Canon EF lens mount
Encyclopedia
Canon EOS
The Canon EOS autofocus 35 mm film and digital SLR camera system was introduced in 1987 with the Canon EOS 650 and is still in production as Canon's current DSLR system...
family of SLR film and digital cameras. EF stands for "Electro-Focus": automatic focusing on EF lenses is handled by a dedicated electric motor built into the lens. Mechanically, it is a bayonet-style mount
Bayonet mount
A bayonet mount or bayonet connector is a fastening mechanism consisting of a male side with one or more pins, and a female receptor with matching L slots and spring to keep the two parts locked together....
, and all communication between camera and lens takes place through electrical contacts; there are no mechanical levers or plungers.
In 2003, Canon introduced the EF-S lens mount
Canon EF-S lens mount
The EF-S lens mount is a derivative of the EF lens mount created for a subset of Canon digital single-lens reflex cameras with APS-C sized image sensors. It was released in 2003. Cameras supporting the EF-S mount are backward-compatible with the EF lens mount and, as such, have a flange focal...
, a derivative of the EF mount that is strictly for digital EOS cameras with APS-C
APS-C
Advanced Photo System type-C is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System "classic" size negatives...
sensors released after 2003. EF lenses can be mounted on EF-S bodies but EF-S lenses cannot be mounted on EF bodies.
History
The EF mount replaces its predecessor, the FD mountCanon FD
The Canon FD lens mount is a physical standard for connecting a photographic lens to a single-lens reflex camera body. The standard was developed by Canon of Japan and was introduced in March 1971 with the Canon F-1 camera. It was the primary Canon SLR lens mounting system until 1987 when the...
.
The standard autofocus
Autofocus
An autofocus optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus fully automatic or on a manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system has to be done manually until indication...
lens mounting technology of the time used a motor in the camera body to drive the mechanics of the focus helicoid
Helicoid
The helicoid, after the plane and the catenoid, is the third minimal surface to be known. It was first discovered by Jean Baptiste Meusnier in 1776. Its name derives from its similarity to the helix: for every point on the helicoid there is a helix contained in the helicoid which passes through...
in the lens by using a transfer lever. The key innovation of the EF series was to use a motor inside the lens itself for focusing. This allowed for autofocusing lenses which did not require mechanical levers in the mount mechanism, only electrical contacts to supply power and instructions to the lens motor. The motors were designed for the particular lens they were installed in.
When the EF mount was introduced in 1987, it had the largest mount diameter (54 mm internal) among all 35 mm SLR cameras.
The EF series includes over sixty lenses. The EF series has encompassed focal lengths from 8 to 1200 mm (and as wide as 10 mm for EF-S lenses). Many EF lenses include such features as Canon's ultrasonic motor
Ultrasonic motor
An ultrasonic motor is a type of electric motor powered by the ultrasonic vibration of a component, the stator, placedagainst another component, the rotor or slider depending on the scheme of operation...
(USM) drive, an image stabilization
Image stabilization
Image stabilization is a family of techniques used to reduce blurring associated with the motion of a camera during exposure. Specifically, it compensates for pan and tilt of a camera or other imaging device. It is used in image-stabilized binoculars, still and video cameras, and astronomical...
system (IS), diffractive optics (DO) and, particularly for L-series lenses, fluorite
Fluorite
Fluorite is a halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF2. It is an isometric mineral with a cubic habit, though octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon...
and aspherical lens elements.
Versatility
Flange focal distance
For an interchangeable lens camera, the flange focal distance of a lens mount system is the distance from the mounting flange to the...
of 44.0 mm allow the EF lens mount to work with adapters. It is possible to mount lenses using the Nikon F mount, Olympus OM, Leica R
Leica R bayonet
The Leica R bayonet lens mount is the standard method of connecting a lens to the Leica R series of 35 mm single-lens reflex cameras. The mount is descended from those used for the Leicaflex, Leicaflex SL and Leicaflex SL2 SLR cameras, but differs in the cams used to communicate lens aperture...
and universal M42 lens mount
M42 lens mount
The M42 lens mount is a screw thread mounting standard for attaching lenses to 35 mm cameras, primarily single-lens reflex models. It is more accurately known as the M42 × 1 mm standard, which means that it is a metric screw thread of 42 mm diameter and 1 mm thread pitch...
s (among others) by the use of a mechanical adapter. The earlier FD mount
Canon FD
The Canon FD lens mount is a physical standard for connecting a photographic lens to a single-lens reflex camera body. The standard was developed by Canon of Japan and was introduced in March 1971 with the Canon F-1 camera. It was the primary Canon SLR lens mounting system until 1987 when the...
is not usable for general photography unless adapters with optical elements are used because its flange focal distance was only 42.0 mm; infinity focus
Infinity focus
In optics and photography, infinity focus is the state where a lens or other optical system forms an image of an object an infinite distance away. This corresponds to the point of focus for parallel rays. The image is formed at the focal point of the lens....
would be lost with an adapter which lacks optical elements. The Canon FD-EOS adapter is rare and is only usable with certain FD telephoto lenses. With a manual connection, the aperture and focus controls of the lens cannot be controlled or read from the camera; the lens must be focused manually. Since the only possible metering is through-the-lens, the lens must be manually stopped down to accurately meter at anything less than full aperture. (This is called stop-down metering.)
For other lens types, an adapter would act as an extension tube, causing the lens to lose the ability to focus to infinity. Alternatively, the lens adapters would include optical elements and act as weak teleconverter
Teleconverter
A teleconverter is a secondary lens which is mounted between the camera and a photographic lens. Its job is to enlarge the central part of an image obtained by the objective lens...
s, as well as possibly losing optical quality.
Third-party lenses
Third-party lenses compatible with EOS electronics are manufactured by SigmaSigma Corporation
is a Japanese company founded in 1961, manufacturing cameras, lenses, flashes and other photographic accessories. All Sigma products are produced in the company's own Aizu factory in Bandai, Fukushima, Japan...
, Tamron
Tamron
is a Japanese company manufacturing photographic lenses, optical components and commercial/industrial-use optics. Tamron Headquarters is located in Saitama City in the Saitama Prefecture of Japan....
, Tokina
Tokina
is a Japanese manufacturer of photographic lenses and CCTV security equipment.-History:Tokina, become a partner of Pentax, division of Hoya Corporation and jointly developed some lenses. These will be available under the Pentax and Schneider Kreuznach D-Xenon and D-Xenogon brands in Pentax K mount...
, and Carl Zeiss. The manufacturers of these lenses have reverse engineered the electronics of the EF lens mount. The use of these lenses is not supported by Canon. Sometimes compatibility problems arise, as no third party has access to Canon's specifications for camera-body communication. These compatibility issues mostly occur when using a newer body with an older third-party lens. Over time, most of these issues have been resolved by the major third-party brands. Nevertheless, it is not accurate to call these lenses EF mount, as that term is reserved by Canon for its own lenses exclusively.
Controls and features
This is a list of the different controls and switches found on most Canon EF lenses, along with a detailed description on what they are used for.
Lens mount index: This marking is found on all EF lenses. It is used for matching the EF lens mount to the mount on an EOS body, so one can connect the lens to the body quickly. On EF lenses, this is a raised, round red mark, while on EF-S lenses it is a square white mark.
Focusing ring: This control, found on most EF lenses, is used for focusing
Focus (optics)
In geometrical optics, a focus, also called an image point, is the point where light rays originating from a point on the object converge. Although the focus is conceptually a point, physically the focus has a spatial extent, called the blur circle. This non-ideal focusing may be caused by...
the lens. It is usually a ring on the lens body, that can be turned. On some lenses, such as the Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens
Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens
The Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens 3.5-5.6 is a wide-angle to mild telephoto zoom lens for digital single-lens reflex cameras with an EF-S lens mount. The field of view has a 35 mm equivalent focal length of 28.8-88mm, and it is the standard kit lens on Canon's consumer DSLRs.There have been four releases...
, this is simply the inner lens barrel.
Zoom ring: This control is found on many EF zoom lens
Zoom lens
A zoom lens is a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length can be varied, as opposed to a fixed focal length lens...
es. It is used for changing the focal length of the lens. The zoom ring usually has certain, common, focal lengths marked on it. To set the zoom ring to any given focal length, one must turn the ring so that the marked focal length matches the zoom index. The zoom index is typically a white, or black, line found next to the zoom ring.
Autofocus
An autofocus optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus fully automatic or on a manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system has to be done manually until indication...
mode (AF), the lens will autofocus when directed to by the camera. When set to manual focus (MF), the lens is focused using the Focusing ring. Some lenses support full-time manual focusing (FT-M), which allows the photographer to focus the lens manually even with the mode switch set to AF, without damaging the lens (as could happen if a lens without FT-M is manually focused while in AF mode).
Focusing distance range limiter switch: This switch is found on most longer focal length lenses, and macro lenses. It is used for limiting the focusing distance range of the lens when using it in autofocus mode. Most lenses have two settings; these are usually full focus range (from minimum focus distance to infinity), and distant focus range (from half way point of focus range to infinity
Infinity
Infinity is a concept in many fields, most predominantly mathematics and physics, that refers to a quantity without bound or end. People have developed various ideas throughout history about the nature of infinity...
). Other lenses have three settings, with the additional setting usually being near focus range (from minimum focus distance to half way point of focus range). Longer focal length lenses and macro lenses have a relatively long travel distance for the focusing mechanism inside the lens; this feature shortens the autofocus time. When the photographer knows they will not need a certain part of the focus distance range, limiting it will help shorten the autofocus time, and possibly prevent "focus hunting".
Soft Focus Ring: This ring is found only on the 135 mm 'Soft Focus' prime lens, and enables a variable soft focus effect from completely sharp (0) to very soft (2), although it has little effect when used with apertures over f/5.6. Although the ring can be set to any position, two 'stops' are implemented at positions 1 and 2.
Image stabilizer mode switch: This switch is found on many EF lenses that feature an image stabilizer, particularly those of longer focal lengths. The switch has two settings: Mode 1 and Mode 2. Mode 1 is normal mode, used for typical photography, where the subject does not move. Mode 2 is used for panning; this is useful for sports or wildlife photography, where the subject moves constantly and one will need to pan. One should not use Mode 1 for panning as this will typically cause blurred photographs; the image stabilizer will attempt to correct for all motion, including the panning motion, but cannot do so due to the limited range of motion of the IS mechanism. Most lenses that have an image stabilizer, but do not feature this switch, are permanently in Mode 1. Some newer lenses, such as the Canon EF-S 18-200mm lens
Canon EF-S 18-200mm lens
The Canon EF-S 18-200mm lens is a superzoom lens, manufactured by Canon. It is the higher end kit lens for the Canon EOS 60D digital camera, and supplants the previous EF-S 17-85mm, in Canon's product line-up, losing 1mm off the wide end, but offering a roughly 2.5x longer telephoto end.While Canon...
, are able to detect if they are being panned in either axis and will auto disable the stabilization for the axis parallel to movement. Therefore, they do not need this switch.
Autofocus stop buttons: These buttons are found on some super telephoto EF lenses, evenly spaced around the front collar of the lens. They are used for temporarily stopping the autofocus feature of the lens. Only one button needs to be pressed to activate the feature. To use this button, one must first have the autofocus active, then when one wishes to halt autofocus, one presses and holds the button. To resume autofocus, one releases the button. Some newer bodies allow these buttons to be assigned to perform other functions; for instance, the Canon EOS 7D
Canon EOS 7D
The Canon EOS 7D is an 18.0 effective megapixel APS-C crop CMOS digital single-lens reflex camera made by Canon. It was announced on September 1, 2009...
allows the photographer to set these buttons to perform any of six functions.
Focus preset: The focus preset feature is found on most super telephoto EF lenses. The focus preset feature uses one switch, one button, and one ring. It is used for presetting a given focus distance into memory, so that the photographer can quickly recall the focus distance, without the need for autofocus. The switch has three settings "off"( o ), "on"( | ), or "on with sound"( ((- ), and is used for turning on the feature, and deciding if sound is desired. The "set" button is used for saving the focus distance into memory. The focus preset ring is used for recalling the memory save point. It is a thin knurled ring, usually located in front of the Focusing ring. To use this feature, one must set the switch to either "on" or "on with sound", focus the lens to the desired distance, then press the "set" button. After this, when the feature is turned on, the photographer can turn the focus preset ring, and the lens will recall and focus quickly to the distance that was saved. This feature is useful for sports and birding photography (for instance, to allow rapid focusing on the goal or on a spot where the birds may perch).
Lens hood mount: This feature is found on most EF lenses. This mount is used for attaching the lens hood
Lens hood
In photography, a lens hood or lens shade is a device used on the end of a lens to block the sun or other light source in order to prevent glare and lens flare....
. The hood mount is of a bayonet style on most EF lenses, though a clip-on style hood mount is used for a small selection of current lenses.
Tripod collar: This feature is found on most longer focal length lenses, and macro lenses. The tripod collar is used for attaching the tripod ring. There are two main styles of tripod rings. One type is opened up, placed on the lens' tripod collar, then closed and tightened. The other type does not open, but instead is slid up the lens from the mount end (which can only be done when the lens is not mounted on a camera body) and tightened. To set the tripod ring so that it is level with the lens, rotate the ring until the index mark on the tripod ring matches the index mark on the distance scale. The tripod ring is used for attaching a tripod/monopod near to the point of balance of the lens-body combination, more conveniently than the camera body. In the case of larger and heavier lenses, there is also less strain on the lens mount if the body is supported by the tripod-mounted lens than if the lens were to be supported by a tripod-mounted body.
Related technologies
With the release of the EOS 300DCanon EOS 300D
The Canon EOS 300D, manufactured by Canon, marketed in North America as the EOS Digital Rebel, and in Japan as the EOS Kiss Digital, is a 6.3-megapixel entry-level digital single-lens reflex camera. It was initially announced on 20 August, 2003 at a price point of $899 without lens, $999 with the...
Canon introduced a variation on the standard EF lens mount called EF-S. The "S" stands for "Short Back Focus". EF-S uses the standard EF bayonet mount, but with minor physical alterations which prevent EF-S lenses from being mounted on bodies which do not support them.
There are a couple of benefits to EF-S lenses, both related to the smaller (1.6x or APS-C
APS-C
Advanced Photo System type-C is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System "classic" size negatives...
) sensor size. One is that since a lens designed for a smaller sensor need only project an image circle large enough to cover the small sensor, the lens itself can be smaller; it can therefore also be lighter and have lower materials costs, since the lens elements, made of relatively heavy and expensive optical glass, will be smaller than in a comparable full-frame lens. Such a lens, if used on a body with a larger sensor, would leave the outer portions of the sensor outside its image circle, and therefore they would be black, but since EF-S lenses will not physically mount on incompatible bodies, this problem is avoided.
The second benefit is that, since a body with a smaller sensor can use a smaller mirror, the rear element of the lens can extend somewhat into the body without danger of being struck by the mirror. Particularly for a wide-angle lens
Wide-angle lens
From a design perspective, a wide angle lens is one that projects a substantially larger image circle than would be typical for a standard design lens of the same focal length; this enables either large tilt & shift movements with a view camera, or lenses with wide fields of view.More informally,...
, this gives the lens designers more freedom in designing the lens' optical formula.
Ultrasonic motor drive
Ultrasonic motor
An ultrasonic motor is a type of electric motor powered by the ultrasonic vibration of a component, the stator, placedagainst another component, the rotor or slider depending on the scheme of operation...
(USM) lenses appeared with the introduction of the EF 300 mm 2.8L USM lens in 1987. Canon was the first camera maker to successfully commercialise the USM technology. EF lenses equipped with USM drives have fast, silent and precise autofocus operations, and consume less power compared to other AF drive motors.
There are two types of USMs, the ring-type USM and the micromotor USM. Ring-type USM allows for full-time manual focus (FT-M) operations without switching out of AF mode. Micromotor USM is used to bring down the cost of the lens. It is possible to implement FT-M even with micromotor USM; however, it requires additional mechanical components, and the vast majority of micro-USM lenses do not offer FT-M.
Some USM lenses are identified with a gold ring and the label "Ultrasonic" printed in gold on the lens barrel. All L lenses which have USM do not have the gold ring, but the red ring which denotes them as an L lens. However, they have the label "Ultrasonic" printed in red on the lens barrel.
Image stabilizer
Image stabilization
Image stabilization is a family of techniques used to reduce blurring associated with the motion of a camera during exposure. Specifically, it compensates for pan and tilt of a camera or other imaging device. It is used in image-stabilized binoculars, still and video cameras, and astronomical...
(IS) technology detects handheld motion and optically corrects it. It only corrects handheld motion; if the subject of the photograph is moving, IS will not stop it. It also can only stabilize so much motion, ranging from two to five stops, depending on the specific IS in the lens. Canon has released several versions of the IS system, including the following:
- The first version, first used in the 75-300mmCanon EF 75-300mm lensIntroduced in 1995, the Canon EF 75-300mm lens 4.0-5.6 is a telephoto zoom lens for Canon EOS single-lens reflex cameras with an EF lens mount. The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens is Canon's first Image Stabilized lens and is generally considered to be low-end consumer-level...
lens (1995), takes approximately one second to stabilize, provides approximately two stops of stability, is not suitable for use on a tripod and or for panning. - The 300mm 4L IS USMCanon EF 300mm lensThe EF 300mm lens refers to five telephoto prime lenses made by Canon. The lenses have an EF type mount which fits the Canon EOS line of cameras....
lens, released in 1997, adds IS Mode 2, which detects whether panning is taking place horizontally or vertically, and only compensates for vibration in the plane perpendicular to the plane of panning. - In 1999, with the release of the IS super-telephoto lenses (300mm 2.8LCanon EF 300mm lensThe EF 300mm lens refers to five telephoto prime lenses made by Canon. The lenses have an EF type mount which fits the Canon EOS line of cameras....
through 600mm 4LCanon EF 600mm lensThe Canon EF 600mm is a super-telephoto lens made by Canon Inc. The lens has an EF mount to work with the EOS line of cameras.4L USM lens was released in November 1988 4L IS USM lens was released in September 1999 4L IS II USM lens was announced in February 2011 The IS version has more lens...
), tripod detection was added, so that the lens could be used on a tripod with IS turned on. - In 2001, a new version of the Image Stabilizer was created for the 70–200mm 2.8LCanon EF 70-200mm lensThe EF 70-200mm lens is a telephoto zoom lens made by Canon Inc.The lens has an EF mount to work with the EOS line of cameras.The lens comes in five different versions, all of which have fixed maximum aperture at all focal lengths and are L-series lenses.2.8L IS USM2.8L IS II USM2.8L USM4L IS USM4L...
. This version takes approximately 0.5s and can be stabilized up to three stops. - In 2006, the 70–200 mm 4L IS USMCanon EF 70-200mm lensThe EF 70-200mm lens is a telephoto zoom lens made by Canon Inc.The lens has an EF mount to work with the EOS line of cameras.The lens comes in five different versions, all of which have fixed maximum aperture at all focal lengths and are L-series lenses.2.8L IS USM2.8L IS II USM2.8L USM4L IS USM4L...
was released with an Image Stabilizer which allows up to four stops of stabilization. - In 2008, the 200mm f/2L IS USMCanon EF 200mm lensThe EF 200mm USM lens is a L-series prime telephoto lenses made by Canon Inc. for the EOS line of cameras. Four 200mm primes were made: 1.8, two 2.8, and the most recent 2.0....
was released with a new version of IS which allows up to five stops of stabilization. - In 2009, the 100 mm 2.8L Macro IS USM became the first Canon lens with a Hybrid Image Stabilizer. In addition to correcting angular movement, Hybrid IS also corrects for shift movement.
- Some newer lenses include an Image Stabilizer which can automatically detect whether the user is panning and respond accordingly, and therefore these lenses do not have an IS mode switch.
All EF lenses that support IS have the words "Image Stabilizer" written on the lens. On some of Canon's larger telephoto lenses, the words "Image Stabilizer" are etched onto a metal plate affixed to the lens.
Diffractive optics
Chromatic aberration
In optics, chromatic aberration is a type of distortion in which there is a failure of a lens to focus all colors to the same convergence point. It occurs because lenses have a different refractive index for different wavelengths of light...
. They are more expensive to make than non-DO lenses. Only the EF 400 mm 4 DO IS USM and the EF 70–300 mm 4.5–5.6 DO IS USM contain DO elements. DO lenses have a green ring on the barrel.
L-series lenses
Top range Canon EF lenses are designated "L-series", or "Luxury" lenses. L series lenses are compatible with the full range of EF or EF-S mounts and as they are aimed at the high end user, most also include environmental or weather sealing and constant maximum aperture. Many users mistakenly think that that 'L' implies the best optical performance. Whilst the L Series range contains the largest number of professional quality products, Canon also manufactures many excellent EF-S lenses, designed for 1.6x crop sensor bodies. By definition, these are not allowed "L" status as they cannot be used on the full range of Canon digital and 35mm film SLRs. There are also "L" lenses, such as the white 28-300mm that display performance compromises resulting, in that case, from the extreme zoom range. All L lenses are supplied complete with a hood and pouch, which are not included with non-L lenses. Distinctive visual characteristics include a red ring around the lens and an off-white color on the longer focal length models. The latter, as well as looking distinctive, also helps to reflect heat.All L lenses include at least one fluorite or ultra-low dispersion
Dispersion (optics)
In optics, dispersion is the phenomenon in which the phase velocity of a wave depends on its frequency, or alternatively when the group velocity depends on the frequency.Media having such a property are termed dispersive media...
glass element, and/or certain types of aspherical elements. Other mechanical characteristics of L lenses (but not exclusive to them) are the USM (particularly in recent years) and Image Stabilization technologies.
Owning a number of L-series lenses along with at least two professional EOS camera bodies is a requirement for admittance into the Canon Professional Services in most markets (for example, three for Europe and Australia, two for Malaysia and Singapore and one for Hong Kong). However, in the United States, CPS eligibility requirements can be met with one professional (i.e., 1-series) body or two semi-pro bodies, and also do not require ownership of any L-series lenses. The list of qualifying lenses in that market includes several non-L EF lenses and three EF-S lenses.
Communication protocol
The communication protocol between the camera is 8-data-bit, 1-stop-bit SPISerial Peripheral Interface Bus
The Serial Peripheral Interface Bus or SPI bus is a synchronous serial data link standard named by Motorola that operates in full duplex mode. Devices communicate in master/slave mode where the master device initiates the data frame. Multiple slave devices are allowed with individual slave select ...
(mode 3). The pins, from right to left on the lens, are:
| Name | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VBat | +6 volt Volt The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the... s to power internal lens focus motors |
Present on all EOS bodies and lenses |
| P-Gnd | Power ground | |
| P-Gnd | ||
| VDD | +5.5 volt Volt The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the... s Digital logic power |
|
| DCL | Data from camera to the lens (MOSI) | |
| DLC | Data from the lens to the camera (MISO) | |
| LCLK | Camera body generated clock signal (SCLK, CPOL=1) | |
| D-GND | Digital logic ground | |
| COM1 | Teleconverter Teleconverter A teleconverter is a secondary lens which is mounted between the camera and a photographic lens. Its job is to enlarge the central part of an image obtained by the objective lens... common |
 Only on most L-series and some macro lenses |
| EXT0 | Short to COM1 for 'Life Size Converter' and x1.4 teleconverter | |
| EXT1 | Short to COM1 for x2 and x1.4 teleconverter |
The information from the lens is used by the camera body for focusing and metering, and with digital camera bodies it is used to record the lens parameters in the Exif data in the images.
All L series primes 135mm or longer, the 400mm DO
Canon EF 400mm lens
The Canon EF 400mm are four super-telephoto lenses made by Canon Inc. These lenses have an EF mount that work with the EOS line of cameras. These lenses are widely used by sports and wildlife photographers....
, the 70–200mm zooms, the 100–400mm
Canon EF 100-400mm lens
The EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM is a professional EF mount telephoto zoom lens introduced by Canon Inc. in September 1998. It is a high performance tele-photo lens ideal for sports and wildlife photography which has received high ratings from purchasers at Amazon.com and B&H Photo Video.This lens...
zoom, and the 50mm Compact Macro have three additional communication pins. These additional pins are used by the Canon Extender EF
Canon Extender EF
The Extender EF lenses are a group of teleconverter lenses made by Canon. These lenses are used between any compatible EF type lens and any of the Canon EOS line of cameras. When used with a compatible lens, such as the Canon EF 500mm 4L IS USM, they will multiply the focal length of the lens by a...
adapters and the Life-Size Converter EF to indicate to the lens the change in focal length so that it is able to report the correct focal length and aperture to the camera body when mounted on a teleconverter
Teleconverter
A teleconverter is a secondary lens which is mounted between the camera and a photographic lens. Its job is to enlarge the central part of an image obtained by the objective lens...
. The lens also reduces autofocus speed when a teleconverter is attached to improve autofocus accuracy.
List of EF lenses
The following is a list of EF lenses made by Canon.Please note that the "I", "II", "III", etc. after the focal length(s) indicates the generation number. While I is used in the table below, it is never used in official Canon model numbers; the original model lacks a Roman numeral and only the second and subsequent generations have them.
The EF lenses are grouped below by their focal lengths:
- Zoom: for zoom lensZoom lensA zoom lens is a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length can be varied, as opposed to a fixed focal length lens...
es that have a range of focal lengths - Prime: for prime lensPrime lensIn film and photography, a prime lens is either a photographic lens whose focal length is fixed, as opposed to a zoom lens, or it is the primary lens in a combination lens system....
es that have a single focal length
Zoom
| Focal length Focal length The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light. For an optical system in air, it is the distance over which initially collimated rays are brought to a focus... |
Aperture Aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,... |
USM Ultrasonic motor An ultrasonic motor is a type of electric motor powered by the ultrasonic vibration of a component, the stator, placedagainst another component, the rotor or slider depending on the scheme of operation... |
IS Image stabilization Image stabilization is a family of techniques used to reduce blurring associated with the motion of a camera during exposure. Specifically, it compensates for pan and tilt of a camera or other imaging device. It is used in image-stabilized binoculars, still and video cameras, and astronomical... |
L-series Canon l lens An L lens is a line of SLR photography lenses made by Canon.L lenses are Canon's top-of-the-line lenses. The "L" officially stands for "Luxury", a reference to the lenses' high price and proclaimed build quality. The use of "ASPH" was common to notate aspherical elements throughout Canon's and... |
DO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-15 mm Canon EF 8-15mm lens The Canon EF 8–15mm 4L Fisheye USM is a fisheye zoom lens for Canon digital single-lens reflex cameras with an EF lens mount. It delivers 180° diagonal angle of view images for all EOS SLR cameras with imaging formats ranging from full-frame to APS-C, and provides 180° circular fisheye images for... (fisheye Fisheye lens In photography, a fisheye lens is a wide-angle lens that takes in a broad, panoramic and hemispherical image. Originally developed for use in meteorology to study cloud formation and called "whole-sky lenses", fisheye lenses quickly became popular in general photography for their unique, distorted... ) |
4 | ||||
| 16–35 mm I Canon EF 16-35mm lens The EF 16-35mm 2.8L USM lens is a professional wide-angle lens made by Canon Inc. It replaced the EF 17-35mm 2.8L USM lens, which had itself replaced the EF 20-35 2.8L lens.The lens has an EF mount to work with the EOS line of cameras... |
2.8 | ||||
| 16–35 mm II | 2.8 | ||||
| 17–35 mm Canon EF 17-35mm lens The Canon EF 17-35mm 2.8 lens was a wide-angle zoom lens made by Canon Inc.. It was replaced by the Canon EF 16-35mm lens.-External links:* *... |
2.8 | ||||
| 17–40 mm Canon EF 17-40mm lens The EF 17-40mm 4L USM lens is a wide-angle lens made by Canon Inc.The lens has an EF mount to work with the EOS line of cameras. Other than the front element, it is sealed against dust and water, and features a diaphragm which remains nearly circular from 4 to 8.-Audience:The 17-40mm is the least... |
4 | ||||
| 20–35 mm Canon EF 20-35mm lens The EF 20-35mm lens is a wide-angle lens made by Canon Inc., with an EF mount. There are two models, an L-series 2.8L and a consumer-grade 3.5-4.5.-Table:-Successor lenses:The 20-35mm lens was followed by two other L-series ultra-wide lenses:... |
2.8 | ||||
| 20–35 mm | 3.5–4.5 | ||||
| 22–55 mm Canon EF 22-55mm lens The Canon EF 22-55mm 4-5.6 lens is a consumer grade lens that has now been discontinued. It was originally released in February 1998, as one of two kit lenses for the Canon EOS IX Lite, an APS-format film SLR, although it is also fully compatible with Canon's 35mm film SLRs and subsequent digital... |
4-5.6 | ||||
| 24-70 mm | 2.8 | ||||
| 24-85 mm Canon EF 24-85mm lens The EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 is an EF mount wide-to-normal zoom lens. It was introduced by Canon in 1996. The lens was originally sold with the Canon EOS IX, an APS film SLR, although it was fully compatible with Canon's 35mm film SLRs. The lens was available in two colour schemes; silver when sold... |
3.5-4.5 | ||||
| 24-105 mm | 4 | ||||
| 28-70 mm | 2.8 | ||||
| 28–70 mm II | 3.5-4.5 | ||||
| 28-80 mm Canon EF 28-80mm lens The EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 is a zoom lens produced by Canon Inc. for their series of EOS single-lens reflex cameras. Canon produced eight iterations of the lens from 1989 to 1999.... |
2.8-4 | ||||
| 28–80 mm II | 3.5-5.6 | ||||
| 28–80 mm II | 3.5-5.6 | ||||
| 28–80 mm V | 3.5-5.6 | ||||
| 28-90 mm II Canon EF 28-90mm lens The Canon EF 28-90 mm is a lens included as a kit lens with Canon EOS film cameras.The maximum aperture is 4 at 28mm, reducing to 5.6 at 90mm. When focused at 90mm this will create background blur for portrait photography.... |
4-5.6 | ||||
| 28–90 mm III | 4-5.6 | ||||
| 28-105 mm Canon EF 28-105mm lens The Canon EF 28–105 mm 4-5.6 is an inexpensive zoom lens often included as a kit lens with Canon 35 mm single-lens reflex cameras. 28–105 mm is a standard wide to telephoto zoom range. The Canon EF 28–105 mm 3.5-4.5 USM is a higher quality zoom lens with a better build quality... |
3.5-4.5 | ||||
| 28-105 mm II Canon EF 28-105mm lens The Canon EF 28–105 mm 4-5.6 is an inexpensive zoom lens often included as a kit lens with Canon 35 mm single-lens reflex cameras. 28–105 mm is a standard wide to telephoto zoom range. The Canon EF 28–105 mm 3.5-4.5 USM is a higher quality zoom lens with a better build quality... |
3.5-4.5 | ||||
| 28–105 mm | 4-5.6 | ||||
| 28-135 mm Canon EF 28-135mm lens The Canon EF 28-135 3.5-5.6 IS USM is a "standard" zoom lens that was introduced in February, 1998. The lens has a 4.82x zoom range and is based on the EF Lens Mount and works with all film and digital EOS cameras that support this mount.... |
3.5-5.6 | ||||
| 28-200 mm | 3.5-5.6 | ||||
| 28–200 mm | 3.5-5.6 | ||||
| 28-300 mm Canon EF 28-300mm lens The EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM lens is a superzoom lens made by Canon Inc.This lens has an EF type mount, that fits the Canon EOS line of cameras.... |
3.5-5.6 | ||||
| 35-70 mm | 3.5-4.5 | ||||
| 35–70 mm | 3.5-4.5A | ||||
| 35-80 mm III | 4-5.6 | ||||
| 35–80 mm | 4-5.6 | ||||
| 35–80 mm PZ | 4-5.6 | ||||
| 35-105 mm | 3.5-4.5 | ||||
| 35–105 mm | 4.5-5.6 | ||||
| 35–135 mm | 3.5-4.5 | ||||
| 35–135 mm | 4-5.6 | ||||
| 35-350 mm Canon EF 35-350mm lens The EF 35-350mm f/3.5-5.6L USM lens is a discontinued telephoto zoom lens manufactured by Canon.This lens has an EF type mount, that fits the Canon EOS line of cameras. It was introduced in January 1993. Featuring the highest magnification of any interchangeable SLR lens at the time, the lens was... |
3.5-5.6 | ||||
| 38-76 mm | 4.5-5.6 | ||||
| 50-200 mm | 3.5-4.5 | ||||
| 50–200 mm | 3.5-4.5 | ||||
| 55-200 mm II | 4.5-5.6 | ||||
| 70-200 mm Canon EF 70-200mm lens The EF 70-200mm lens is a telephoto zoom lens made by Canon Inc.The lens has an EF mount to work with the EOS line of cameras.The lens comes in five different versions, all of which have fixed maximum aperture at all focal lengths and are L-series lenses.2.8L IS USM2.8L IS II USM2.8L USM4L IS USM4L... |
2.8 | ||||
| 70–200 mm II | 2.8 | ||||
| 70–200 mm | 2.8 | ||||
| 70–200 mm | 4 | ||||
| 70–200 mm | 4 | ||||
| 70-210 mm Canon EF 70-210mm lens The EF 70-210mm lens is a discontinued telephoto zoom lens made by Canon Inc.The lens has an EF mount and works with EOS film and digital cameras.The lens comes in two different versions:* Canon EF 70-210mm 4 AFD... |
3.5-4.5 | ||||
| 70–210 mm | 4 | ||||
| 70-300 mm Canon EF 70-300mm lens The EF 70-300mm lens is a telephoto zoom lens made by Canon Inc.The lens has an EF mount to work with the EOS line of cameras.Three Canon EF telephoto zoom lenses carry the 70-300mm designation. These are the EF 70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS USM, EF 70-300mm 4-5.6L IS USM and the EF 70-300mm 4-5.6 IS USM... |
4.5-5.6 | ||||
| 70–300 mm | 4-5.6 | ||||
| 70–300 mm | 4-5.6 | ||||
| 75-300 mm Canon EF 75-300mm lens Introduced in 1995, the Canon EF 75-300mm lens 4.0-5.6 is a telephoto zoom lens for Canon EOS single-lens reflex cameras with an EF lens mount. The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens is Canon's first Image Stabilized lens and is generally considered to be low-end consumer-level... |
4-5.6 | ||||
| 75–300 mm III | 4-5.6 | ||||
| 75–300 mm III | 4-5.6 | ||||
| 80-200 mm Canon EF 80-200mm lens The EF 80-200mm lens is a discontinued telephoto zoom lens made by Canon. The lens has an EF lens mount that fits the EOS line of cameras.-Versions:There are four versions:2.8L lens4.5-5.6 lens4.5-5.6 USM4.5-5.6 II... |
2.8 | ||||
| 80–200 mm | 4.5-5.6 | ||||
| 80–200 mm II | 4.5-5.6 | ||||
| 90-300 mm Canon EF 90-300mm lens The Canon EF 90-300mm lens f/4.5-5.6 is a telephoto zoom lens for Canon EOS single-lens reflex cameras with an EF lens mount.... |
4.5-5.6 | ||||
| 90–300 mm | 4.5-5.6 | ||||
| 100-200 mm | 4.5A | ||||
| 100-300 mm Canon EF 100-300mm lens The EF 100-300mm refers to three telephoto zoom lenses produced by Canon. They are of the EF lens mount that is compatible with the EOS line of cameras.The three versions are:5.65.6L4.5-5.6 USM-Lenses:-References:*... |
4.5-5.6 | ||||
| 100–300 mm | 5.6 | ||||
| 100–300 mm | 5.6 | ||||
| 100-400 mm Canon EF 100-400mm lens The EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM is a professional EF mount telephoto zoom lens introduced by Canon Inc. in September 1998. It is a high performance tele-photo lens ideal for sports and wildlife photography which has received high ratings from purchasers at Amazon.com and B&H Photo Video.This lens... |
4.5-5.6 | ||||
| 200-400 mm | 4 |
Prime
| Focal length Focal length The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light. For an optical system in air, it is the distance over which initially collimated rays are brought to a focus... |
Aperture Aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,... |
Macro Macro photography Macrophotography is close-up photography, usually of very small subjects. Classically a macrophotograph is one in which the size of the subject on the negative is greater than life size. However in modern use it refers to a finished photograph of a subject at greater than life size... |
USM Ultrasonic motor An ultrasonic motor is a type of electric motor powered by the ultrasonic vibration of a component, the stator, placedagainst another component, the rotor or slider depending on the scheme of operation... |
IS Image stabilization Image stabilization is a family of techniques used to reduce blurring associated with the motion of a camera during exposure. Specifically, it compensates for pan and tilt of a camera or other imaging device. It is used in image-stabilized binoculars, still and video cameras, and astronomical... |
L-series Canon l lens An L lens is a line of SLR photography lenses made by Canon.L lenses are Canon's top-of-the-line lenses. The "L" officially stands for "Luxury", a reference to the lenses' high price and proclaimed build quality. The use of "ASPH" was common to notate aspherical elements throughout Canon's and... |
DO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 mm Canon EF 14mm lens The Canon EF 14mm 2.8L USM is an ultra wide angle prime lens. It is the widest full-frame lens in the Canon EF series. Because it is corrected for a rectilinear projection, the field of view is less than that of the Canon 15mm fisheye.... |
2.8 | |||||
| 14 mm II | 2.8 | |||||
| 15 mm Canon EF 15mm lens The Canon EF 15mm 2.8 is Canon's only production prime fisheye lens; other companies make fisheye lenses for Canon though .... (fisheye Fisheye lens In photography, a fisheye lens is a wide-angle lens that takes in a broad, panoramic and hemispherical image. Originally developed for use in meteorology to study cloud formation and called "whole-sky lenses", fisheye lenses quickly became popular in general photography for their unique, distorted... ) |
2.8 | |||||
| 20 mm Canon EF 20mm lens The Canon EF 20mm lens is an ultra-wide-angle prime lens featuring rear focusing.-External links:*... |
2.8 | |||||
| 24 mm Canon EF 24mm lens Canon Inc. has produced five different 24mm lenses for its Canon EF lens mount. Two are discontinued.* EF 24mm 1.4L USM, introduced December 1997. * EF 24mm 1.4L II USM, introduced December 2008.... |
1.4 | |||||
| 24 mm II | 1.4 | |||||
| 24 mm | 2.8 | |||||
| 28 mm Canon EF 28mm lens Canon Inc. has produced two different 28 mm lenses for its Canon EF lens mount. Both are currently still available.When used on a digital EOS body with a field of view compensation factor of 1.6x, such as the Canon EOS 450D, it provides a narrower field of view, equivalent to a 45 mm lens... |
1.8 | |||||
| 28 mm | 2.8 | |||||
| 35 mm Canon EF 35mm lens The EF 35 mm lenses are two wide angle prime lenses with EF mount made by Canon Inc.The Focal lengths at 35 mm or less are considered wide angle, so the focal length of these lenses are at the long end of the wide angle range. 35mm is most commonly used for group portraits, landscapes,... |
1.4 | |||||
| 35 mm | 2 | |||||
| 50 mm Canon EF 50mm lens The EF 50mm lenses are a group of normal prime lenses made by Canon that share the same focal length. These lenses are based on the classic double-Gauss lens, with the f/1.8 being a standard six-element double-Gauss with an air gap and powers between element 2 and 3 and its faster cousins adding... |
1.0 | |||||
| 50 mm | 1.2 | |||||
| 50 mm | 1.4 | |||||
| 50 mm | 1.8 | |||||
| 50 mm II | 1.8 | |||||
| 50 mm | 2.5 | † | ||||
| 65 mm Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro lens The MP-E 65mm Macro f/2.8 is a photographic lens manufactured by Canon for use on the EOS photographic system. It is a manual focus lens for the EF mount and is specifically designed for macro photography... |
2.8 | |||||
| 85 mm Canon EF 85mm lens The EF 85mm lenses are a group of medium telephoto prime lenses made by Canon Inc. that share the same focal length. These lenses have an EF type mount that fits the Canon EOS line of cameras.... |
1.2 | |||||
| 85 mm II | 1.2 | |||||
| 85 mm | 1.8 | |||||
| 100 mm | 2 | |||||
| 100 mm | 2.8 | |||||
| 100 mm | 2.8 | |||||
| 100 mm | 2.8 | |||||
| 135 mm | 2 | |||||
| 135 mm (SoftFocus) |
2.8 | |||||
| 180 mm Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM lens The Canon EF 180/3.5L Macro USM lens is the longest macro lens made by Canon in the EF mount and one of only two Canon macro lens that is part of the L series. This lens is compatible with the Canon Extender EF teleconverters.- External links :* * *... |
3.5 | |||||
| 200 mm Canon EF 200mm lens The EF 200mm USM lens is a L-series prime telephoto lenses made by Canon Inc. for the EOS line of cameras. Four 200mm primes were made: 1.8, two 2.8, and the most recent 2.0.... |
1.8 | |||||
| 200 mm | 2.0 | |||||
| 200 mm | 2.8 | |||||
| 200 mm II | 2.8 | |||||
| 300 mm | 2.8 | |||||
| 300 mm | 2.8 | |||||
| 300 mm | 4 | |||||
| 300 mm | 4 | |||||
| 400 mm II Canon EF 400mm lens The Canon EF 400mm are four super-telephoto lenses made by Canon Inc. These lenses have an EF mount that work with the EOS line of cameras. These lenses are widely used by sports and wildlife photographers.... |
2.8 | |||||
| 400 mm | 2.8 | |||||
| 400 mm | 4 | |||||
| 400 mm | 5.6 | |||||
| 500 mm II Canon EF 500mm lens The EF 500mm lenses are a group of super-telephoto prime lenses made by Canon that share the same focal length.These lenses have an EF type mount, that fit the Canon EOS line of cameras.... |
4 | |||||
| 500 mm | 4 | |||||
| 500 mm | 4.5 | |||||
| 600 mm II Canon EF 600mm lens The Canon EF 600mm is a super-telephoto lens made by Canon Inc. The lens has an EF mount to work with the EOS line of cameras.4L USM lens was released in November 1988 4L IS USM lens was released in September 1999 4L IS II USM lens was announced in February 2011 The IS version has more lens... |
4 | |||||
| 600 mm | 4 | |||||
| 600 mm | 4 | |||||
| 800 mm Canon EF 800mm lens The Canon EF 800mm 5.6L IS USM lens is a super-telephoto lens by Canon Inc., released at a MSRP of US$11,999.00.-Technical information:The EF 800mm 5.6L IS USM is a professional L series lens released June 2008. This lens is constructed with a magnesium alloy body and mount and with plastic... |
5.6 | |||||
| 1200 mm Canon EF 1200mm lens The EF 1200mm 5.6L USM is a super-telephoto prime lens that was made by Canon Inc. It uses an EF mount, and is compatible with the Canon EOS camera range... |
5.6 |
† – Compact 1:2
Exceptions
Canon has two further types of lenses compatible with the EF mount: Tilt-shift and the 1-5x Macro lensCanon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro lens
The MP-E 65mm Macro f/2.8 is a photographic lens manufactured by Canon for use on the EOS photographic system. It is a manual focus lens for the EF mount and is specifically designed for macro photography...
, which are not designated EF, but TS-E and MP-E respectively. TS stands for Tilt-shift while MP stands for Macro-photo. These types of lenses are not designated EF as they are manual-focus only lenses, and therefore are not electro-focus. They do, however, retain electronic aperture control as well as focus confirmation.