Additional information:
The Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM is a super telephoto prime lens equipped with an image stabilizer. The manufacturer claims the lens as a perfect solution for shooting wild animals, wild nature, or sports.
Magnesium and titanium construction elements make the lens lighter, at the same time retaining required durability and quality. Some Russian-language web-sites give the wrong weight of the lens - 1.4 kg. In fact the manufacturer announced that in comparison with the previous version the lens' weight would be reduced by 1.4 kg and make 3.920 kg.
The optical scheme comprises fluorite elements to enhance sharpness and minimize chromatic aberrations.
It should be noted that according to the manufacturer's US web site the lens doesn't employ UD glass elements. "16 elements in 12 groups (Including drop-in rear filter, Fluorite: G2 and G4, UD Lens: None)". The Russian-language version of the web site is at variance with American: "Compound optical design, including fluorite elements and UD glass elements to eliminate aberrations and distortion."
SubWavelength structure Coating (SWC) is applied to new lenses' optical elements to minimize flare and ghosting. Besides, front and rear elements take advantage of a waterproofing and water-repellent fluorine coating that keeps soiling, smears and fingerprints to a minimum and enhances image sharpness.
A new built-in ring-type ultrasonic AF motor utilizes ultrasonic frequency vibration to enable extraordinary fast and nearly silent autofocus operations. A high-speed processor and optimized AF algorithms make autofocusing even faster. Manual focus adjustment is available at any time (while AF is on).
Thanks to inner focusing system the front part of the barrel does not rotate on focusing. Focusing distance range can be selected with a special switch to make autofocus time shorter. Focus preset allows you to establish focus points and return to them quickly when needed. The playback ring allows you to manually adjust focus from the current to a preset focus position. That allows smooth focus change when shooting video.
To compensate for broadening of the lens components and for shifting of the infinity focus point that results from temperature changes, the focus scale is extended beyond the infinity point. That's why care should be taken when manually focusing at infinity. Power Focus mode allows smooth focus change when shooting video.
The built-in image stabilizer offers 3 modes. 1. For shooting still subjects when short exposures are not possible. 2. For shooting moving subjects, their movement being unidirectional and predictable (object tracking). 3. Since the image stabilization technology may overcompensate images of moving subjects, the lens is equipped with advanced Mode 3, which corrects vibrations only during exposure (when the shutter button is pressed). That allows a photographer to pan fast-moving subjects and enable stabilization only at the moment of taking a picture. The manufacturer claims the mode as perfect for shooting sporting events. The three IS modes offer a 4-stop shutter speed advantage in handheld situations.
The manufacturer has provided the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM with extra moisture- and dust-proofing.
With a lens speed of f/4 and a 9-blade diaphragm the lens delivers a soft out-of-focus background. The EF 600mm f/4L is compatible with extenders, e.g. Canon Extender EF 2.0x III, retaining AF functions on EOS-1 cameras.
The Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM comes complete with ET-160 WII lens hood, E-185B lens cap and 600B hard travel case.
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Posted by: bsi257 Date of publication: 06.03.2013
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