See How Canon EF Lens Are Manufactured

My readers know I am the Wildlife Ho-tographer and Canon user, traversing the globe on wildlife photography shoots. Ever wondered how Canon manufactures their EF and Super Telephoto lenses?
Click on the link and find out.

Just back from my Polar bear photo tour in Hudson Bay, Canada. It was quite a successful trip even though the weather was 'mild' by sub Arctic standard and the bears were not able to find sea ice to hunt seals even in mid November. Came across sows with cubs, sub adult and full grown males with reasonably healthy looking weight, this time of the year.

In past years, they would have been able to start heading out to the bay and try and replenish their weight by actively hunting seals. I came across the BBC2 film crew filming and broadcasting the Arctic Live series on the tundra.

Now back to my daily routine of photo processing and blog writing until the next wildlife photo tour. You can follow my travels on Facebook , Twitter , see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com.

Canon Patent - EF 40-800mm f/4.5-5.6 Super Zoom Lens

Egami has uncovered another Canon patent. This time it's the EF 40-800mm f/4.5-5.6 lens. Frankly, I think this is just a project for some engineers with too much time on their hands. A patent is far from being a prototype, let alone a production model lens.

Currently, the Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS is my favorite Super Zoom lens in their lineup. It affords me a wide focal length to choose from when it is impractical or impossible to change lens in the middle of a shoot. The drawback is the weight, Can you imagine the weight of a 40-800mm lens?

I think the chances of this lens coming to market in its present form is zero to none, although Canon is expected to announce a Super Zoom lens sometime in 2017. This type of focal length is very popular and Nikon, Sigma and Tamron all have their models on the market now.

At the present time, I am in Alaska on my annual wildlife photography shoot and was informed by my sources Canon will be adding a brand new feature to the upcoming EOS-5D Mark IV camera. They are playing their cards very close to their chest and not revealing much except to generate maximum publicity and excitement for the launch next month. You can see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com


Patent Publication No. 2016-128846 (Google Translated)

• Published 2016.7.14
• Filing date 2015.1.9
• Zoom ratio 19.42
• Focal length 41.09 92.80 152.20 225.00 797.99
• F-number 4.67 4.66 4.65 4.67 5.71
• Angle of view 27.79 13.13 8.10 5.50 1.55
• Image height 21.65
• Overall length of the lens 489.32
• BF 39.28
• Inner zoom

Canon EF 70-30mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM Lens Coming Soon

I have just returned from my Upper Amazon/Peruvian Highlands Photo Tour testing the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II camera in hot, steamy jungles and cold, two miles plus high, Andean mountains. Overall, I am quite impressed by the new body but now I have to take some time to get back to the daily routine, process the photos and get ready for my next trip to again test the camera in a whole new part of the world and environment.

Just a quick note to let my readers know Canon is ready to replace its non 'L' EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS lens with the Series II some time in August. It will be after the announcement of the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III but before the Photokina Show in Cologne, Germany in September. I expect the price of the lens will be slightly higher than the current list price but packs with much better technology and optics. The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS and EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II are two of my favorite 'L' lens. You can see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com 

Canon Patent - DO Lens for APS-C Sensor

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II lens

My readers know I am a fan of Canon's Diffractive Optics technology. The current EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II is my favorite Super Telephoto lens when I want to travel light. Canon has been working to perfect the DO technology since the first EF 400mm f/4 DO IS lens came out in 2001. The EF 600mm f/4 DO BR lens was showcased in last year's Canon EXPO at New York City.

Now, a new Canon DO patent has been uncovered for the APS-C sensor. The new design has a focal length of 50-300mm f/4.5-6 with STM. As of now, there is no built-in IS but this is of course a work in progress and if Canon decides to release this DO lens for the APS-C market, I am certain it will come with Image Stabilization.

Patent Publication No. 2016-57444

• Published 2016.4.21
• Filing date 2014.9.9

Example 1

• Zoom ratio 5.59
• Focal length 51.77 135.00 289.53
• F-number 4.65 5.05 5.85
• Half angle of view (degrees) 14.78 5.78 2.70
• Image height 13.66 13.66 13.66
• The total lens length 126.05 169.37 184.15
• BF 35.50 35.50 35.50

Example 2

• Zoom ratio 5.90
• Focal length 49.13 135.00 290.00
• F-number 4.65 4.95 5.85
• Half angle of view (degrees) 15.54 5.78 2.70
• Image height 13.66 13.66 13.66
• The total lens length 108.00 152.12 168.00
• BF 15.69 15.69 15.69

Latest Update on Canon Lenses Coming in 2016

I have just returned from a rather successful wildlife photo trip to India. Witnessed two tiger kills from beginning to end on a Spotted and Sambar Deer plus Elephants and Monkeys mating, in addition to many new bird species for me. Trying to get back to writing my blog and catching up with the latest photography and NAB 2016 news. It will take me a week or two to get back to speed and precious little time to process the photos because by then, my next tour will be here already. I have a very busy Spring and Summer touring season ahead of me. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com

Canon is planning to announce more EF lens this year. Recently, I reported on the EF 200-600mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Super Zoom lens. This new glass may be a Q4 2016 or Q1 2017 event. I have not decided on whether to buy this lens or not even though I like the focal lengths. The one lens I will definitely buy when Canon announces it is the EF 600mm f/4 DO BR.

The EF 16-35mm f/2.8L Mark III will be announced this year, together with more EF-S shorter zooms and EF-M prime and medium zoom lenses.

New Canon 50mm EF Lens Coming Soon

Canon EF 50mm lens lineup

The current Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens is one of my favorite walk around lenses and a good value glass but the design is hopelessly outdated (announced 1993) and needs an update urgently. The EF 50mm f/1.2L (announced 2001) is a much more expensive but not necessarily much better performing glass, making it one of the lesser values around. Lastly, the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM was announced in 2015 and obviously will not get an upgrade so soon.

Sigma has introduced their 50mm f/1.4 Art lens in 2014 to very good reviews. It is currently the best value in 50mm glass in my opinion. According to my latest information, Canon has not decided which 50mm lens in their lineup will be replaced but a replacement should come some time this year.

With the recent Canon innovations like STM, Nano USM and Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics, my hope is the EF 50mm f/1.4 II should be the next prime lens Canon announces. I am a wildlife photographer and do not use 50mm lens too much. You can see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com

Why Are Some Canon Lens 'White' In Color?

Off White color paint first appeared on Canon lenses in 1976 on the FD 600mm f/4.5 and FD 800mm f/5.6 lens. Why are some Canon 'L' lens painted Off White while others are black in color?

According to Canon, the technical reason is : Heat Reduction. Lenses contain many glass elements. These optics expand with heat, over time. Large lenses contain more and larger elements and heat expansion can bring a lens close to the limits of its design tolerances. A lighter surface reflects sunlight and helps to keep the lens cooler. In shorter lenses, the amount of glass expansion is smaller and usually do not cause a problem.

For outdoor sports and wildlife photography, being exposed to the harsh rays of the sun for long periods of time can cause damaging heat expansion. The lighter color of the lens helps to reduce overheating and protects the internal optics and image sharpness of the glass.

A number of Canon's black colored lenses also have a heat-related feature. A lens that can focus past its infinity mark allows the glass to expand when shooting under hot conditions.

Over the years, Nikon has resisted going to the lighter color but Sony has started manufacturing their high end glass with 'white' paint as well. I have been on numerous wildlife photo shoots in India and Africa and the conditions are quite harsh and hot. You can see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com

Canon EOS-80D and EF-S 18-135mm Lens Coming Very Soon

Canon EOS-80D with EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens

* * *  Canon EOS-80D camera officially announced  * * *

As reported earlier, the Canon EOS-80D will be announced VERY soon. The new camera will be offered with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens as a kit.

Canon EOS-80D camera specs :

• New 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor 
• Dual Pixel CMOS AF
• Image processing engine DIGIC6
• Regular sensitivity ISO100-16000 (extension 25600)
• 7560 pixel RGB + IR photometry sensor
• AF 45 points (all points cross type)
• -3EV Correspondence
• Four of the AF area selection modes, including a new “L zone AF”
• Continuous shooting 7 fps / 3 fps (silent mode)
• The number of pictures 77 copies in JPEG. 20 sheets in RAW
• Continuous shooting in live view mode 5 fps (AF tracking)
• New mirror vibration control system to keep the mirror shock (MVCS)
• Finder is 100% field of view, magnification 0.95 times
• Shutter 30 seconds -1/8000 seconds. Synchro 1/250 sec
• 3 inches 1.04 million dot Vari-angle LCD monitor
• Built-in flash (guide number 12)
• Electronic Level
• A new Picture Style “fine detail”
• 10 kinds of scene mode
• Anti-flicker
• Video - full HD 60fps. AF tracking
• HDR movie
• Time-lapse movie
• Five types of movies Creative Filters
• Wi-Fi, NFC. Remote shooting
• Media SD / SDHC / SDXC (UHS-I compatible)
• Durability of the shutter is 100,000 cycles
• USB terminal, HDMI terminal, microphone jack
• Headphone jack, remote control terminal
• Improved dust and water sealing
• Battery LP-E6N / LP-E6
• Start-up time - 0.16 seconds
• Remote shooting - EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens with adapter PZ-E1
• Size - 139.0 x 105.2 x 78.5mm
• Weight - 730g (650g body only)

Canon Direct Store Sells Refurbished Equipment With One Year Warranty

My readers know I am The Wildlife Ho-tographer utilizing Canon equipment for almost 30 years. Over the decades I have used almost every film and digital EOS camera and EF lens in Bird , Wildlife and Travel photography. You can follow my travels on Facebook and Twitter, see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com

As a general rule, I always own the cameras and lenses in my equipment bag but have access to other gear on an as needed basis. I purchase the equipment new as they are announced but also buy high quality refurbished gear for backup. For those who are hesitant in buying used or refurbished equipment, read my earlier post on this topic.

In a recent interview with Jason Fligman, Director of Service Operations at Canon, he gave the following answers :

"When items are returned to Canon, primarily through customer stock balance returns, they are inspected by Canon Virginia (CVI) – Technology Center and if they meet specific criteria, directed into our refurbishing operations.

Canon products returned to Canon USA, and judged by Canon to be eligible for refurbishing, undergo a rigorous refurbishment process. Our trained Canon technicians perform comprehensive quality assurance inspections, replacing any needed components with genuine Canon parts. 

Before being offered for sale by Canon USA, the refurbished product is subjected to a comprehensive technical evaluation, which includes functional testing and assessments against quality control standards by Canon USA’s trained technical staff. Refurbished products are then packaged with the appropriate manuals, cables, and accessories. All refurbished products are backed by our standard 1-Year limited warranty."

As you also know, I do not accept any advertisement or commissioned link on my Blog or website and do not endorse any company. I am completely unbiased and do not accept any form of compensation from any company. The Canon Direct Store in the U.S. has an extensive list of consumer and professional refurbished equipment. Unfortunately, the professional gear are snapped up almost as soon as they are listed. Check the following links and see if you can find something you want at a reasonable price. The equipment is covered by a one year Canon warranty, just like a new purchase. Good luck and keep checking back.

• Refurbished DSLR
• Refurbished EF and EF-S Lenses
• Refurbished Powershot Cameras
• Refurbished Printers
• Refurbished Speedlite Flashes
• Refurbished Camcorders

Canon Patent - EF 200-600mm f/4.5-5.6 IS Lens

Egami, the Japanese photography blog has discovered a Canon patent for a EF 200-600mm f/4.5-5.6 IS zoom lens. Sigma and Tamron both have consumer grade 150-600mm lens on the market and they seem to sell quite well because of their low price.

Canon recently showed off the EF 600mm f/4 DO BR lens during the EXPO Show in September but it will be another Super Telephoto lens and may be out of reach for many photographers. An 'L' grade long zoom like the EF 200-600mm may be within reach for more buyers. Depending on weight, I may be interested in this lens if it comes to market but the EF 600mm f/4 DO BR is definitely on my buy list.

    Patent Publication No. 2015-212724

•         Published 2015.11.26
•         Filing date 2014.5.1

    Example 1

•         Zoom ratio 3.00
•         Focal length 200.00 340.00 600.00
•         F-number 4.60 4.60 5.20
•         Angle of view 6.18 3.64 2.07
•         Image height 21.65 21.65 21.65
•         Overall length of the lens 355.16 355.16 355.16
•         BF 65.16 65.16 65.16

This Is How Canon Makes The EF 500mm f/4L IS Lens

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II Super Telephoto lens

The Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II is my favorite non Diffractive Optics Super Telephoto prime lens. The EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X is my favorite Super Telephoto zoom lens and the EF 400mm f/4DO IS II is my favorite Diffractive Optics Super Telephoto prime lens.

You can see how the EF 500mm lens is manufactured from beginning to end. Take a look at my equipment bag and global wildlife photography taken with all the above lenses. Find out how Canon's Image Stabilizer lens technology works and see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com.

More Canon EF Lens Coming With Blue Spectrum Optics

Canon recently announced the long awaited EF 35mm f/1.4L II lens. The lens has just started shipping and you can see sample images by clicking on the link above. But there will be more announcements to come in the new few quarters, leading all the way through 2016.

One of my favorite wide zooms is the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II and it will be in line for an upgrade in 2016. Canon is also working on the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS and we may eventually see this glass come on the market in a year or two. Other non 'L' lenses will include EF-S and EF-M as alluded by Masaya Maeda of Canon during a recent interview at the Canon EXPO 2015 in New York City.

Canon has now perfected the Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics technology. This new optical element will find its way into many of the upcoming lens and the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III will be a prime candidate. In addition, the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III and EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS III lens are expected to be announced in 2016 as well, together with some specialty lenses. The one lens I am most eager to get my hands on is the EF 600mm f/4 DO BR. It will be another great wildlife photography lens in my equipment bag.

Canon will have a busy schedule in the next 6 months or so. The EOS-1D X II and EOS-5D Mk IV are expected to be announced. Keep checking back for the latest news and development. 

More Canon EF Lenses Coming In 2016

Canon recently announced the long awaited EF 35mm f/1.4L II lens. The lens has just started shipping and you can see sample images by clicking on the link above. But there will be more announcements to come in the new few quarters, leading all the way through 2016.

One of my favorite wide zooms is the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II and it will be in line for an upgrade in 2016. Canon is also working on the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS and we may eventually see this glass come on the market in a year or two. Other non 'L' lenses will include EF-S and EF-M as alluded by Masaya Maeda of Canon during a recent interview at the Canon EXPO 2015 in New York City.

Canon has now perfected the Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics technology. This new optical element will find its way into many of the upcoming lens and the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III will be a prime candidate. In addition, the EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS III lens is expected to be announced in the near future as well, together with some specialty lenses. The one lens I am most eager to get my hands on is the EF 600mm f/4 DO BR. It will be another great wildlife photography lens in my equipment bag.

Canon will have a busy schedule in the next 6 months or so. The EOS-1D X II and EOS-5D Mk IV are expected to be announced. Keep checking back for the latest news and development. 

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II Lens Coming Very Soon

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II lens

* * *  See sample images taken with Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II lens  * * *

The long awaited Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II lens is coming very soon. Digicame-Info has posted the following specs for this Series II lens :

•     Lens construction: 14 elements and 11 groups
•     2 aspherical lenses, one ground aspherical, one glass molded aspherical
•     1 UD lens
•     1 BR lens (to reduce chromatic aberrations)
•     SWC coating
•     Fluorine coating
•     9 blade circular aperture diaphragm
•     Minimum focusing distance of 0.28m
•     Maximum magnification is 0.21x
•     Dust and water resistant
•     Filter diameter : 72mm
•     Total length : 105.5mm
•     Maximum diameter : 80.4mm
•     Weight : 760g
•     Hood : EW-77B

I estimate the list price will be just below $2,000 in the United States. Together with the announcement of the EF 35mm f/1.4L II lens, the EF-M 15-45mm f/3-5-6.3 IS STM lens and Rebel SL2 camera may also be announced. Keep checking back for the latest news.

Canon Overwhelming Choice At COPA America Tournament

The Canon EOS-7D Mk II and EOS-1DX are my picks as the best APS-C and full frame cameras for sports and wildlife photography. Their replacement, EOS-5D Mk IV and EOS-1DX Mk II will be announced later this year or early 2016. You can see what's in my equipment bag and my works on MichaelDanielHo.com

From Canon:

“We’re proud to know that nearly 90 percent of professional photographers chose Canon equipment to capture exciting moments during Copa America,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “And we were happy to be on site providing service and support to these professionals if and when they needed it.”

Canon knew our professional camera users would be out in force, and so we committed to supporting the pro shooters who use our products, by providing onsite service and support to the photographers and broadcasters using our cameras and lenses to capture the iconic moments of Copa America.

Canon's professional onsite service and support included simple equipment repair, clean and check service and equipment loans to outfit professionals with the proper gear to capture the drama on and off the field. Service and support was available in the media centers in each of the nine stadiums hosting matches in the tournament.

The international soccer tournament took place in Chile from June 11- July 4, 2015 in eight cities, with 12 countries participating, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Stats from Copa America 

• More than 89 percent of the professional photographers covering the most dramatic moments of each game from the sidelines of the soccer fields and throughout each stadium were using Canon DSLR cameras and lenses.
• Out of 1,245 professional photographers covering Copa America, more than 1,111 were shooting with Canon equipment
• During the June 15th Chile vs. Mexico match, out of 85 pro photographers covering the game, more than 77 were using Canon (that’s a whopping 91 percent)

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens Coming In April

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens?

* * *  Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens info and photo leaked  * * *

The Canon EF-50mm f/1.8 STM lens may be announced in late April or May, 2015, perhaps after the 2015 NAB Show. It should be another winner especially when paired with the latest DSLR equipped with the Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, like the EOS-70D and EOS-7D Mk II cameras. I will be interested in this lens since I am beginning to dabble in the video features of my cameras. After being a wildlife photographer for so many years taking still photos, I have decided to try something new. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L II USM Lens Coming

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L lens

It is no secret in the last couple of years, the Sigma ART line of lens have given Canon quite a competition with photographers looking for a high quality lens without shelling out for the price of an 'L' lens.

Canon has been redesigning its entire line of shorter focal length prime lens. Starting with the EF 85mm f/1.2L II and the EF 50mm f/1.4 and f/1.2L II lens. The new design will include a floating element similar to the upcoming EF 85mm f/1.2L III with improved focus shift. The new lens will be lighter, faster and comes with the latest coatings and glass technology.

The announcement date is fluid at this time since Canon may be introducing the EF 35mm f/1.4L II first. The 50mm replacement glass may come in late 2015 or 2016.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens Coming Soon

Canon has been enjoying very good press with their STM line of lens and they are planning to introduced the new EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens in perhaps, April, 2015. It should be another winner especially when paired with the latest DSLR equipped with the Dual Pixel CMOS technology, like the EOS-70D and EOS-7D Mk II cameras.

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Lens Available In Asia

The Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L lens was announced on February 5 and is now available in Asia. Shipment should start commencing the last week of February in North America and Europe.

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens in box

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens with EOS-1D X camera

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 5, 2015 – Canon U.S.A., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to introduce the superb new Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM ultra wide-angle zoom lens designed to deliver high quality, minimally distorted images throughout the entire zoom range. Featuring the widest angle of view (126º05’ diagonal) ever achieved for a rectilinear full-frame Digital SLR lens*, and a minimum focusing distance of 11 inches (at 24mm), this new lens is ideal for professionals who want the ultimate in creative image expression with sharp, crisp detail whether shooting entire buildings from a close position, entire stadium shots from a high-vantage point, large group photos at a scenic wedding or even astrophotography. Cinematographers will be equally as impressed with the lens’ ability to retain straight lines.

Fully compatible with all EOS cameras, but particularly effective with full-frame cameras such as the new Canon EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R Digital SLR cameras also announced today, this new L-series lens features newly developed optics comprised of 16 elements in 11 groups with a three group zoom system and rear focus. The new optical design utilizes four aspherical lens elements to help minimize distortion from the center of the image to the periphery, across the entire zoom range. This new optical array provides straight lines with minimal curve throughout the zoom range, ideal for architectural, event, and forensic photography. The lens also features one Super UD element and one UD lens element to help significantly reduce chromatic aberration and deliver sharp images with high resolution. Canon’s advanced lens coating technologies are also liberally employed to help minimize ghosting and flare, while simultaneously enhancing accurate color balance and maximum light transmission efficiency.

“Canon is very proud of its optical heritage. The creation of this new lens continues our tradition of providing photographers with unique image-making solutions that are not only thoughtfully designed but precisely engineered and manufactured,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO of Canon U.S.A., Inc. “The new Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM ultra wide-angle zoom lens features newly developed optics and an unprecedented combination of Canon optical technologies. We are very eager to see the beautiful images that photographers will create using this new lens with Canon EOS DSLR and Cinema EOS cameras.”

The new Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens’ impressive 11mm starting focal length and 9-blade circular aperture help deliver beautiful, high-quality, detailed images. The new lens accurately reproduces straight lines in the subject with minimal distortion, ideal for architectural and landscape photographers looking to create images with tremendous depth and strong perspective.

Wide-angle lenses are especially prone to flare and ghosting. To help reduce these effects, the new Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens features Canon’s proprietary Sub-Wavelength Structure Coating (SWC) and Air Sphere Coating (ASC). SWC is applied to the rear surface of the first and second aspheric lens elements, while ASC is used on the front of the fourth element. The SWC coatings are particularly effective for combatting flare and ghosting caused by light rays entering the lens at a large angle of incidence, while the ASC coating helps mitigate the same problems for light rays entering the center of the lens. The new lens also employs Canon’s Super Spectra Coating (SSC) to enhance light transmission while at the same time optimizing color reproduction accuracy.

The Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens features a meticulously designed inner focusing system and zoom ring, as well as a built-in petal type lens hood with light-shielding grooves. Along with a high-speed CPU and optimized AF algorithms, this lens enables fast and accurate autofocusing, while its full-time manual focus feature allows manual focus adjustment even in AF mode. As with all L-series lenses, this durable new lens is highly resistant to dust and water — ideal for outdoor photography even when conditions are harsh. In addition, a fluorine coating on the front and rear surfaces of the lens helps reduce smears and fingerprints and makes the lens easier to clean.

Pricing and Availability

The Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM ultra wide-angle zoom lens joins the robust line up of Canon f/4L USM zoom lenses including 16-35mm, 17-40mm, 24-70mm, 24-105mm, 70-200mm, and 200-400mm + 1.4X Extender models. It is scheduled to be available in late February 2015 for an estimated retail price of $2,999.00. For more information please

How To Determine The Age of Your Canon Lens

Canon EF prime, zoom and Super Telephoto lenses lineup 

My readers know I am The Wildlife Ho-tographer using Canon equipment since the 1980s. You can see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com. Prior to July 2010, Canon was using a coding system on their lenses to indicate the age and place of manufacture. However, starting in July of 2010, Canon switched to a 10 digit serial number but the folks at TDP think they have cracked the code. Below are their explanation of Canon's serial numbering system, both post July 2010 and pre July 2010.

Starting in July 2010, Canon began using a 10-digital serial number and ended the inclusion of a separate manufacturing date code. For information on determining the age of a pre-July 2010-manufactured lens, see the section on interpreting the old date code below. For determining the age of a lens bearing the newer 10-digit serial number, please read the following section.

To determine the age Canon lens based on a 10-digit serial number :

To age a Canon lens using the 10-digital serial number, we dissect the serial number as :

DD C SSSSSSS

The DD is the key to the date of manufacture of the lens - the date code. The long, narrow Canon lens date code chart is shown on the right side of this page.

Future dates are predictions/expectations. Of particular interest is how the numbering system will behave in 2013/03 when the 99 is incremented. Will the DD value roll over to 00? Increment to 100 - becoming DDD?

The third digit in the serial number, C, may be a charge/batch type of number. Canon has been using this number to indicate lenses needing specific service-related updates such as firmware.

The remaining digits in the serial number, SSSSSSS, are the uniquely-identifying serial number of the lens.

Please take note that, while the overall chart is holding out nicely with the lenses we've checked, it is a work-in-process. In part, the numbers might be shifted by a month or so. Please send us any discrepancies you find.

Special thanks go out to Norbert for his role in the development of this chart.

To determine the age of a pre-July 2012 Canon lens bearing a date code : 

Beside the rear lens element of many (but not all) pre-July 2012-manufactured Canon lenses is a date code (as seen below) in the form of "UR0902". This code is also present on many other Canon products including camera bodies.

The first letter, "U", indicates that the lens was made in Canon's Utsunomiya, Japan factory. Prior to 1986, this letter is moved to the last position of the date code.

U = Utsunomiya, Japan
F = Fukushima, Japan
O = Oita, Japan

The second letter, "R", is a year code that indicates the year of manufacture. Canon increments this letter each year starting with A in 1986 and prior to that, A in 1960 without the leading factory code. Here is a table to make things simple:

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

The first two numbers, "09", is the month number the lens was manufactured in. Month 02 is February, month 11 = November. The leading zero of the month code is sometimes omitted.

The next two numbers, "02", are meaningless in determining how old a Canon lens is. This is a Canon internal code (that is occasionally omitted).

You now know the manufacture date for your lens - But - You cannot know how long the lens was in inventory, in shipping transit and on a shelf until it was originally purchased (without having the original receipt or a reputable person accurately informing you).

The Canon lens date code in the sample picture indicates that this Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L Lens (I know the lens model because I took the picture - not from the date code) was made in Utsunomiya, Japan in September 2003.