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.

Canon EF 400mm 5.6L USM Lens

This lens is very similar to the 300mm f/4 lens in that it is very compact for the focal length. Sometimes photographers get carried away with large aperture lenses, however a small aperture lens such as this can be far easier to transport and have available when you need it. The larger aperture lenses are much more difficult to transport. This lens can convert to a 560mm lens with the 1.4x extender and it converts to an 800mm lens with the 2x extender and both form a very compact and easy to transport package.

The lens is a  high performance lens, designed with portability and easy handling. One super UD glass element is provided together with one UD glass element which will result in sharper images. The lens has a built in hood and a detachable tripod mount.

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.

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

Specifications

• Focal Length,  400 mm,
• Aperture Maximum, f/5.6,
• Aperture Minimum, f/32,
• Camera Mount Type, Canon EF,
• Format Compatibility, 35mm Film, Full Frame Digital Sensor,
• Campatible with Canon APS-C sensors,
• Angle of View, 6°,
• Minimum Focus Distance, 11.48′, 3.5 metres,
• Magnification, 0.12 times,
• Maximum Reproduction Ratio, 1:8.3,
• 6 Groups, 7 Elements,
• Diaphragm Blades, 8,
• Image Stabilization, No,
• Autofocus, Yes,
• Tripod Collar, Yes,
• Filter Thread, 77 mm,
• Dimensions (DxL), 3.5 x 10.1″, 8.89 x 25.65 cm,
• Weight, 2.75 lb, 1.25 kg.

Canon EF 300mm 4L IS USM Lens

The 300mm f/4 lens is an all time favourite lens, due to its compact size and light weight. It is a lens which is easy to handle and use.

This Lens is controlled by a 16 bit microcomputer that minimizes blurred images with its Image Stabilization due to camera shake. A special mode intelligently compensates for up & down movement, providing sharp, stable images when panning.

A lens such as this is very suitable as a super telephoto lens when travelling due to its compactness. I love a lens such as this for general telephoto work and find it excellent for birds in flight, also it is a wonderful lens for larger birds, however for smaller birds I prefer a slightly longer lens. I have used a 300mm f/4 lens for many years for my bird and nature photography.

Keep in mind that this lens will work very well with the 1.4x extender and also with the 2.0x extender. When used with a 1.4x extender the lens becomes a 420mm f/5.6 lens and with the 2x extender it becomes a 600mm f/8 lens, which may still be quite acceptable for photography in good lighting conditions.

Canon have a large range of different focal length super telephoto lenses available as follows:

• 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 image samples from this lens on the Flickr site.

Specifications

• Focal Length,  300 mm,
• Aperture Maximum, f/4,
• Aperture minimum, f/32,
• Camera Mount Type,  Canon EF,
• Format Compatibility, 35mm Film, Full Frame Digital Sensor,
• Compatible with Canon APS-C,
• Angle of View 8°,
• Minimum Focus Distance, 4.92′, 1.50 metres,
• Magnification, 0.24 times,
• Maximum Reproduction Ratio, 1:4.1,
• 11 Groups, 15 Elements,
• Diaphragm Blades, 8,
• Ultrasonic focusing motor (USM),
• Rear focusing design,
• High speed autofocusing,
• Fulltime manual focus override,
• UD elements to eliminate secondary spectrum chromatic aberrations,
• Two-stage image stabilization, dual axis camera shake correction or vertical axis only for panning,
• Image Stabilization, Yes,
• Autofocus, Yes,
• Tripod Collar, Yes,
• Filter Thread, 77 mm,
• Dimensions (DxL), 3.5 x 8.7″, 8.89 x 22.10 cm,
• Weight, 2.62 lb, 1.19 kg.

Canon EF 300mm 2.8L IS II USM Lens

The EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens is an excellent choice as it is very flexible as the lens can be extended from 300mm to 420mm f/4  using the 1.4 times extender or to 600mm f/5.6 using the 2.0 times extender. Using these extenders there will be very little loss of image quality.

The Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens is an excellent choice for nature, wildlife and sports photography due to its low aperture of f/2.8.

This lens is very light for its class and the Image Stabilization system offers up to four extra stops of performance.

Fast and quiet Auto Focusing is provided by the fast Ultra Sonic Motor and a high speed CPU, which offers quick and accurate focusing during shooting. Manual focusing is also available. A Power Focus mode assists focusing during video shooting, allowing the photographer to smoothly adjust focus during filming by twisting the focus recall ring.

The lens has a security slot for a wire type security lock.

A third Image Stabilization mode (Mode 3) activates IS only when the shutter button is fully pressed, and gives the equivalent effect of a shutter speed four stops faster.

There are quite a range of super telephoto lenses for Canon cameras and some details are summarised below:

• 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 examples of images captured with this lens on the Flickr site.

Specification

• Focal Length, 300mm,
• Picture Size,  35mm Full size,
• Lens Construction,  16 elements in 12 groups,
• Maximum Aperture, f/2.8,
• Minimum Aperture, f/32, for ½-stop increments,
• Closest Focusing Distance, 2.0 metres,
• Maximum Magnification, 0.18 times,
• Built in Image Stabilization,
• Fluorite elements to provide excellent correction of chromatic aberration,
• New lens materials to minimise ghosting and flare,
• Magnesium alloy and titanium for increased structural strength,
• 9 blade circular aperture for soft focus images,
• New IS mode, mode 3, offers equivalent effect of a shutter speed 4 stops faster,
• Lead free glass,
• Lens has a security slot for wire-type locks to prevent theft,
• Image Stabilizer effect,  4 stops,
• Dimensions,  128 x 248mm,
• Weight, 2400 grams.

Included accessories

• Lens hood, ET-120 WII,
• Lens Cap, E-145C,
• Lens Case, 300B.

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 1.4 USM Lens

The standard 50mm f/1.4 lens has long been regarded as the normal SLR lens.

This standard lens features excellent quality and portability. Two high refraction lens elements and new Gaussian optics eliminate astigmatism and suppress astigmatic differences. Crisp images with little flare can be readily obtained even at the maximum aperture of f/1.4.

These 50mm lenses are so small and excellent both in size and cost and give a great portable camera system.

There are three prime standard focal length lenses from Canon as follows:

• EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens – A cheap standard lens for use in low light.
• EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens - An excellent low light standard lens.
• EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens – The ultimate standard focal length low light lens.

For any photographer who is seeking a standard lens this one is extremely popular. With its low aperture of f/1.4 it is so suitable for low light photography. This lens combined with one of the modern digital SLR cameras from Canon will form an extremely compact and light package.

This lens will be extremely sharp especially when it is stopped down a little, but it is very good also at f/1.4.

For many photographer this lens combined with a wide angle prime and a telephoto prime will give the basis of a very convenient outfit for all photographic applications.

You may ask, why go for primes instead of a small zoom lesns:

• Primes are generally more compact.
• Primes will give a lighter travelling outfit.
• Primes will be much better in low light applications.
• Zoom lenses are generally a compromise in the design at some focal lengths, whereas primes are designed for a particular focal length.
• The short fall for many people is that the primes may not be as convenient when shooting fast action compared to zoom lenses.
• Some photographers do not like changing lenses often particularly in a dirty or dusty environment.
• Personally I do favour primes as I generally aim for the highest image quality possible.

After a photographic trip, when I review my images I often come to the conclusion that my images from my primes are my best quality images and I think this is the case because of their capability of using lower apertures and being able to use selective focus more creatively.

The choice is yours.

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

Specification

• Focal Length, 50 mm,
• Aperture Maximum, f/1.4,
• Aperture Minimum, f/22,
• Camera Mount Type, Canon EF,
• Format Compatibility 35mm Film, Full-Frame Digital Sensor,
• Compatible with Canon APS-C cameras,
• Angle of View,  46°,
• Minimum Focus Distance, 1.5′, 45 cm,
• Magnification, 0.15 times,
• Maximum Reproduction Ratio, 1:6.6
• 6 Groups, 7 Elements,
• Diaphragm Blades, 8,
• Image Stabilization, No,
• Autofocus, Yes,
• Tripod Collar, No,
• Filter Thread, 58 mm,
• Dimensions (DxL), 2.9 x 2.0″, 7.37 x 5.08 cm,
• Weight, 10.23 oz, 290 grams,

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.

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,

Canon EF Extender 2.0x III

This extender (teleconverter) has the capability to extend the focal length of the super telephoto lenses you are using by a factor of 2 times.

The EF Lens Extender, 2.0x III is an excellent addition to the Canon EF long telephoto lenses, allowing you to get even closer to the action.

There is not very much to say about extenders or teleconverters, other than the fact that they do provide quite a cheep alternative to get to much longer focal lengths than you normally could achieve.

With these extenders you do need to be aware that you will get some degradation in the image quality compared to a Standard lens without the extender.

The 2x extender will have more degradation than the 1.4x extender however it will have more to gain in additional focal length.

These lens extenders will work best with lenses with a minimum aperture of f/2.8 or f/4.0. They will perform best as far as focussing is concerned with the f/2.8 lenses. However with good lighting conditions f/4 lenses will perform very well.

The following extenders are available for Canon cameras:

• EF Lens Extender 1.4x III Teleconverter - Multiplies the lens effective focal length by 1.4 times.
• EF Lens Extender 2.0x III Teleconverter – Multiplies the lens effective focal length by 2.0 times.

Sample Images

There are many sample images on Flickr using the Canon EF Lens Extender 2.0x III.

Key Features

• High image quality,
• Dustproof construction,
• Waterproof construction,
• New lens materials to reduce ghosting and lens flare,
• Built in microcomputer for communication between the lens extender and the camera,
• High Auto Focus  accuracy.

Specification

• Picture size,  35mm, full size,
• Lens construction,  9 elements in 5 groups,
• Front Mount,  Canon EF Mount, 11 contacts,
• Rear Mount,  Canon EF Mount, 7 contacts,
• Dimensions,  72.0 x 52.7mm,
• Weight,  325 grams,

Accessories

• Extender Cap, E II,
• Lens Pouch, LP 811,
• Lens Dust Cap, E,

Compatibility

The extender is compatible with fixed focal length L-series lenses, 135mm and over, as well as the following,

• EF 70-200, 2.8L,
• EF 70-200, 2.8L IS,
• EF 70-200, 4L,
• EF 100-400, 4.5-5.6L.

AF compatibility will also depend on the combination of the above lenses and DSLR body type being used.

Canon EF Extender 1.4x III

This extender (teleconverter) has the capability to extend the focal length of the super telephoto lenses you are using by a factor of 1.4 times.

The EF Lens Extender, 1.4x III is an excellent addition to the Canon EF long telephoto lenses, allowing you to get even closer to the action.

There is not very much to say about extenders or teleconverters, other than the fact that they do provide quite a cheep alternative to get to much longer focal lengths than you normally could achieve.

With these extenders you do need to be aware that you will get some degradation in the image quality compared to a Standard lens without the extender. The degradation with the 1.4 III extender will be less than that with the 2.0 III extender. Any degradation with the 1.4x extender will be absolutely minimal.

These lens extenders are best with lenses having a larger aperture such as f/2.8 or f/4, they will generally work better and focus more accurately and more quickly with f/2.8 lenses. The 1.4x extender will be better at focussing in low light than the 2x extender.

For Canon cameras the following lens extenders are available:

• EF Lens Extender 1.4x III Teleconverter - Multiplies the lens effective focal length by 1.4 times.
• EF Lens Extender 2.0x III Teleconverter – Multiplies the lens effective focal length by 2.0 times.

Sample Images

There are many sample images on Flickr using the Canon EF Lens Extender 1.4x III.

Key Features

• High image quality,
• Dustproof,
• Waterproof,
• New lens materials to reduce ghosting and lens flare,
• Built in microcomputer for communication between lens, extender and camera,
• High Auto Focus accuracy.

Specifications

• Picture Size, 35mm Full size,
• Lens Construction, 7 elements in 3 groups,
• Front Mount Canon EF Mount, 11 contacts,
• Rear Mount Canon EF Mount, 7 contacts,
• Dimensions, 72.0 x 27.2mm,
• Weight, 225 grams.

Accessories

• Extender Cap, E II,
• Lens Pouch, LP 811,
• Lens Dust Cap, E,

Compatibility

This extender is compatible with fixed focal length L-series lenses 135mm and over including the following,

• EF 70-200, 2.8L,
• EF 70-200, 2.8L IS,
• EF 70-200, 4L,
• EF 100-400/4.5-5.6L.

Auto Focus compatibility is also dependant on the combination of the above lenses and the DSLR body type.

Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Autofocus Lens is a very fast lens for low light levels with a maximum aperture of,  f/1.2. The large aperture provides fine control over the depth of field with excellent selective focus.

The lens has a ring type USM with a high speed CPU and algorithms to achieve an extremely fast autofocus speed.

The floating optical system which includes an aspherical element will help to suppresses lens aberrations. The circular aperture will create a shallow depth of field to help isolate your subject matter.

This lens can be very suited for sports events and nature. Portrait photographers also love this focal length and it has become very popular.

Also do not forget the telephoto lens for use in landscape useage, very dramatic images can be obtained by isolating a selection of a landscape for beautiful images.

Canon make a very nice range of short prime telephoto lenses, which are suited to a range of photographic subjects from portrait, nature and sporting events to name a few. The range of these telephoto lenses are summarised in the following list:

• EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Autofocus Lens – A cheaper version of the more expensive f/1.4 lens
• EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Autofocus Lens – A superb portrait lens  for use in low light, expensive lens
• EF 100mm f/2.0 USM Autofocus Telephoto Lens – Low light telephoto lens
• EF 135mm f/2.0L USM Autofocus Telephoto Lens -Low light telephoto lens
• EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Autofocus Telephoto Lens – An excellent performing f/2.8 telephoto lens
• EF 200mm f/2L IS USM Autofocus Telephoto Lens – An exceptional lens for use in  low light for sports and nature

The selection of a short telephoto lens will depend on several factors:

• Firstly decide if you want the quality and large aperture of a prime or the flexibility of a zoom.
• Some of these primes come in several different apertures at the same focal length, this choice will need to be made on cost and aperture required.
• Do you need a larger aperture for creative effects.
• Choose the focal length of lens required.

There are many excellent sample images from the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L lens on Flickr.

Specifications

• Focal Length, 85 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, 28°
• Minimum Focus Distance, 3.12′,  95 cm
• Magnification, 0.11 times
• Maximum Reproduction Ratio, 1:9.09
• 7 Groups, 8 Elements
• Diaphragm Blades, 8
• Filter Thread, 72 mm
• Dimensions (DxL),  3.6 x 3.3″,  9.14 x 8.38 cm
• Weight, 2.26 lb,  1.03 kg
• Floating optical system
• Aspherical lens element
• Super Spectra Coatings
• Circular aperture for shallow depth of field.

Features

• Image Stabilization, No
• Autofocus, Yes
• Tripod Collar, No.