supertelephoto

Canon 200-400mm supertele lens due this year -- maybe

COLOGNE, Germany -- A year and a half ago, Canon announced it was working on a 200-400mm telephoto zoom lens with a built-in 1.4X extender. But since then, there's been nary a peep.

Well, there's a peep now, Canon shooters jealous of Nikon's 200-400mm will be pleased to know.

The plan is to release it this year, said Mike Owen, communications manager for Canon's professional imaging department in Europe. He spoke at a Canon press conference yesterday at the Photokina show here.

But Owen was quick to add a caveat: "We're anticipating that, … Read more

Nikon to extend telephoto lens range to 800mm

Nikon will add an 800mm f5.6 supertelephoto to its product line, closing a competitive gap with its longtime rival Canon.

Nikon didn't announce when the lens will ship or how much it will cost, but you can bet it'll be expensive. Canon's Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM costs more than $13,000.

But for some photographers, notably those who shoot wildlife and especially bird images, supertelephoto lenses are worth the price. And now that videographers are buying SLRs, some new purse strings may be loosening.

Nikon plans to show the lens off … Read more

Canon 200-400mm lens leads supertele charge

Canon today disclosed prices for previously announced overhauls of its 500mm and 600mm supertelephoto lenses, but more unusually, announced a new 200-400mm model that will join the company's already large lens family.

Nikon and Canon, locked in fierce competition for professional photographers, often have similar lens models, but Nikon for years has offered a highly regarded and newly refurbished 200-400mm supertele zoom while Canon stuck with its increasingly elderly 100-400mm design. Now Canon is countering with the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender l.4x.

Some of the nomenclature should look familiar: f/4L means a continuous maximum … Read more

Canon recrafting supertelephoto lens lineup

Just after Canon announced second-generation 300mm and 400mm telephoto lenses for its SLRs, the Japanese camera maker also said Friday that it will show prototypes of revamped supertelephoto lenses with 500mm and 600mm focal lengths.

The two prototypes, officially called the EF500mm f/4L IS II USM and EF600mm f/4L IS II USM, are second-generation successors to the current products introduced in July and September 1999, respectively. They'll be on display at the Photokina show in Cologne, Germany, later in September, at which the spotlight shines brightly on high-end gear.

Canon was characteristically reserved about the prototypes, saying release dates and specifications haven't been decided, but the company appears to be applying the similar revisions that it brought to the 300mm and 400mm lenses: better image stabilization, better image quality, and lighter weight.

"The EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM and EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM are being developed as L (Luxury)-series lenses equipped with a high-performance image stabilization system," Canon said. "Employing fluorite and other special optical materials to correct for a variety of aberrations, the lenses aim to realize high-resolution, high-contrast imaging performance in a lighter-weight body design." … Read more

Sony previews supertelephoto, other SLR lenses

LAS VEGAS--Sony showed off models of a forthcoming supertelephoto and five other lenses Monday at the Photo Marketing Association trade show, a new sign the electronics giant is holding tight to its ambition to be a major player in the digital SLR market

"Sony is passionate in proving better lens development," said Shigeki Ishizuka, president of Sony's digital imaging business group, at a news conference held here in conjunction with PMA. He said Sony now ranks third in the SLR market. … Read more