Specifications

CANON
CAMERAS & LENSES
33
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Whenever you have an image in mind, you must choose a lens
which can put that image on film. And whatever that image may
be, you can be sure that Canon has the lens you need. Whether it
is a 15mm fisheye or a 600mm super telephoto, all Canon lenses
feature the finest materials (especially the L-series lenses) and
technologies. They include fluorite, UD glass, aspherical lenses,
lens-based Ultrasonic Motors, inner and rear focusing, Image
Stabilizers, and a fully-electronic interface.
EF LENSES
Image Stabilizer
Canon has developed a series of truly unique lenses equipped with an
Image Stabilizer (IS) function that let you capture photos that would
otherwise be blurred due to camera movement, greatly expanding the
range of handheld-camera photography.
To get sharp images when taking handheld pictures, the general rule of
thumb is to set the shutter speed to 1/1 over the focal length, or the
closest available setting on your camera. (i.e. 1/60 sec. with a 50mm
lens, 1/250 sec. with a 200mm lens, 1/500 sec. with a 500mm lens and
so on.) Generally, this is no problem, if all your pictures are taken out-
doors on a bright, sunny day. But blurred pictures due to camera shake
become more of a problem when taking pictures in dim light - at dusk,
indoors, on a cloudy day. And the chance of getting blurred pictures is
greater when using longer focal length lenses that magnify the image
and any associated movement.
To overcome these problems, Canon developed the world’s first SLR
lens with a built-in image stabilizer. Electronic signals emitted by vibra-
tion-detecting gyro sensors are used to move the image-stabilizing lens
group in parallel along the optical axis, providing clear picture quality
at all times. Actual shooting tests result in improvement equivalent to
using a shutter speed two steps faster.
In many shooting situations where photographers are not allowed to
use a tripod or flash, such as art museums and concert halls, Canon IS
lenses are your ticket to sharper pictures.
Ultrasonic Motors (USM)
In order to achieve critical autofocus, the elements within a camera lens
have to move quickly, quietly, and with exacting precision. To
accomplish this, Canon developed the world’s first lens-based
Ultrasonic Motor (USM). Based on a totally new technology, the motor
spins by ultrasonic oscillation energy. In effect, instead of a large, noisy
drive-train system, electronic vibrations created by a piezoelectric
ceramic element power the mechanical action of the lens. In a very
broad comparison, it's like the difference between a mechanical watch
with gears and springs and quartz-timed watch movement. Therefore,
torque is constant and start and stop functions virtually instantaneous.
By making the autofocus operation almost inaudible and by accelerating
the autofocus speed, this type of motor greatly expands the shooting
possibilities for Canon photographers. There is virtually no whining
noise as the lens focuses to distract the subject or draw attention to the
photographer. Most important for the photographer in the field, the
motor draws minimal power so the camera batteries last longer.
You’ll find two types of Canon Ultrasonic Motors
in the camera lens system, each optimized for
maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Ring-type
USM-equipped lenses, found in large aperture
and super telephoto designs, allow manual
focusing without switching out of the auto mode.
It’s a direct-drive system that provides all the
above advantages. Micro USM designs bring the
performance benefits of Canon's USM technology
to a wide assortment of affordable EF lenses.
Extremely compact and light, this USM is even
used on lenses as small as the EF 28-90mm and
EF 22-55mm.
L-Series Lenses
Canon lenses are renowned for their
performance and optical qual-
ity. And no lenses have a bet-
ter reputation among
professional photographers
than Canon’s L-series lenses.
Identifiable by a distinctive red
ring around their outer barrel,
these lenses use special optical
technologies including Ultra-low Dispersion UD glass, Super Low
Dispersion glass, Fluorite and Aspherical elements to truly push the
optical envelope.
L-series telephoto lenses utilize Canon’s UD glass to minimize the
effect of chromatic aberration, sometimes called color fringing. UD
glass provides outstanding contrast and sharpness in lenses like the
70-200 f/2.8L IS and 300mm f/4.0L IS. Even more effective are
fluorite elements, used in high-end super-telephoto lenses like the
EF 300mm f/2.8L IS and 400mm f/2.8L IS. A single fluorite element
has the corrective power of two UD glass elements, which gives these
L-series lenses their spectacular performance.
Wide-angle lenses and fast normal focal-length lenses often suffer
from another optical problem, spherical aberration, which causes an
overall softening and optical “smearing” of the image. Canon has
developed four different manufacturing technologies to produce
Aspherical lens elements, which combat this problem. Aspherical
optics, which have an extremely precise variable curvature of one or
both sides of a lens element, also allow more compact lens designs and
permit lighter lenses with fewer elements. Combined with Canon’s
exclusive multi-coating technology
, Super Spectra Coating, and the
attention paid to details such as anti-reflective material inside of lens
barrels, L-series lenses virtually eliminate internal ghosting and flare.
Many EF telephoto lenses are white, to reduce the amount of internal
heat build-up during long shooting in bright sunlight. And the new
Image Stabilized super-telephoto L-series lenses add extensive
dust-and moisture-resistant seals and gaskets, enabling pros to keep
shooting in the worst conditions.
Canon L-series EF lenses are designed and built to meet the needs of
the most demanding professional photographers. Their superb
optics enable pros and advanced amateurs to have lenses that are the
absolute pinnacle of optical performance, and enable lens/speed
combinations with professional performance simply not attainable
using traditional optical technology.
Ring-Type USM
Micro USM