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

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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.

Canon EOS 5DS R pre-production model hands-on review (C|Net)

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C|Net had the opportunity to test a Canon EOS 5DS R pre-production unit. This is one of the more exhaustive 5DS R reviews I saw so far. The EOS 5DS R and the EOS 5DS is that the former cancels the effect of the OLPF (optical low-pass filter) to get sharper images (at the cost of some image artefacts).

C|Net’s review comes with many sample pictures, crops for better pixel-peeping, and some comparisons with Nikon’s 36MP D810 (the EOS 5DS R has 50MP). A Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens was used on both the Canon and the Nikon, which makes comparisons more interesting as the Sigma is one of the few good cross-brand options.

The review is not without critic considerations, and looks at the EOS 5DS R from a “who needs it” perspective. About image quality the reviewer writes:

The photos from the prerelease camera are certainly sharper than any I’ve seen from a Canon, and they’re a whole new level of quality compared to the 5D Mark III. But the photos from the preproduction version aren’t as good as those from the D810. […] They’ve got more noise in the raws starting at midrange ISO sensitivities, and the D810 seems to have a broader tonal range. The camera offers a Fine Detail Picture Style that enhances sharpness and helps with photos ISO 800 and higher, but it also increases artifacts. The higher resolution does help in cases where the focus is slightly off, though, making scaled down images look a little sharper than they might have otherwise. And the video, even though it’s two-megapixel HD, looks a lot sharper than Canon’s other models.

Don’t forget that a pre-production model was tested, and that image quality will change on the production model (according to Canon). Head over to C|Net to read the full review.

The Canon EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R manuals are available in all languages (click here). Good to have a closer look to the EOS 5DS and 5DS R’s features. Canon’s EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R are available for pre-order:

Canon EOS 5DS R specifications (from B&H’s product page):

  • 50.6MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
  • Dual DIGIC 6 Image Processors
  • Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation
  • 3.2″ 1,040K-Dot ClearView II LCD Monitor
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 30 fps
  • 61-Point High Density Reticular AF
  • 150,000-pixel RGB+IR Metering Sensor
  • Native ISO 6400; 5.0 fps Burst Shooting
  • User-Selectable Shutter Release Time Lag
  • Dual Compact Flash and SD Media Slots

Canon EOS 5DS R real world samples published

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DPReview added a set of EOS 5DS R real world sample pics to their upcoming review of the EOSD 5DS and EOS 5DS R. Pleaye note that given the huge file size of the RAW sample, these files can be downloaded separately. All links and instructions can be found atDPReview.

Want to have a look at the EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R features? The user manuals for the Canon EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R can be downloaded at Canon Europe.

Canon’s new EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R are available for pre-order:

Image: © Canon

More Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM sample pictures

EF 50mm f/1.8 used on an EOS 5D Mark III, 1/4,000, f1.8, +0.3EV, ISO100 (image courtesy of dc.watch)

More sample pics shot with Canon’s brand new EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens posted by dc.watch (translated). Sample photos can be viewed full size. There are also comparisons at different f values. An EOS 5D Mark III DSLR was used. It looks like Canon made a good job with the new EF 50mm f/1.8 STM.

The new Canon EF 50mm f/1.8mm STM standard prime lens is scheduled to be available by the end of May for an estimated retail price of $125.99. Pre-orders are available: B&H Photo | Adorama.

[via dc.watch]

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM sample pictures

Canon EOS 6D, 1/800, f/2.2, ISO 100 – Image credit: Canon

Canon UK posted a set of 8 sample pictures shot using the new EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens (announcement). Click here to go to Canon UK, then click on the picture under “sample images” on the right side. Unfortunately no full size pics are available.

The new Canon EF 50mm f/1.8mm STM standard prime lens is scheduled to be available by the end of May for an estimated retail price of $125.99. Pre-orders are available: B&H Photo | Adorama.

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