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Abbreviations

Model history (5)

Specification

Source of data

• Manufacturer's technical data.

Manufacturer description #1

LAS VEGAS, NV., February 22, 1996 -- Canon U.S.A., Inc. is introducing four new EF lenses at this year's PMA Trade Show and Convention, expanding the total number in the EF line to 50, the widest selection of autofocus lenses available in any 35mm SLR camera system. They include the Canon EF 17-35mm f/2.8L USM, 135mm f/2L USM, 180mm f/3.5L Macro and 400mm f/2.8L II USM. The new L-Series lenses are designed specifically for professional and advanced amateur photographers and offer an extended selection of fast, and extremely sharp focal lengths.

"Canon is committed to offering photographers the widest selection of high quality optics in the industry," said Ted Ando, director and general manager of Canon's Camera Division."Canon will continue to introduce new products and improve existing ones based on the needs and requests of our customers," Mr. Ando added.

EF 400mm f/2.8L II USM Reflects Canon's Commitment to Improvement

The new EF 400mm f/2.8L II USM telephoto lens offers improved optical performance compared to its predecessor by incorporating a fluorite element in Group 2 and UD-glass elements in Groups 3 and 5. The combination of these improvements has substantially minimized residual chromatic aberrations such as blur and flare, while enhancing color reproduction.

While improving the performance of the lens, Canon was also able to reduce its overall weight by 19 ounces. The design of its predecessor required two glass elements to protect against thermal shock. The fluorite element, which is more resistant to thermal shock than UD-glass elements, is positioned behind the protective glass -- thus eliminating one protective glass element and providing photographers with a lighter lens.

As with other Canon EF-Series lenses, the 400mm f/2.8L II USM incorporates Canon's exclusive ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM) technology with internal focusing. This provides photographers with a lens which offers silent, high-speed autofocusing and a full-time electronic manual focus override for added creative control. M. FOCUS speed allows the electronic focusing ring's rotating angle to be set at half, full, or double speed.

As with other Canon EF fixed-focal length telephoto lenses, the EF 400mm f/2.8L USM is compatible with EF 1.4x and 2x extenders.

Large Lens Inventory Meets All Shooting Requirements

Canon offers professional and advanced photographers the widest selection of autofocus lenses available in any 35mm SLR System. Currently offering 50 lenses for use with Canon EOS System cameras, the complete line ranges from 14mm ultra-wide angle to 1200mm Super Telephoto for all-purpose photography, macro lenses for nature and outdoor work, Tilt-Shift lenses for architecture and studio photography, and high-speed zooms for photojournalism. Canon lenses offer features and performance to meet every photographer's requirement.

Canon's white-barreled super-telephoto L- Series lenses are continuously extolled by professional photographers around the world as being super-high-performance lenses with unrivaled sharpness. The key to this performance is the complete elimination of the secondary spectrum through liberal use of fluorite and UD (Ultra-Low Dispersion) glass lenses.

A large selection of Canon L-Series EF super telephoto lenses combine superior optical performance and fast maximum aperture with the ruggedness professionals need. From the 200mm f/1.8L to the 600mm f/4L, Canon L-Series telephotos are used in all areas of photography. Canon's reputation for quality as a leader in optics has given professional photographers the confidence and competitive edge they need to produce some of the world's most exciting images.

The availability of the new EF lenses are as follows:

• EF 17-35mm f/2.8L USM (April)
• EF 135mm f/2L USM (March)
• EF 180mm f/3.5L USM (April)
• EF 400mm f/2.8L II USM (March)

Manufacturer description #2

This super telephoto lens is useful for a wide variety of shooting situations, including fashion photography where its large maximum aperture permits beautiful background blur, and sports photography both indoors and outdoors under nighttime illumination. Secondary spectrum is effectively eliminated by one Fluorite and two UD elements. This lens delivers high resolution and contrast for excellent image qulaity with little chromatic aberratiion at the boundaries of the subject. Compared to the former model, the weight of the lens has been substantially decreased by reducing the protective glass (due to the use of strong Fluorite) and by slimming the lens barrel. With a ring USM and internal focusing, autofocus response is outstanding. Full-time manual focus (with three sensitivity settings), preset focusing, and other functions normally found on Canon super telephoto lenses are also provided. Attaching Extenders EF1.4X or 2X permits super zoom AF photography at 560mm f/4 and 800mm f/5.6, respectively.

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

• Fastest speed (F/2.8), along with 7 other models
• Does not have Image Stabilizer (IS), along with 7 other models
• Not weather sealed, along with 8 other models

Other super telephoto prime lenses in the Canon EOS system