Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS tests and MTF charts by LensRentals

canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS
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The Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS is in stock and sells for $1,599 at Amazon US,  Adorama, Canon Store, and B&H Photo.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS at a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/22
  • One GMo Aspherical Element
  • Air Sphere and Fluorine Coatings
  • Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • Dust- and Water-Resistant Construction
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

LensRentals’ Roger Cicala tested the new Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS in his labs. This is not your typical lens review, this is the stuff geek dreams are made of.

From Roger’s conclusion:

[the EF 85mm f/1.4L IS]  is a lens where the designer has focused on being very good in as many situations as possible rather than obtaining the highest possible MTF. It’s apparently designed for the person who uses 85mm in a lot of different situations; especially in low light situations.

It’s very sharp, the field is designed to get good focus no matter where you focus, and all reports indicate that the focusing is quick and accurate. If you take a ton of shots, your keeper rate is going to be exceptionally high. And if you shoot in poor lighting with an 85mm it will be amazing compared to almost anything else available in Canon mount.

You can see all kind of test measures and tests, MTF, variance, field curvature, and more. The EF 85mm f/1.4L IS is compared to its main competitors. If you’re engineering inclined, love tech talk & stuff, or just want to know the most intimate secrets of Canon’s latest masterpiece, be sure to check Roger Cicala’s test results.

EF 85mm f/1.4L IS
Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS MTF chart (image © lensrentals.com, used with permission)

More Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS coverage here. The Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS is in stock and sells for $1,599 at Amazon US,  Adorama, Canon Store, and B&H Photo.

More Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS order/pre-order links (if available in the respective countries):

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Another mention of Canon EOS 7D Mark III announcement before Summer 2018

eos 7d mark iii
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We got another hint that Canon may announce the Canon EOS 7D Mark III before Summer 2018.

We were previously tipped for the same announcement timeframe, but with the added bit that the EOS 7D Mark III would be ready for NAB 2018. It was pointed out that NAB 2018 is oriented to the video folks and hence might not be the best stage for Canon to display their new APS-C flagship. Not all wrong, indeed.

Specification-wise we still know very little about the successor of the highly popular EOS 7D Mark II (price & specs). Please note that there are two specification lists making the rounds on the web. One which originates from us, another which does not. Although this specification list was attributed to us, it did not originate from Canon Watch.

We got some bits over the last months concerning the specs:

  • newly developed 28MP sensor, said to introduce a new Canon APS-C sensor generation
  • more video-oriented
  • some sort of 4K video
  • tiltable touch-screen
  • new generation of Dual Pixel AF
  • more upscale than the EOS 7D Mark II
  • richer feature set compared to the 7D Mark II
  • same introductory price as the EOS 7D Mark II

No big surprises here. As you can see, the list above contains a lot of obvious stuff (tiltable screen, richer feature set etc) and/or stuff we get for any major Canon DSLR iteration. I just hope it’s true the EOS 7D Mark III will have the same introductory price as its predecessor. Hints about the sensor resolution and 4K video were leaked first here on CW. No real surprise here too: that the EOS 7D Mark III will have 4K is just common senses. I guess not even Canon can afford to not feature 4K on their next APS-C flagship.

I think it’s fair to say that no one so far has got any reliable specifications for the EOS 7D Mark III (all rumors). However, if the suggested announcement timeframe is to be believed, we will soon start to see leaked specifications, and when the announcement gets closer also some pictures of the EOS 7D Mark III.

Stay tuned.

Canon optical filters might get new and improved coating, patent application

optical filters
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Canon patent application (in Japan) 2017-227774 describes methods and technology to reduce light reflection on optical filters.

Patent application abstract (machine translated):

To provide an optical filter, a light quantity adjusting device, and an optical device having an excellent light reflection preventing effect.
A fine structure provided on the multilayered film, wherein the microstructure is provided with a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a matrix so that incident light from the outermost surface of the fine structure A microstructure surface having a fine uneven structure equal to or smaller than a wavelength of reflected light at an interface between the multilayer film and the microstructure, and a plurality of interfaces of the multilayer film and a plurality of interfaces of the multilayer film and the transparent substrate The relationship between the phase of the reflected light at one interface with respect to the incident light from the interface between the fine structure and the multilayer film and the phase of the reflected light at the other interface between the interface and the interface And a light reflection preventing structure having an anti-phase relationship in which they cancel each other out.

If I got it right, light reflection is reduced by applying a multilayered film with an extreme fine structure on the filter glass, a structure that’s “equal to or smaller than a wavelength of reflected light”.

Other interesting Canon patent applications that might go into production:

Japanese patent applications can not be linked. To learn more about this or other Japanese patent applications use this site and the number of the patent application (e.g. 2017-227774)

Canon EOS M50 announcement for CP+ 2018 [CW4]

canon eos m100
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Canon’s next mirrorless camera, the EOS M50 will be announced before CP+ 2018, one of our sources suggests. CP+ 2018 happens at the beginning of March 2018.

So far, we know as good as nothing about the EOS M50 (all rumors). However, I speculate it’s somewhat of a mid-range MILC by Canon, i.e. positioned between the EOS M5/M6 (price & specs) on the top and the amazing little EOS M100 (price & specs) at the bottom. A 24MP sensor is to expect, as well as some of the technology featured on the EOS M5/M6.

If the suggestion of an announcement in March 2018 is to be trusted, then we will soon have some leaks for specifications and images of the EOS M50.

Stay tuned.

Future Canon tilt-shift lenses may have image stabilisation, patent application suggests

tilt-shift
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Canon might experimenting with the idea to feature image-stabilisation on the company’s future tilt-shift lenses.

Canon patent application (in Japan) 2017-227697 describes the implementation of image-stabilisation technology in tilt-shift lenses.

A patent application filed by a company doesn’t necessarily mean the technology described in the patent application will hit the market any time soon. Patents are a way companies have to protect their intellectual property and research.

Some patent applications that in our opinion might indeed go into production are these:

Canon tilt-shift lenses on Amazon.