canon reports.

The camera can operate at speeds of up to 12 fps (RAW + JPEG) and up to 14 fps Super High Speed Mode is possible.

The camera has all new Dual DIGIC 5+ Image Processors and the camera ISO range is 100 – 51,200, up to 204,800 in H2 mode.

There is a new 61-Point High-Density Reticular AF arrangement and a 100,000-pixel RGB Metering Sensor that uses a dedicated DIGIC 4 Image Processor.

The camera provides for HD Video recording with manual exposure control and multiple frame rates, 1080: 30p (29.97) /24p (23.976) / 25p, 720: 60p (59.94) / 50p, 480: 60p (59.94) / 50p).

Shutter durability has reputably been tested for up to 400,000 cycles and the camera has dust and weather resistance.

Dual Card Slots are provided, together with an external interface Gigabit Ethernet terminal.

Specifications

• Digital, AF, AE single lens reflex camera
• Recording Media, Dual CF Cards, Type I or II, Compatible with UDMA 7 CF cards
• Image Format, 24 mm x 36mm, 35 mm Full frame
• Compatible Lenses, Canon EF Lenses
• Lens Mount, Canon EF mount
• Image Sensor, High sensitivity, high-resolution, large single-plate CMOS sensor
• Effective pixels, 18.1 megapixels
• Total Pixels, 19.3 megapixels
• Aspect Ratio, 3:2, Horizontal:Vertical
• Color Filter System, RGB primary color filters
• Low Pass Filter, Fixed position in front of the image sensor
• Dust Deletion Feature
• Self Cleaning Sensor Unit
• Carrier wave type
• Removes dust adhering to the infrared and ultraviolet blocking glass
• Self cleaning executed automatically (taking 1.8 sec.) when power is turned on or off
• Manual execution also possible (taking 5.2 sec.)
• Low pass filter has a fluorine coating.
• Dust Delete Data acquisition and appending
• Coordinates of the dust adhering to the infrared and ultraviolet blocking glass are detected by a test shot and appended to subsequent images
• The dust coordinate data appended to the image is used by the provided software to automatically erase the dust spots
• Manual cleaning
• Recording Format, Design Rule for Camera File System 2.0 and EXIF 2.3
• Image Format
• Still Image: JPEG, RAW (14-bit Canon Original), M-RAW, S-RAW, RAW+JPEG, M-RAW+JPEG, S-RAW+JPEG
• Video: MOV (Image data: H.264; Audio: Linear PCM)
• File Size
• Large: 17.9 Megapixelsm 5184 x 3456
• M1: 14.20 Megapixels, 4608 x 3072
• M2: 8.00 Megapixels, 3456 x 2304
• Small: 4.5 Megapixels, 2592 x 1728
• RAW: 17.90 Megapixels, 5184 x 3456
• M-RAW: 10.10 Megapixels, 3888 x 2592
• S-RAW: 4.50 Megapixels, 2592 x 1728
• Exact file sizes depend on the subject, ISO speed, Picture Style
• Recording Functions
• Standard - Select one of the CF cards to record
• Auto switch card - When the current card becomes full, the camera switches to the other card automatically
• Record separately - The same image is saved to both cards, but in a different size (L, M1, M2, S, RAW, M-RAW, or S-RAW) that was set for the respective card
• Record to multiple - The same image is saved to both cards in the same size (RAW+JPEG also possible)
• File Numbering, Consecutive numbering, auto reset, manual reset
• Possible to create new folders and select folders in the CF card
• RAW + JPEG Simultaneous Recording. The image-recording quality can be selected in any combination of the three RAW and four JPEG recording quality settings
• Color Space, sRGB, Adobe RGB
• Picture Style, Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Defined 1-3
• White Balance
• Settings, Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature setting
• Auto White Balance
• Auto white balance with the image sensor
• Color Temperature Compensation
• Blue/amber bias: ±9 levels
• Magenta/green bias: ±9 levels
• Corrected in reference to the current WB mode’s color temperature
• Viewfinder
• Type, Eye-level pentaprism
• Coverage, Vertical/Horizontal 100%
• Magnification, 0.76x (-1m-1 with 50mm lens at infinity) / 35.0° angle of view
• Eye Point, 20mm (At -1m-1 from eyepiece lens center)
• Dioptric Adjustment Correction, -3.0 to +1.0 m-1 (diopter)
• Focusing Screen, Interchangeable
• Mirror, Quick-return half mirror (transmission: reflectance ratio of 40:60)
• Viewfinder Information
• AF information (AF point, focus confirmation, AF status indicator)
• Exposure information (Metering mode, shooting mode, AE lock, shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO speed (always displayed), exposure level, exposure warning)
• Flash information (Flash ready, high-speed sync, FE lock, flash exposure compensation)
• Image information (White balance correction, highlight-tone priority (D+), maximum burst (2-digit display), CF card information, JPEG/RAW indicator)
• Battery check
• Composition information (Grid, electronic level)
• Depth Of Field Preview, enabled with depth-of-field preview button
• Autofocus, TTL-AREA-SIR AF-dedicated CMOS sensor
• AF Points, 61-point AF, One to five cross-type AF points at f/2.8, 10 to 20 cross-type AF points at f/4, and 15 to 21 cross-type AF points at f/5.6. (The number of cross-type AF points will differ depending on the lens
• Focusing Modes
• Autofocus
• One Shot AF
• Predictive AI Servo AF
• AI Focus, AF (Switches between One-Shot AF and AI SERVO AF automatically)
• Manual focus (MF)
• AF Point Selection
• Single point AF (Manual selection)
• Auto selection 61-point AF
• Single point Spot AF (Manual selection)
• AF point expansion (Manual selection, 4 points: up, down, left, and right)
• AF point expansion (Manual selection, surrounding 8 points)
• Zone AF (Manual zone selection)
• Selected AF Point Display, Indicated by transmissive LCD display in the viewfinder and on the LCD panel
• Active AF Point Indicator
• AF Area and AF Point Selection
• AF Assist Beam, When an external EOS-dedicated Speedlite is attached to the camera, the AF-assist beam from the Speedlite will be emitted when necessary
• Exposure Control
• Metering Modes, 252-zone metering with approx. 100,000-pixel RGB AE sensor and TTL maximum aperture metering employed. The following metering modes selectable
• Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points)
• Partial metering (center, approx. TBA% of viewfinder)
• Spot metering (center, approx. TBA% of viewfinder)
• Center spot metering
• AF point-linked spot metering (Custom Function), Linkable to all AF points, With automatic AF point selection, center spot metering is set
• Multi spot metering
• Center weighted average metering
• Metering Range, EV 0 – EV 20 (at 73°F/23°C with 50mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 100)
• Exposure Control Systems
• Program AE (Shiftable),
• Shutter-priority AE,
• Aperture-priority AE,
• Manual exposure,
• Bulb,
• E-TTL II autoflash program AE
• ISO Speed Range
• Automatically set, ISO 100-51200 (in 1/3-stop or 1-stop increments)
• Basic Zone modes: ISO 100-51200 set automatically
• Extension settable: ISO 50; 102,400 and 204,800
• Exposure Compensation
• Manual: ±5 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
• AEB: ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
• AE Lock
• Auto AE lock, In the One-Shot AF mode with evaluative metering, AE lock takes effect when focus is achieved.
• Manual AE lock, With AE lock button. (AE lock is updated each time you press the button.) Enabled in all metering modes.
• Shutter
• Vertical-travel, mechanical, Electronically-controlled,
• Shutter speed’s control range can be set with a Custom Function.
• Soft-touch electromagnetic release 10-sec. delay, 2-sec. delay
• Vertical-travel, mechanical, Electronically-controlled, focal-plane shutter
• Shutter Speeds, 1/8000 to 1/30 sec., bulb, X-sync at 1/250 sec.
• Shutter Release, Soft-touch electromagnetic release
• Self Timer, 10-sec. delay, 2-sec. delay
• Built in Flash
• FE Lock Provided
• Flash Exposure Compensation, ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
• External Speedlite, EOS Dedicated Speedlite
• E-TTL II autoflash with all EX Series Speedlites
• Zooming to Match Focal Length Provided
• Flash Metering, E-TTL II autoflash
• External Flash Settings
• External Flash Control, Flash mode, sync setting, FEB (not with 270EX II / 270EX), flash exposure compensation, E-TTL II, zoom, wireless master flash, (not with 430EX II / 270EX), and clear settings.
• Flash Custom Function Setting
• PC Terminal, Provided; accepts third-party flash units with sync line voltages up to 250V maximum
• Drive Modes, Single, High-speed continuous, Low-speed continuous, Silent Single Shooting and Self-timer (10-sec. self-timer/remote control, or 2-sec. self-timer/remote control)
• Continuous Shooting Speed
• Super High-speed: Maximum 14 shots/sec.
• High-speed: Maximum 12 shots/sec.
• Low-speed: Maximum 3 shots/sec.
• Live View Functions
• Shooting Modes, Still photo and video recording
• Focusing
• Quick mode (61- Point Phase-difference detection AF)
• Live mode/Face detection Live mode (One-Point Contrast detection AF, switching to another point possible)
• Face detection Live mode (Contrast AF, Face Selectable)
• Manual focusing (5x/10x magnification possible)
• Metering Modes, Real-time Evaluative metering with the image sensor
• Metering Range,Real-time evaluative metering with image sensor:
• Metering range: EV 0 – EV 20 (At 73°F/23°C, 50mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 100)
• Silent Shooting, Provided
• Video Shooting
• File Format, MOV (image data: H.264; audio: Linear PCM)
• Internal monaural microphone
• External stereo microphone jack available
• Recording File Sizes, 1920 x 1080 (Full HD), 1280 x 720 and 640 x 480
• Frame Rates
• [1920 x 1080]: 30 fps / 25 fps / 24 fps
• [1280 x 720]: 60 fps / 50 fps
• [640 x 480]: 30 fps / 25 fps
• Focusing, Same as Live View Shooting
• Exposure Control, Program AE, Manual exposure
• Exposure Compensation, ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
• LCD Monitor, TFT color, liquid-crystal monitor, 3.2-inches,  1.04 million dots, Coverage 100%, Viewing angle: 170°, Brightness Control 7 levels provided
• Playback
• Display Format, Single image, Single image + Image-recording quality/shooting information, histogram, 4- or 9-image index, magnified view (approx. 1.5x-10x), rotated image (auto/manual), image jump (by 10/100 images, index screen, by shooting date, by folder), slide show (all images/selected by date/folder), star rating
• Highlight Alert, With single-image display (Info.) and single-image display, overexposed highlight areas will blink
• Image Protection and Erase Protection
• Erase, Erase a single image, selected images, all images in a folder, all images in a card or erase only unprotected images
• Direct Printing, PictBridge-compatible printers
• Printable Images, RAW and JPEG images complying to Design rule for Camera File System
• Custom Functions, Total 31
• Current camera settings can be registered to C1, C2 and C3 on the Mode Dial (Automatic registration update is possible)
• My Menu Registration, Up to six top-tier menu options and Custom Function settings can be registered
• Power Source, One Battery Pack LP-E4N or LP-E4, AC power can be supplied with the AC Adapter Kit ACK-E4
• Power Saving, Power turns off after the set time (1, 2, 4, 8, 15 or 30 minutes) of non-operation elapses.
• Date/Time Battery, CR2025 lithium battery
• Start-up Time, Approx. 0.1 sec
• Dimensions (W x H x D), 6.2 x 6.4 x 3.3 in. (158 x 163.6 x 82.7 mm)

What You get in the Box

• EOS-1D X Body
• Eyecup, Eg
• Battery Pack, LP-E4N
• Battery Charger, LC-E4N
• Wide Neck Strap, L7
• Cable Protector
• Stereo AV Cable, AVC-DC400ST
• USB Interface Cable, IFC-200U
• EOS Digital Solution Disc
• Software Instruction Manual

Canon 50mm 1.8 II Lens

This Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens is the cheapest lens available, but it performs very well. It is a lightweight lens and very small.

The lens features Gaussian optics that provide very sharp images for the cost of the lens.

This lens, mounted on a compact camera, forms a very neat and small package that performs. The lens is also very good for low light photography.

There are essentially three standard prime lenses for Canon cameras.

• The EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens, this is a cheap standard lens for use in low light.
• EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens, an excellent low light standard lens with an f/1.4 aperture.
• EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens, the ultimate standard focal length low light lens with an aperture of f/1.2.

Even though the EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens is the cheapest of these lenses it is still a great performer.

All of these standard prime lenses are excellent performers in low light situations and can be highly recommended. Because a lens is much cheaper than similar lenses does not mean that it is not a good lens, it may not be as robust as the more expensive lens but the real difference is the largest aperture that can be set.

With most of the latest cameras with high ISO capability a standard lens with an aperture of f.1.8 may be quite adequate for your application and you may not need to go to a far more expensive f/1.4 or f/1.2 aperture lens.

One of the biggest advantages with this type of lens is the shallow depth of field that you can achieve at large apertures of between f/1.2 and f/1.8. A shallow depth of field will give your images a far more professional look and helps to isolate your subject from the background. In some cases it can add a three dimensional feel  to your images.

Also it should be noted that these standard focal length prime lenses have a similar field of view as the field of view of the human eye and some photographers like this focal length for that reason.

There are many images captured with this lens on the Flickr site.

Specifications

• Focal Length,  50 mm,
• Aperture Maximum, f/1.8,
• Aperture Minimum, f/22,
• Camera Mount Type,  Canon EF,
• Format Compatibility,  35mm Film, Full Frame Digital Sensor, Canon APS-C,
• Angle of View,  46°,
• Minimum Focus Distance,  1.5′, 45 cm,
• Magnification,  0.15 times,
• Maximum Reproduction Ratio,  1:6.6,
• 5 Groups, 5 Elements,
• Diaphragm Blades,  5,
• Image Stabilization,  No,
• Autofocus,  Yes,
• Tripod Collar,  No,
• Filter Thread,  52 mm,
• Dimensions (DxL), 2.7 x 1.6″,  6.86 x 4.06 cm,
• Weight,  4.6 oz,  130 grams.

Canon EF 400mm 2.8L IS II USM Lens

This Super Telephoto Lens has an extremely large aperture of f/2.8 to produce exceptional images in low light situations.

This ultra high performance lens is very suitable for sports and wildlife photography. It can be used with both the 1.4x and 2.0x lens extenders with virtually no loss in image quality.With these extenders it can give the following lens combinations;

• 400mm, f/2.8,
• 560mm, f/4.0,
• 800mm, f/5.6.

The lens itself is quite heavy for hand holding and is best used on a monopod or tripod to achieve the best results.

The following super telephoto lenses are available from Canon:

• 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.

My favourite choice of lenses is the 300mm f/4,  400mm f/4,  400mm f/5.6  and the 500mm f/4 depending on the focal length and aperture you require. The reason for my choice is that these lenses are relatively small compared to the larger lenses and far easier to carry around.

However if you do require a very low aperture lens of  f/2.8 this is an excellent choice, but  beware it is very heavy and very large. A tripod or monopod is almost essential for extended usage.

There are many sample images from this lens on the Flickr web site.

Specifications

• Focal Length, 400mm,
• Max Aperture, f/2.8,
• Minimum Aperture, f/32, ½-stop increments,
• Picture Size, 35mm Full size,
• Lens Construction, 16 elements in 12 groups,
• Closest Focusing Distance, 2.7 metres,
• Maximum Magnification, 0.17 times,
• Image Stabilizer effect, 4 stops,
• Dimensions, 163 x 343mm,
• Weight, 3850 grams,
• Fluorite elements to provide correction of chromatic aberrations,
• Magnesium alloy and titanium construction for increased strength and reduction in weight,
• 9 blade circular aperture for beautiful bokeh,
• Lead free glass.

Included accessories

• Lens hood, ET-155 WII,
• Lens Cap, E-180D,
• Lens Case, 400C.

Accessories

• Extender, EF1.4x III,
• Gelatin filter holder, 52 (WII),
• Extender, EF2x III,
• Screw filter holder, (WII),
• Polarizing filter, PL-C52 (WII).

Canon 600mm 4L IS II USM Lens

The Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM professional super telephoto lens is the latest of the 600mm lenses. It has redesigned optics to provide better image quality and significant than the previous versions. Its Image Stabilization function, gives an advantage the equivalent of 4 shutter speed settings faster.

The use of magnesium alloy throughout the body makes it lighter and easier to handle. It also has improved dust  and waterproofing make this lens a great improvement over previous versions.

This focal length lens is perfect for nature and birds and any other subject which may be difficult to approach closely. From my experience this lens is not really suitable for hand holding and is more at home on a monopod or tripod.

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.

There are many sample images from this lens on the Flickr web site.

Specifications

• Focal Length, 600mm,
• Maximum aperture, f/4.0,
• Minimum Aperture, f/32, ½-stop increments,
• Picture Size, 35mm Full size,
• Lens Construction,  16 elements in 12 groups,
• Closest Focusing Distance, 4.5 metres,
• Maximum Magnification,  0.15 times,
• Image Stabilizer effect 4 stops,
• Dimensions,  168 x 448 mm,
• Weight,  3,920 grams,
• High performance,
• Two fluorite lens elements,
• Coatings optimised to minimize ghosting and flare,
• Use of SWC coating to reduce ghosting,
• Magnesium alloy for structural strength and reduced weight.

Included accessories

• Lens hood, ET-160 WII,
• Lens Cap, E-185B,
• Lens Case,600B,
• Lens Dust Cap, E,
• Lens Wide Strap, B.

Accessories

• Extender, EF1.4x III,
• Gelatin filter holder, 52 (WII),
• Extender, EF2x III,
• Screw filter holder, 52 (WII),
• Polarizing filter, PL-C52 (WII).

Canon EF 500mm 4L IS II USM Lens

This EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens is one of the longer lenses where it is just possible to hand hold the lens. The lens features new optics which provide better image quality and significant weight reduction. It is also equipped with Canon’s Image Stabilisation technology, making it equivalent to 4 shutter-speed settings faster, the active use of magnesium alloy in the body makes it also much lighter to handle. These features, coupled with other improvements such as better dust-and waterproofing make this, an ultra high-performance lens that combines superb ease of use with excellent durability.

To be totally comfortable in handling this lens it really does need a tripod or monopod to get the best results in image quality. I find this focal length to be the best for nature photography an particular for small birds. The lens will handle the lens extenders very well.

I am not sure yet when this lens will be available.

The following super telephoto lenses are available from Canon:

• 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.

My favourite choice of lenses is the 300mm f/4,  400mm f/4,  400mm f/5.6  and the 500mm f/4 depending on the focal length and aperture you require. The reason for my choice is that these lenses are relatively small compared to the larger lenses and far easier to carry around.

There are many image samples from the previous version of this 500mm f/4 lens on the Flickr site.

Specifications

• Focal Length, 500mm,
• Max Aperture, f/4.0,
• Minimum Aperture, f/32 (for ½-stop increments),
• Picture Size,  35mm Full size,
• Lens Construction, 16 elements in 12 groups,
• Closest Focusing Distance, 3.7 metres,
• Maximum Magnification, 0.15 times,
• High performance L lens,
• Built in Image Stabilization (IS),
• Two fluorite lens elements for correction to chromatic aberration,
• Lens placement and coatings are optimised to minimize ghosting and flare,
• SWC coating provides reduced ghosting,
• Magnesium alloy,
• Image Stabilizer effect, 4 stops,
• Dimensions, 146 x 383 mm,
• Weight, 3,190 grams.

Included accessories

• Lens hood, ET-138 WII,
• Lens Cap, E-163B,
• Lens Case, 500B,
• Lens Dust Cap, E,
• Lens Wide Strap, B.

Accessories

• Extender, EF1.4x III,
• Gelatin filter holder, 52 (WII),
• Extender, EF2x III,
• Screw filter holder, 52 (WII),
• Polarizing filter, PL-C52 (WII).

Canon 50mm 1.2L USM Lens

This Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens is probably the ultimate low light standard lens.

It features an ultra large aperture for an extremely narrow depth of field and soft background blur.

The lens is suitable for any shooting situation with its coatings and construction optimized to minimize ghosting and flare.

The high performance, weather resistant lens sealing delivers all the superb image resolution and contrast one can expect in any photographic situation.

Yes, as I stated above this may be the ultimate standard focal length lens. It has an aperture of,  f/1.2 which is even faster than the f/1.4 lens.

There are three standard 50mm focal length lenses as follows.

• EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens, one of the lowest cost lenses available.
• EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens, the ever popular f/1.4 lens.
• EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens, the ultimate standard focal length low light lens.

All of the above lenses are excellent performers, but the f/1.2 variant surpasses then all in both performance and cost. This is not a low cost lens but it will really excell, particularly in low and available light applications.

Do not just think of low light applications, this lens is also excellent for selective focus applications where superb bokeh is required. If you are a fan of superb image quality, beautiful bokeh, low light shooting and selective focus then there is not many lenses that come close to this one. Just get it and watch your images improve.

There are many image samples from this lens on the Flickr site.

Specifications

• Focal Length, 50 mm,
• Aperture Maximum, f/1.2,
• Aperture Minimum, f/16,
• Camera Mount Type, Canon EF,
• Format Compatibility, 35mm Film, Full Frame Digital Sensor, Canon APS-C,
• Angle of View, 46°,
• Minimum Focus Distance 1.5′, 45 cm,
• Magnification, 0.15 times,
• Maximum Reproduction Ratio, 1:6.6,
• 6 Groups, 8 Elements,
• Diaphragm Blades, 8,
• Super Spectra lens coatings and lens element shaping suppresses flare and ghosting,
• Coatings help achieve true colour balance and increase contrast,
• The lens passes distance information back to the E-TTL II flash system of compatible EOS cameras for optimal flash exposure,
• Excellent Background Bokeh with a circular aperture,
• Fast, quiet AF,
• Ring type Ultrasonic motor,
• High speed CPU and improved AF algorithm,
• Full time electronic manual focus override,
• Image Stabilization, No,
• Autofocus, Yes,
• Tripod Collar, No,
• Filter Thread, 72 mm,
• Dimensions (DxL), 3.4 x 2.6″, 8.64 x 6.60 cm,
• Weight. 1.30 lb, 590 grams.

Canon EF 400mm 4 DO IS USM Lens

The 400mm f/4.0 DO IS USM lens uses multi layer diffractive optical lens technology. This is new ground for sports, nature and wildlife photographers, giving exemplary results, in a size previously not seen for a lens of this focal length and aperture.

This lens is quite a compact lens for a 400mm and the size and ease of handling is exceptional.

I really love compact and long lenses and this one is close to one of the best in its class.

This is a great 400mm f/4.0, lens for sports and nature, in particular for bird photography and birds in flight.

The following super telephoto lenses are available from Canon:

• 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.

My favourite choice of lenses is the 300mm f/4,  400mm f/4,  400mm f/5.6  and the 500mm f/4 depending on the focal length and aperture you require. The reason for my choice is that these lenses are relatively small compared to the larger lenses and far easier to carry around.

There are many image samples from this lens on the Flickr photo site.

Specifications

• Focal Length, 400 mm,
• Aperture Maximum, f/4,
• Aperture Minimum, f/32,
• Camera Mount Type, Canon EF,
• Format Compatibility, 35mm Film, Full Frame Digital Sensor, Canon APS-C,
• Angle of View, 6°,
• Minimum Focus Distance, 11.48′, 3.5 metres,
• Magnification, 0.12 times,
• Maximum Reproduction Ratio 1:8.3,
• 13 Groups, 17 Elements,
• Diaphragm Blades, 8,
• Flourite & UD elements to eliminate chromatic aberrations,
• High diffraction optics,
• Auto Focus Stop function shuts off autofocus when an obstruction appears,
• Dust & moisture resistance,
• Magnesium alloy lens barrel,
• Gasket at lens mount,
• Two stage image stabilization, dual axis camera shake correction or vertical axis only for panning,
• 3 stage focus limiter,
• Focus preset function,
• Full time manual focus override,
• Image Stabilization, Yes,
• Autofocus, Yes,
• Tripod Collar, Yes,
• Filter Thread, 52 mm,
• Dimensions (DxL), 5.0 x 9.1″, 12.70 x 23.11 cm,
• Weight, 4.27 lb, 1.94 kg.