Canon EF 50-200mm F/3.5-4.5L
Telephoto zoom lens • Film era • Discontinued
- Announced:
- · June 1988
- Production status:
- ● Discontinued
- Country of design:
- · Japan
- Original name:
- · CANON ZOOM LENS EF 50-200mm 1:3.5-4.5 L
- Class:
- · Slow full-frame telephoto zoom lens
- System:
- · Canon EOS (1987)
Abbreviations
| EF | The lens is designed for Canon EOS 35mm SLR cameras but can be also used on Canon EOS APS-C digital SLR cameras. |
| L | Professional lens with high quality optics and robust build. Meets the highest standards and provides excellent performance and flawless image quality unachievable with traditional optical technologies. |
Specification
| Optical design: | |
| 35mm full frame | |
| 50mm - 200mm [4X zoom ratio] | |
| F/3.5 @ 50mm - F/4.5 @ 200mm | |
| 16 elements in 14 groups | |
| 2 FL | |
| Canon EF [44mm] | |
| 46.8° @ 50mm - 12.3° @ 200mm (35mm full frame) | |
| On Canon EOS APS-C [1.59x] cameras: | |
35mm equivalent focal length range: | 79.5mm - 318mm (in terms of field of view) |
35mm equivalent speed range: | F/5.6 @ 50mm - F/7.2 @ 200mm (in terms of depth of field) |
Diagonal angle of view: | 30.4° @ 50mm - 7.8° @ 200mm |
| Diaphragm mechanism: | |
Diaphragm type: | Automatic |
Aperture control: | None; the aperture is controlled from the camera |
| 8 (eight) | |
| Zooming: | |
Zoom mechanism: | Manual |
Zoom control: | Zoom ring |
Zoom type: | Push/pull (50mm → 200mm) |
Zooming method: | Extends while zooming |
| Focusing: | |
| 1.50m | |
| 1.20m (in MACRO mode) | |
| 1:4.35 @ 200mm (in MACRO mode) | |
Focusing modes: | Autofocus (AF), Manual focus (M) |
Autofocus motor: | Arc-Form Drive |
Manual focus control: | Focusing ring |
Focus mode selector: | AF (LIMIT) - AF (FULL) - M |
Full-Time Manual Focus (FTM): | - |
Focusing distance range limiter: | MACRO - INF / 1.5m - INF |
| Image Stabilizer (IS): | |
| - | |
| Physical characteristics: | |
| 695g | |
| ⌀75.6×145.8mm | |
| - | |
| - | |
| Accessories: | |
| Screw-type 58mm | |
| ET-62 - Snap-on round | |
| Not compatible |
Source of data
- Manufacturer's technical data.
Manufacturer description
This high-performance zoom lens joins Canon's professional line of 'L' series lenses and features superior optical performance by utilizing two fluorite glass elements. It is compact and lightweight, with a 4x zoom ratio covering the standard to telephoto focal lengths. The full range macro mechanism allows focusing as close as 4 feet with a magnification power of 0.23x.
From the editor
The manufacturer states that the lens has two fluorite elements in its optical construction, but the manufacturer's drawing shows only one fluorite element.
Other telephoto zoom lenses in the Canon EOS system
Lenses with similar focal length range
| ■Canon EF mount (1) | |||||||||
| Sigma 55-200mm F/4-5.6 II • ⌀52 • Push/pull | 1987 ● | compare | 2 | 1 | |||||
| ■Canon EF mount (3) · APS-C | |||||||||
| Sigma 50-200mm F/4-5.6 DC OS HSM • ⌀55 | 2009 ● | compare | 5 | 2 | |||||
| Sigma 55-200mm F/4-5.6 DC • ⌀55 akaQuantaray AF 55-200mm F/4-5.6 QD |
2003 ● | compare | 4 | 1 | |||||
| Tamron AF 55-200mm F/4-5.6 Di II LD Macro A15 • ⌀52 akaPromaster Digital AF 55-200mm F/4-5.6 EDO LD Macro akaQuantaray AF 55-200mm F/4-5.6 LD Macro |
2005 ● | compare | 4 | 1 | |||||
Comments (1)
I recently acquired a brilliant copy of this lens from a camera repair shop for $200 USD. I could not pass it up at that price. It’s stunningly sharp. It’s MUCH lighter than my 70-200 f4L IS and 24-70 f2.8L, however feels more solidly built than your basic kit lens. The push-pull zoom design can be a deal breaker for some. My only issue is that I wish it were stiffer. It’s real easy to move and will creep rather easily.
If someone makes this focal range today with a constant aperture of 2.8 (or faster even) with the optical sharpness in this lens along with stabilization; they would corner the market.