Canon L lens

Last updated February 23, 2024

Canon's series of L lenses (Luxury lenses) are a professional line of photography lenses made by Canon. Canon has sold zoom and prime L-series lenses for the discontinued FD lens mount, for the current EF lens mount used on all Canon EOS SLR cameras and for the RF mount used on mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras.

Characteristics

Canon L series lenses have a distinctive red ring around the lens barrel and the letter "L" after the lens name.^[1] Some models of L lenses utilize an infrared reflective heat shield coating.^[2] Most L series lenses share a number of common characteristics not found in Canon's line of lower-end lenses: L lenses tend to be more durable, incorporating dust and water-resistant rubber seals on some models, as well as featuring optics of higher quality, with many lenses containing aspherically ground, fluorite or ultra-low dispersion glass elements. Their front elements do not rotate for the proper operation of some filters, such as circular polarizers. L lenses are often "fast", with maximum apertures commonly f/2.8 or f/4, and, with the exception of the RF 100–500 mm f/4.5–7.1L IS USM lens and the RF 1200 mm f/8L IS USM lens, never exceeding f/5.6. Prime L lenses have a much larger maximum aperture, such as Canon's current 50mm and 85mm L lenses with maximum apertures of f/1.2. All current L-series lenses have ultrasonic autofocus motors (USM) and extra communication pins, except for the specialist tilt-shift lenses which do not provide auto focus.

Larger sized L-lenses, such as the 70–200 mm, 100–400 mm zooms, and longer focal length primes (300 mm+), usually have an off-white barrel to reduce heat absorption under the sun that may otherwise affect the performance of the lens.^[3]

Wide angle L-lenses typically have a gelatin filter holder on the mounting collar of the lens, which allows a gelatin to be installed behind the lens. Some telephoto L-lenses, such as the EF 70-200mm zoom lenses, or the EF 300mm f/4L IS USM do not have rear gelatin filter holders. Super-telephoto lenses such as the EF 500mm f/4L IS USM, or the EF 200mm f/2L IS USM have a rear 52mm drop-in filter holder which can be used to hold gelatin type filters.

According to Canon, its L series lenses:

Incorporating specialized optical materials such as synthetic fluorite, Super UD and UD glass, and large-aperture high-precision aspherical lenses, only lenses that perform to the highest photographic standards are allowed to bear the designation ‘L’.^[1]

Lenses

EF mount zoom lenses

Name	Category	Min focal length mm	Max focal length mm	Max aperture at min focal length f/	Max aperture at max focal length f/	Weight g
8-15mm f/4L USM fisheye	Wide-angle	8	15	4	4	540
11-24mm f/4L USM	Wide-angle	11	24	4	4	1180
16-35mm f/2.8L USM	Wide-angle	16	35	2.8	2.8	600
16-35mm f/2.8L II USM	Wide-angle	16	35	2.8	2.8	640
16-35mm f/2.8L III USM	Wide-angle	16	35	2.8	2.8	790
16-35mm f/4L IS USM	Wide-angle	16	35	4	4	615
17-35mm f/2.8L USM	Wide-angle	17	35	2.8	2.8	545
17-40mm f/4.0L USM	Wide-angle	17	40	4	4	500
20-35mm f/2.8L	Wide-angle	20	35	2.8	2.8	570
24-70mm f/2.8L USM	Standard	24	70	2.8	2.8	950
24-70mm f/2.8L II USM	Standard	24	70	2.8	2.8	805
24-70mm f/4L IS USM	Standard	24	70	4	4	600
24-105mm f/4L IS USM	Standard	24	105	4	4	670
24-105mm f/4L IS II USM	Standard	24	105	4	4	795
28-70mm f/2.8L USM	Standard	28	70	2.8	2.8	880
28-80mm f/2.8-4.0L USM	Standard	28	80	2.8	4	945
28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM	Telephoto	28	300	3.5	5.6	1670
35-350mm f/3.5-5.6L USM	Telephoto	35	350	3.5	5.6	1385
50-200mm f/3.5-4.5L	Telephoto	50	200	3.5	4.5	690
70-200mm f/4.0L USM	Telephoto	70	200	4	4	705
70-200mm f/4.0L IS USM	Telephoto	70	200	4	4	760
70-200mm f/4.0L IS II USM ^[4]	Telephoto	70	200	4	4	780
70-200mm f/2.8L USM	Telephoto	70	200	2.8	2.8	1310
70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM	Telephoto	70	200	2.8	2.8	1470
70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM	Telephoto	70	200	2.8	2.8	1490
70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM ^[5]	Telephoto	70	200	2.8	2.8	1480
70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM	Telephoto	70	300	4	5.6	1050
80-200mm f/2.8L	Telephoto	80	200	2.8	2.8	1330
100-300mm f/5.6L	Telephoto	100	300	5.6	5.6	695
100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM	Telephoto	100	400	4.5	5.6	1590
100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM	Telephoto	100	400	4.5	5.6	1640
200-400mm f/4L IS USM 1.4x Extender	Telephoto	200	400	4	4	3620

EF mount prime lenses

Name	Category	Focal length mm	Max aperture f/
14mm f/2.8L USM	Wide-angle	14	2.8
14mm f/2.8L II USM	Wide-angle	14	2.8
24mm f/1.4L USM	Wide-angle	24	1.4
24mm f/1.4L II USM	Wide-angle	24	1.4
35mm f/1.4L USM	Wide-angle	35	1.4
35mm f/1.4L II USM	Wide-angle	35	1.4
50mm f/1.0L USM	Standard	50	1
50mm f/1.2L USM	Standard	50	1.2
85mm f/1.2L USM	Medium telephoto	85	1.2
85mm f/1.2L II USM	Medium telephoto	85	1.2
85mm f/1.4L IS USM	Medium telephoto	85	1.4
135mm f/2.0L USM	Telephoto	135	2
200mm f/1.8L USM	Telephoto	200	1.8
200mm f/2.0L IS USM	Telephoto	200	2
200mm f/2.8L USM	Telephoto	200	2.8
200mm f/2.8L II USM	Telephoto	200	2.8
300mm f/2.8L USM	Telephoto	300	2.8
300mm f/2.8L IS USM	Telephoto	300	2.8
300mm f/2.8L IS II USM	Telephoto	300	2.8
300mm f/4.0L USM	Telephoto	300	4
300mm f/4.0L IS USM	Telephoto	300	4
400mm f/2.8L USM	Super-telephoto	400	2.8
400mm f/2.8L II USM	Super-telephoto	400	2.8
400mm f/2.8L IS USM	Super-telephoto	400	2.8
400mm f/2.8L IS II USM	Super-telephoto	400	2.8
400mm f/2.8L IS III USM	Super-telephoto	400	2.8
400mm f/5.6L USM	Super-telephoto	400	5.6
500mm f/4.5L USM	Super-telephoto	500	4.5
500mm f/4.0L IS USM	Super-telephoto	500	4
500mm f/4.0L IS II USM	Super-telephoto	500	4
600mm f/4.0L USM	Super-telephoto	600	4
600mm f/4.0L IS USM	Super-telephoto	600	4
600mm f/4.0L IS II USM	Super-telephoto	600	4
600mm f/4.0L IS III USM	Super-telephoto	600	4
800mm f/5.6L IS USM	Super-telephoto	800	5.6
1200mm f/5.6L USM	Super-telephoto	1200	5.6
100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM	Macro	100	2.8
180mm f/3.5L Macro USM	Macro	180	3.5
17mm f/4.0L Tilt-Shift	Tilt-shift	17	4
24mm f/3.5L Tilt-Shift	Tilt-shift	24	3.5
24mm f/3.5L II Tilt-Shift	Tilt-shift	24	3.5
50mm f/2.8L MACRO Tilt-Shift	Tilt-shift	50	2.8
90mm f/2.8L MACRO Tilt-Shift	Tilt-shift	90	2.8
135mm f/4L MACRO Tilt-Shift	Tilt-shift	135	4

RF mount zoom lenses

Name	Category	Min focal length mm	Max focal length mm	Max aperture at min focal length f/	Max aperture at max focal length f/
10–20mm f/4 L IS STM	Wide-angle	10	20	4	4
14–35 mm f/4L IS USM	Wide-angle	14	35	4	4
15–35 mm f/2.8L IS USM	Wide-angle	15	35	2.8	2.8
24–70 mm f/2.8L IS USM	Standard	24	70	2.8	2.8
24–105 mm f/4L IS USM	Standard	24	105	4	4
24–105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z	Standard	24	105	2.8	2.8
28–70 mm f/2L USM	Standard	28	70	2	2
70–200 mm f/2.8L IS USM	Telephoto	70	200	2.8	2.8
100-300 mm f/2.8L IS USM	Telephoto	100	300	2.8	2.8
100–500 mm f/4.5–7.1L IS USM	Telephoto	100	500	4.5	7.1

RF mount prime lenses

Name	Category	Focal length mm	Max aperture f/
5.2 mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye 3D VR	Wide-angle	5.2	2.8
50 mm f/1.2L USM	Standard	50	1.2
85 mm f/1.2L USM	Medium telephoto	85	1.2
85 mm f/1.2L USM DS	Medium telephoto	85	1.2
100 mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM	Macro	100	2.8
400 mm f/2.8L IS USM	Super-telephoto	400	2.8
600 mm f/4L IS USM	Super-telephoto	600	4
800 mm f/5.6L IS USM	Super-telephoto	800	5.6
1200 mm f/8L IS USM	Super-telephoto	1200	8

Fixed zoom lenses

The Canon PowerShot Pro1 is the first in the Canon PowerShot family of point-and-shoot cameras to have an L-designated zoom lens ranging from 7.2 to 50.8 mm, equal to 28 to 200 mm in 35mm equivalent focal length. Its maximum aperture changes from f/2.4 to f/3.5, with focus driven by an ultrasonic motor.

Canon lens codes

On the back of Canon lenses is a six-digit code, which indicates where the lens was manufactured and when.

Example of a code "UV1212"

The first letter, 'U', represents the factory that made the lens. Three possible first letters are:

U	=	Utsunomiya
F	=	Fukushima
O	=	Ōita

The second letter, 'V', represents the year of manufacture

A	=	1960,	1986,	2012
B	=	1961,	1987,	2013
C	=	1962,	1988,	2014
D	=	1963,	1989,	2015
E	=	1964,	1990,	2016
F	=	1965,	1991,	2017
G	=	1966,	1992,	2018
H	=	1967,	1993,	2019
I	=	1968,	1994,	2020
J	=	1969,	1995
K	=	1970,	1996
L	=	1971,	1997
M	=	1972,	1998
N	=	1973,	1999
O	=	1974,	2000
P	=	1975,	2001
Q	=	1976,	2002
R	=	1977,	2003
S	=	1978,	2004
T	=	1979,	2005
U	=	1980,	2006
V	=	1981,	2007
W	=	1982,	2008
X	=	1983,	2009
Y	=	1984,	2010
Z	=	1985,	2011

The next two digits represent the month the lens was manufactured.

The last two digits are for internal Canon use.

Therefore, the example ( pictured ) of UV0512 means the lens was made in the Utsunomiya, Japan factory in May 2007.

Related Research Articles

The EF lens mount is the standard lens mount on the Canon EOS 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, and all communication between camera and lens takes place through electrical contacts; there are no mechanical levers or plungers. The mount was first introduced in 1987.

The Canon FD lens mount is a physical standard for connecting a photographic lens to a 35mm 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 served as the Canon SLR interchangeable lens mounting system until the 1987 introduction of the Canon EOS series cameras, which use the newer EF lens mount. The FD mount lingered through the release of the 1990 Canon T60, the last camera introduced in the FD system, and the end of the Canon New F-1 product cycle in 1992.

The EF 70–200mm lenses are a group of telephoto zoom full-frame lenses made by Canon. The lenses have an EF mount to work with the EOS line of cameras.

The Canon EF 24–70mm lens is a family of professional EF mount wide-to-normal zoom lenses manufactured and sold by Canon. The first of the family, the EF 24–70mm f/2.8L, was introduced in 2002 to replace the well-regarded 28–70mm f/2.8L. Two later versions were announced in 2012. The first of these, the EF 24–70mm f/2.8L II, was announced by Canon in February, but would not ship to customers until September of that year. This lens replaced the Mk I, and had an MSRP of US$2299 when introduced. The latest member of the family is the EF 24–70mm f/4L IS USM, which became available in January 2013. The f/4 version, which is the first of the family to include image stabilization, was initially reported to be the standard kit lens for the Canon EOS 6D, but did not appear in 6D kits in most markets until late 2014, and 5D Mark IV kit in 2016.

The EF 16–35 mm lens is a family of professional wide-angle lenses made by Canon Inc. The original version, the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM, replaced the EF 17-35mm f/2.8L USM lens, which had itself replaced the EF 20-35mm f/2.8L lens.

The EF 17–40mm f/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 f/4 to f/8. It is one of the few Canon photo lenses that are parfocal.

The EF 1200 mm f/5.6 L 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. It has a focal length of 1200 mm and so on a digital body with a sensor size of 22.5 mm × 15 mm, such as a Canon EOS 40D or 450D, it provides a 35 mm field of view equivalent to that of a 1920 mm lens. With a body with a sensor size of 28.8 mm × 19.2 mm, such as a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, the field of view is equivalent to that of a 1560 mm lens.

The Canon EF 35mm lenses are a family of wide angle prime lenses with EF mount made by Canon Inc. The family also includes one EF-S lens that only mounts on Canon bodies with APS-C sensors.

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.

The Canon EF-S 10–22mm f/3.5–4.5 USM lens is a wide to ultra-wide angle zoom lens for Canon digital single-lens reflex cameras with a Canon EF-S lens mount. The field of view has a 35 mm equivalent focal length of 16–35mm, which is analogous to the EF 16–35mm f/2.8L on a full-frame camera. The 10–22mm is an internal focusing lens. Of the 13 elements, one is of Canon's Super Ultra-Low Dispersion glass and three are aspherical elements.

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.

The EF 24–105mm f/4L IS USM is an EF mount wide-to-telephoto zoom lens. It was introduced by Canon in 2005 to complement the well-regarded 17–40mm f/4L USM and 70–200mm f/4L USM.

The EF 100–400 mm f/4.5–5.6L IS USM is a professional EF mount telephoto zoom lens manufactured by Canon Inc. The first version of this lens was announced in September 1998, and an updated version was announced in November 2014. It is a high performance telephoto lens most often used for sports and wildlife photography.

The Canon EF-S 17–55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a standard zoom lens for Canon digital single-lens reflex cameras with an EF-S lens mount. The field of view has a 35 mm equivalent focal length of 27–88mm.

The EF 500mm lenses are a group of super-telephoto prime lenses made by Canon that share the same focal length.

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.

The EF 200mm USM lens is an L-series prime telephoto lens made by Canon Inc. for the EOS line of cameras. Four 200 mm primes were made: f/1.8, two f/2.8, and the most recent f/2.0.

The EF 70–300mm lenses are a series of telephoto zoom lenses made by Canon Inc. They have a Canon EF lens mount to work with the EOS line of cameras.

The EF 200–400 mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4× is an EF mount super telephoto zoom lens produced by Canon. It is part of the professional L-series and functions with the Canon EOS line of cameras. The EF 200–400 mm lens features an ultrasonic motor, image stabilization and weather sealing. It is the first and only EF lens with a built-in extender.

The Canon RF lens mount is an interchangeable-lens mount developed by Canon for its full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras, and featured first by the EOS R, followed by the EOS RP. The RF mount was announced in September 2018. In May 2022, Canon announced APS-C EOS R cameras and RF-S lenses designed for these cameras.

References

1 2 "THE L STORY | Canon". Canon: EF/RF L SERIES. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
↑ "Heat Shield Coating | Canon". Canon: EF/RF L SERIES. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
↑ Canon Europa N.V. and Canon Europe Ltd 2002-2015. "Black or White Lenses - Canon Professional Network". Canon Professional Network.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
↑ "Canon Updates Lineup of EF L-Series Telephoto Zoom Lenses With the Introduction of EF 70-200MM F/4L II USM and EF 70-200MM F/2.8L IS II USM". usa.canon.com.
↑ "Canon Updates Lineup of EF L-Series Telephoto Zoom Lenses With the Introduction of EF 70-200MM F/4L II USM and EF 70-200MM F/2.8L IS II USM". usa.canon.com.

External links

At the-digital-picture.com:
- Canon L Lens Series Information
On Canon Website:
- EF LENS WORK III

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Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
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[:1-1] 1 2 "THE L STORY | Canon". Canon: EF/RF L SERIES. Retrieved 2020-03-22.

[2] "Heat Shield Coating | Canon". Canon: EF/RF L SERIES. Retrieved 2020-03-22.

[3] Canon Europa N.V. and Canon Europe Ltd 2002-2015. "Black or White Lenses - Canon Professional Network". Canon Professional Network.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[:02-4] "Canon Updates Lineup of EF L-Series Telephoto Zoom Lenses With the Introduction of EF 70-200MM F/4L II USM and EF 70-200MM F/2.8L IS II USM". usa.canon.com.

[:0-5] "Canon Updates Lineup of EF L-Series Telephoto Zoom Lenses With the Introduction of EF 70-200MM F/4L II USM and EF 70-200MM F/2.8L IS II USM". usa.canon.com.

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