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Abbreviations

Model history (2)

Specification

Source of data

• Manufacturer's technical data.

Manufacturer description #1

The EF 200mm f/1.8L is the fastest 200mm photographic lens in the world. This extraordinary lens is designed to fill the needs of professional photographers.

Features:

• Three ultra-low dispersion (UD) elements are used to almost completely eliminate secondary color.
• The long focal length and large aperture allow very good separation of the subject from the blurred background. This lens gives very natural and pleasing blur.
• The ultrasonic focusing motor coupled to lightweight internal focusing cell equals high speed autofocus.
• The powered "manual" focusing ring is positioned for best balance in handheld shooting.
• The ability to limit the focusing range with the "focus preset" allows rapid shifts of focus between predetermined points.
• The controls of all three long EF lenses have been standardized for users who use more than one lens.
• The EF 1.4X increases the focal length to 280mm while retaining a fast f/2.5 maximum aperture. With the EF 2X extender, you get 400mm at a very respectable f/3.5 maximum aperture.

External Design

The external design concept of this lens is the same as the EF 300mm f/2.8L and EF 600mm f/4.0L and follows the concepts laid down for long lenses in the FD series. USM powered manual focusing and preset focus functions make this a quite flexible long telephoto lens.

The overall shape is one of curves, with few angles. Finish is in a slightly pebble-grained light gray lacquer to keep the lens as cool as possible. The red ring is the mark of an L series lens.

Optical Performance

Chromatic Aberration

In-focus areas give high contrast, accurate color reproduction and separation, no color fringing due to good lateral color control.

Out-of-focus areas give very pleasant blur without any color cast.

The viewfinder image is bright, clear, and neutral.

Aberration Corrections

The lens is designed with a four element front group (positive, positive, negative, positive) that eliminates the need for any one very strong positive element. This helps keep the peripheral aberrations, which can ruin a large aperture lens, under control.

The negative meniscus (G6), just in front of the focusing group corrects distance-dependent spherical aberration.

The rear group is effectively the rear half of a Gauss lens. It is particularly used for controlling coma.

Mechanical

Internal focusing, combined with the USM, gives full-range focusing in about a second. Three speed powered manual focusing gives the advantage of power with the feel of manual focusing.

Control position and operation has been standardized, so that the photographer can switch between the 600, 300, and 200mm lenses and always feel at ease with the controls. Great balance and the powered manual focusing should make this lens eminently hand-holdable for experienced photographers.

Extenders

Either EF extender can be used automatically. Autofocusing speed is intentionally decreased, as with the EF 300mm f/2.8 + EF 2X.

Manufacturer description #2

A large-aperture telephoto lens boasting the world's largest maximum aperture in its class. It is ideal for fashion and indoor sports photography. Use of three UD glass elements suppresses the axial chromatic aberration (secondary spectrum) apt to occur in large-aperture telephoto lenses, providing extremely sharp, high-contrast images with no colour fringing even at maximum aperture. Changes in spherical aberration and coma caused by focusing are well corrected, achieving high image quality at all shooting distances. Internal focusing and an ultrasonic focusing motor make autofocusing almost instantaneous. The manual focusing mechanism allows the focusing speed to be switched in three steps using the Ultrasonic Motor and provides a well-balanced, smooth operational feel even during hand-held shooting.

Manufacturer description #3

The world’s fastest 200mm telephoto lens at the time. Three UD-glass elements eliminate secondary spectrum for sharp images at all apertures. The optics have been designed to give excellent background blur. Try it with the maximum aperture’s shallow depth of field.

Manufacturer description #4

The Canon EF 200mm f1.8L is the fastest 200mm lens in the world. Making it the perfect lens far the professional in the areas of commercial, fashion, and indoor sports photography. The ultra-fast f/1.8 aperture also allows the photographer to isolate the subject by obtaining highly-blurred backgrounds. The lens design of the EF 200mm f1.8L also corrects various aberrations common to large aperture lenses. The EF 200mm f1.8L lens can be used with EF extenders 1.4X and 2X to achieve AF photography at 280mm f/2.5 and 400mm f/3.5, respectively.

Compared to other medium telephoto prime lenses in the Canon EOS system

• Fastest speed (F/1.8)
• Longest closest focusing distance (2.50m)
• Smallest magnification (1:11.11)
• Heaviest weight (3000g)
• No filter thread, along with the Canon EF 200/2L IS USM

Other medium telephoto prime lenses in the Canon EOS system