In an interview, Canon engineers tell how it came Canon made the RF 800mm f/11 and RF 600mm f/11 lenses. And what inspired them.
In an interview with DC Watch, Canon engineers tell the reasons and challenges in designing the RF 800mm f/11 and RF 600mm f/11 lenses. It seems, a boyhood experience of one of the engineers was one of the reasons (machine translated):
Iezuka: I’m sorry about my boyhood story. At that time, I wanted to take a picture of a wild bird, Little Egret, but I couldn’t buy a super-telephoto lens because it was too expensive. I tried to make a telephoto lens with a close-up lens with a focal length of 400 mm, but it didn’t look good, and I wondered why it didn’t look so good.
I knew that there were many people who gave up what they wanted to shoot and the expressions they wanted to shoot because they couldn’t buy a super-telephoto lens and couldn’t carry it because it was big and heavy.
Canon already made a similar lens in 1960, the R 1000mm f/11:
Looking back, Canon’s first SLR camera system, the R mount (1959-), also had a “slender” super-telephoto lens like the 600mm / 800mm F11. The optical system is as simple as a telescope, the focusing is bellows, and the weight is as light as 2 kg.
The Canon R 1000 f/11
Why f/11?
Iezuka: Since the EOS R system can measure distances up to the maximum aperture of F22, I thought that the F value of the lens alone would be F11, considering the installation of a 2x extender. With F8, the lens becomes thicker, and with F16, it exceeds F22 when the 2x extender is attached. Around this time, the idea of ”Why don’t you eliminate the aperture unit for F11?”
I understood that there is a need to reduce the shutter speed further from F11 when considering panning at super telephoto, but control of the depth of field is less important at super telephoto, and it is low. The aperture unit was not installed because it leads to cost reduction and weight reduction.
Canon’s Explorers of Light Program saw the addition of five new photographers: Lara Jade, Lynsey Weatherspoon, Kahran & Regis Bethencourt (CreativeSoul), and Atiba Jefferson.
Five New Photographers Added to Famed Canon Explorers of Light Program
MELVILLE, NY, October 1, 2020 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the addition of five photographers to its famed Explorers of Light (EOL) program. Lara Jade, Lynsey Weatherspoon, Kahran & Regis Bethencourt (CreativeSoul), and Atiba Jefferson will join 33 other photographers in the program. Each photographer brings their own refreshing blend of art and creativity by capturing life and culture from perspectives that are uniquely their own.
For more than 25 years, members of Canon’s EOL program have shared their knowledge and vision with the photographic community and consumers alike. Whether it is photojournalism, fashion, outdoor and nature, sports, or portraiture, their collective visions have given us unique perspectives of the world and helped hone the skills of professional photographers and enthusiasts through a series of educational initiatives within the program. As photography has evolved over time, so too has Canon’s EOL program, embracing new talent with new perspectives while honoring the masters before them with the exclusive title of Canon Legend.
“We are pleased and proud to welcome these talented photographers to Canon’s iconic Explorers of Light program,” said Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, executive vice president and general manager of the Canon U.S.A., Inc., Imaging Technologies & Communications Group. “The Canon EOL program is a platform for some of the most successful and influential photographers to showcase their vision, knowledge, and know-how through a variety of educational initiatives. As new generations of creatives use photography to explore new perspectives on the world, Canon will continue to provide the support needed to tell their stories.”
Whaaaat? a f/11 lens with 800m? Kidding? Read this Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM review and you might get surprised.
At a glance:
RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
Fixed f/11 Aperture
Retractable, Locking Lens Barrel
Gapless Dual-Layer Diffractive Optics
The RF 800mm seems to be the world’s lightest 800mm telephoto lens. That’s possibile because of the fixed f/11 setting. Photography Blog posted their Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM review. From their conclusion:
[…] there’s no getting away from that fixed f/11 aperture which limits its use to either bright conditions or high ISO speeds (or sometimes both), the lack of any kind of weather-sealing at all may well put off more hard-core users, the 6m minimum focusing distance is a little restrictive, the tripod mount can’t be rotated from landscape to portrait position, there could be some question marks over the long-term durability of the retractable design, and the essential lens hood is unfortunately an expensive optional accessory.
All in all, though, the Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM is a refreshingly brave attempt to make an otherwise expensive branch of photography more accessible, both in terms of cost and portability – there simply aren’t any other 800mm lenses that are as inexpensive, compact and crucially as good as this one. Bravo to Canon for thinking out of the box.
Another short video with host Rudy Winston delivering good tips.
Watch as Canon Expert Rudy Winston explains how photography is the act of freezing time. Learn tips and tricks on how to fire the shutter at the right moment for the perfect photo.
Meyer Optik Görlitz released a new lens, the Trioplan 50mm f/2.8 II, an entirely new designed lens. Meyer Optik Görlitz had some troubled times and is now coming back.
The Trioplan 50mm f/2 II. sells at €876.34 (approx. $1,000, before shipping) at Meyer Optik Görlitz’ site.
The Trioplan 50mm f/2.8 II at a glance:
Mounts:
Canon EF, Fuji X, Leica L, Leica M, M42, MFT, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sony E
Aperture:
f2.8 – f22
Focal length:
50mm
Filter diameter:
52mm
Minimum object distance:
0,4 m
Rangefinder Coupling for Leica:
no (focussing must be done via LiveView)
Description:
The all-rounder with the special Trioplan-Bokeh
Our Trioplan 50 f2.8 II has been redesigned from scratch. A new mechanical design based on the Trioplan 100 f2.8 II now offers photographers an excellent handling of the 50mm focal length from the Trioplan family. By optimizing the optical design, it is now possible to focus on infinite sharpness even at aperture f2.8 and thus nothing stands in the way of versatile use. Of course, the Trioplan 50 f2.8 II also draws the famous soapbubble bokeh and at shorter distances a light swirl is created in the bokeh of the image. Like all current Meyer Optik Görlitz lenses, the Trioplan 50 f2.8 II was also designed for full format, but can of course also be used on APS-C cameras.
Historical model in a new guise
Through the use of high-quality materials and the latest manufacturing technologies, the more than 100-year history of the Trioplan 50 has been cast into modern moulds. Of course, the character of the Trioplan 50 was taken into account and implemented accordingly. Our Trioplan 50 f2.8 II offers photographers an individual picture language and at the same time the versatile possibilities of a 50mm focal length. Of course the Trioplan 50 is manufactured for the most common mounts of modern cameras: Canon EF, Nikon F, Fuji X, Sony E, Pentax K, M42, Micro-Four-Thirds, Leica M and Leica L.
The unique style of Trioplan
In addition to the well-known soapbubble bokeh, which is created most strongly in backlight situations, the Trioplan 50 f2.8 II draws a light swirl at close range. The versatility of a 50mm focal length or a so-called “normal lens” makes the Trioplan Bokeh suitable for many applications such as street/reportage, portrait and nature photography. Due to the natural-looking viewing angle at 50mm fixed focal lengths, the certain something is missing in some photographs and that’s exactly what the Trioplan with its wonderful Bokeh can contribute. By using macro-rings, you can profit from the special bokeh of the Trioplan 50 f2.8 II even in the macro range.
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