Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6L tele-monster review

1200

B&H Photo posted a long review about Canon’s legendary EF 1200mm f/5.6 lens. The review comes with some historic facts too. It’s speculated that Canon made less than 2 dozens of this lens (it appears even Canon can not tell how many they made).

The Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 L USM lens was born with the Canon FD mount and reportedly first appeared in 1984, at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. Five lenses were used by the media to cover the Games and then the lenses were shipped back to Japan and later converted to the EF mount. According to Canon, this is the longest lens in the world with full autofocus capability.

Canon made this lens available by special order only. A $10,000 deposit was required with the order and manufacturing would only start when several lenses were put on order. Sports Illustrated magazine purchased two 1200mm lenses in the 1990’s. Canon lent a lens to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1999, so they could document Major League Baseball slugger Mark McGuire’s single-season home-run record attempt from center field; photographing every pitch McGuire faced that season. The extreme focal length of the lens gives a unique perspective of the distant view from the outfield fence that other lenses cannot capture.

Definitely a interesting read. For more about the EF 1200mm lens head over to B&H Photo’s review. The Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6L lens is on sale at B&H Photo for $180,000. A single, used unit in good condition. Act fast as this “super deal” won’t last long ;-) Canon has a dedicated page for the EF 1200mm, or check Wikipedia.

Deal Alert: Canon EF-M 18-55mm IS STM – $49/€55 (compare at $140)

DigitalRev has the Canon EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens as white box on sale for just $49 (€55 for EU customers). Limited time offer. Compare at $140 on Amazon.

A sale of this lens at this price seems to confirm the rumor that Canon is working on a new EF-M 18-55mm lens for the EOS M system.

Specifications:

  • Standard Zoom Lens for EOS M Camera
  • Supports Continuous AF
  • Dynamic IS (Movie Shooting Mode Only)
  • Lens Construction: 13 elements in 11 groups
  • Inner focusing system
  • Closest Focusing Distance: 0.25m
  • Filter Size: 52mm
  • Maximum Diameter x Length : 60.9 x 61mm
  • Weight: 210g

[CW3] Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 Mark III in the works? Canon patent for 16-35mm f/2.8 lens spotted

16-35mm
embodiment: 16-35mm f/2.8

Last week I got a rumor I didn’t take seriously. The rumor suggested that Canon is working on a new version of the highly popular EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens. Well. I think I was wrong in not trusting the source. The EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM was released in 2007, so a replacement is not out of the realm of possibilities. Given the patent, I rate the rumour CW3.

Egami (translated) spotted a patent that appears to support the rumour of a EF 16-35mm f/2.8 Mark III lens.

  • Patent Publication No. 2014-206674
    • Published 2014.10.30
    • Filing date 2013.4.15
  • Example 1
    • Zoom ratio 2.06
    • Focal length f = 16.49-23.74-33.94mm
    • Fno. 2.91
    • Half angle of view ω = 52.69-42.35-32.51 °
    • BF 38.74-48.38-63.65mm
16-35mm
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM

About our rumour rating:

  • CW1 – probably fake rumor, not reliable (less than 15% chance to be real)
  • CW2 – rumor from an unknown/new source, but otherwise at least a plausible rumor (15%-40% chance to be real)
  • CW3 – around 50% chance to be real, coming from a known source, or from new source with good insight in Canon’s business
  • CW4 – rumor from a known source that was right in the past, high probability to be true (60%-80% chance to be real)
  • CW5 – as good as certain to be true

Canon Europe Cash-Back on EOS 7D2, M3, 750D, 760D bundles (up to €300, 5DS and 5DS R listed but not yet available)

Thanks Andrea for the tip!

All (or at least most) European Canon subsidiaries started a cash-back program on select DSLR and lens bundles lasting from April 23 to July 31. Cash-back goes up to €300. Sorry for being late on this. This cash-back program appears to have little to do with Canon UK’s programEdit: Thanks lw for pointing me to Canon UK.

The listed sites offer the cash-back program for the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, EOS M3, and EOS 750D and 760D. Some of the sites have the EOS 5D Mark III and the EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R also listed for the program but not available for the time being. See terms and conditions in your language and for your country:

More European Canon sites are listed at Canon Europe.

[CW3] Canon Rebel SL2/EOS 150D coming in August 2015 with 24MP and 19 points AF?

Rebel SL2

Will Canon soon announce the successor of the world’s smallest DSLR, the Rebel SL1/EOS 100D? That’s what a new rumor suggests, and some specs did also appear.

Northlight Images got a tip that the Rebel SL2/EOS 150D will be announced between July and August 2015. These are the rumoured specs:

  • 24.2MP
  • 19 point AF
  • 4.5 fps
  • 1080/30p video
  • Hybrid CMOS AF III focus system
  • 7560 pixel RGB + IR metering
  • Fixed 3″ LCD touchscreen
  • Wi-Fi + NFC

Sounds good and plausible, and if true this specs will make up a pretty small yet powerful DSLR.

[via NL]