I've posted my review of the new Canon 600mm lens on my blog. You can read it here. I'd very much appreciate some feedback from the BPN community on the review!
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I've posted my review of the new Canon 600mm lens on my blog. You can read it here. I'd very much appreciate some feedback from the BPN community on the review!
Doug
"The improved minimum focus distance of the new 600 should be a boon to setup/blind photographers. You’ll now be able to get quite a few more pixels on your subject without having to resort to a TC."
A teleconverter will put more pixels on the bird, but most using a blind would use an extension tube to allow focus to be closer. Not much cost in light (unlike the 1 stop of a 1.4x TC, etc).
Test 4 does show the difference in minimum focus distance, but you changed the distance from lens to $20 to show this.
You might also try adding the closest extension tube to get the same minimum focusing distance, and then show the differences between min focus distance for 600II and 600I+closest ext tube...again at the same distance.
thanks for taking the time to test and for posting this..... I am waiting....waiting...waiting....
Don
Hi Don. Thanks for taking the time to comment! A few points of clarification. The two MFD frames were taken from each camera's MFD; I can't think of a better way to demonstrate the closer MFD of the new lens. Extension tubes are an option, but you give up far focus and a little light when you use them. Also the environmental sealing is non-existent with Kenko tubes. With the improved MFD, you can still add an extension tube for even closer focus.
Hope you get your new lens soon!
Thanks Doug
I was suggesting an addition to the MFD test you showed, not replacement.
I don't have Kenko tubes, but do have Canon. Will need to check if they are sealed but doublt it. Not sure why you'd need environmental sealing in blind, though.
>>> This was an excellent post showing clear comparison of the the two lenses. Much better than seeing the few frames of birds that others have posted as examples.
Thanks!
Don
Excellent review Doug.
The "old" Canon supertelephoto lenses never had any issue with sharpness. They are all razor sharp :) In fact they all out-resolve the image sensors currently used in all Canon professional cameras so any improvement in optics will not visually improve the sharpness. The main difference as you noted is with the 2X TC where reduced aberrations have led to a better image especially in the corners. It is now fully usable at wide open settings.
The main advantage of the new lenses is weight for people who handhold these lenses. To retain the legendary sharpness and built quality while shaving off 30% of the weight is a big achievement. The million-dollar sports cars try to reduce their weights by as little as 2% by using the most expensive carbon campsites and such. IMO Canon is asking for a fair price given the technical features of the new lenses and note that no other manufacturer has numbers close to these now.
If you don't handhold your lenses you may not get much for the extra money, but if you do the new lenses are definitely a big upgrade.
Hope to receive mine soon! Also looking forward to the performance of AF with TCs! There might be improvements there as well.
Thanks for sharing
Great Review Doug - much appreciated.
The minimum focus distance of the 600 II plus a 1.4x is less than that of an 800 F5.6 - it would be interesting to compare sharpness of the two lenses at F5.6 (840mm vs 800 mm).
Regarding the arrival of more 600 F4 II lenses here in North America, I posted this info over at FM:
Update on the 600mm F4 II - Canon is telling the place where I ordered (Crutchfield - USA) this lens that it will be at least 60, if not 90 days, before they receive one. ("According to our Canon representative, they are not expecting for the lens to be released for another 60-90 days.")
I originally ordered through Crutchfield because, using my credit card, I would have "earned" about 4x the purchase price ($12,999) in frequent flyer miles plus an equal number of Crutchfield points...However, last night there was some discussion about purchasing this lens from Canada, specifically Camera Canada in Ontario...and with the exchange rate at 0.97 looneys to the US dollar, it works out to be about $11,400 including shipping at the current exchange rate (and this exchange rate has been stable for several months now). As others then pointed out, there are no custom fees for camera equipment purchased in Canada (nor federal tax) and sent to the USA - it is, however, necessary to pay the US sales tax for the state in which one lives.
I don't know how buying in Canada affects the warranty here in the USA...especially if there is a problem in the first year of use and the lens needs to be sent in to Canon for repairs. I don't know if this entails sending to Canon in Canada or here in the USA - and if repairs are covered.
If any of the above info is incorrect - do post the correct info here.
Great Review Doug......weight savings is huge....but sticking with my Sigmonster! Glad to see hunt's got it to upi and I agree.....customer service with Gary, John, Kathryn, and all at Hunts is second to none!!!
Robert, you want to use black text on white so we can read it.
As for buying from Canada, neither Canon USA nor CPS in the US will honor warranty for non-USA equipment. You will need to send back to Canada for any warranty service.
Arash - early next week, I will call Canon here in North America and ask about the warranty situation if a Canon lens is purchased in Canada, will Canon USA service it, particularly under warranty repairs? The current evidence seems to suggest yes, this is not a problem:
http://www.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/sup..._EF_lenses.pdf
"The limited warranty set forth below is given by Canon U.S.A., Inc. (Canon U.S.A.) in the United States and Canon Canada Inc., in Canada (herein referred to collectively as "Canon") with respect to the Canon Binoculars and Photographic Lens Products packaged with this Limited Warranty and identified by model number on this limited warranty card (each a "Product")when purchased and used in the United States or Canada.
This Limited Warranty is only effective upon presentation of this warranty card and proof of purchase A Product, when delivered to you in new condition in its original container, is warranted against defects in materials or workmanship as follows: for a period of one (1) year from the date of original purchase..."
and the document closes with:
"Canon U.S.A., Inc., One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042‐1198
Canon Canada, Inc., 6390 Dixie Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1P7"
My reading of this suggests that Canon Canada and Canon USA are one entity = Canon North America...
Indeed I was wrong. I just contacted CPS and they verified they do service gear purchased from authorized dealer in Canada with receipt under warranty!
Hi Arash - thanks - very kind of you...and I continue to be amazed at your raptors in flight photos. Thanks from All...
So yes, right now it is cheaper to buy from Canada than the USA...
I would like to point out that the weight savings is important for more than just those who do hand-held imaging. It is important for those who travel on weight restricted planes, and for those having trouble lifting a big heavy lens onto a tripod.
I would like to ask a question for those who have the new lenses (either 500 or 600). I have the current (version 1) 500 f/4. When I do astrophotography, the focal position shifts with changing temperature. For example, in a twenty minute exposure in the evening, as the temperature drops, the focus shifts off enough to be unacceptable . So do the new lenses work better in this regard? To test, set the camera up on a tripod and focus on Polaris, the north star (northern hemisphere only; southern hemisphere photographers would nee to point to the south celestial pole). The camera will focus nicely on a bright star
like Polaris. In twilight, about a half hour before dark, set up the lens so it can equilibrate to the outside temperature. As soon as it is pretty dark, after equilibration, then focus on Polaris and then set the focus switch to manual. Start doing 30-second exposure at ISO 800 to 1600 (1-minute exposure would work too). Every few minutes do another exposure for an hour or two. Record the outside temperature during the test. Check the first and last images to see if there is any focus shift. If so, then examine other images to see where it starts and what the temperature change was.
If the new lenses are better at holding focus with varying temperature, that would be a significant driver for me to upgrade.
Roger
Roger - It surprises me (in my ignorance I'll admit) that the depth of field when focused on infinity does not keep a star image sharp. I know a bit about DOF and the circle-of-confusion thing but you are saying that regardless of DOF the focus shift can be seen. But if you say so, I certainly believe you :S3:
Tom
Hi Tom,Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Graham
An f/4 lens only needs to be out of focus by 4 times the pixel size for the out-of-focus blur to be the size of a pixel. Thus, on a camera with 5.7 micron micron pixels (canon 1D mark IV), that is only 22.8 microns, and on a 7D (4.3 micron pixels) it is only 17.2. Twenty microns is only 0.000787 inch. Star images that are blurred by one pixel look noticeably soft (and probably the same for bird photos too). The long tube of a telephoto lens will expand and contract with changing temperature (need to look up the coefficient of expansion of aluminum). But because lens elements in the tube are also changing distance, how the focus shifts is complex. It might be that the new lenses suffer more shift than the old. If canon were aware of the issue, maybe they reduced the problem. Only a test will show the performance.
Here is an example of defocusing over a 2 hour period. The 1D Mark II has 8.2 micron pixels,
and the f/ratio is 6.3, so the defocus was (VERSION 1 lens):
1 hour: 1 pixel larger, focus shift 52 microns
2 hours: 3 to 4 pixel increase, focus shift 150 to 200 microns
I do not have a temperature record, but the temperature probably dropped 10 to 15 F.
With the smaller pixels in today's cameras and less aggressive blur filters, the focus shift will become a problem with smaller shifts.
Roger
I just spoke (Friday, 30 June at 11am) with Camera Canada regarding the new 500/600mm lenses. They had a meeting with a Canon rep on Thursday (29 June) in which they were told that 500mm F4 II lenses would be coming in, in reasonable number. However, the Canon Rep could provide no specifics on the 600mm F4 II - these lenses will trickle in, in very small number during the coming weeks/months.
The weight-savings is also appreciated by us older, weaker folks.
Well done Doug. Two things:
1: What's with the "select/candidate" text in the corner of each image?
2: You wrote: The only significant sharpness difference between old and new lens was at the corners of the frame, and softness only became problematic with the 2x III added into the equation; use of the 2x is on the rise because of Canon’s penchant for full frame bodies of late.
I am thinking that fewer folks will be using the 2X TC with the new full frame bodies with the Series II super-telephotos because none of the new full frame bodies (5D III, 1DX) will autofocus to f/8. Any comments?
The Select/Candidate wording is just how Lightroom displays side-by-side images Artie. You've got a point about the 2x and the new Canon bodies. I was thinking about the necessity of greater focal length with bodies like the 5D3 and 1Dx; AF will definitely be a challenge though.
Thanks Doug. Just another Lightroom feature that makes zero sense to me :). Taping the pins offers incredibly slow and jumpy AF. I was hoping that the very sharp Kenko 1.4X would AF with the 800 and the 5D III but no luck. See the related post....
I got word from B&H that my lens shipped today! Looking forward to using it soon!
Thanks a bunch to Artie for helping me get on top of the list!
Wow way to go Arash - that is the 600 F4 II?
yup the top gun ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert DeCandido
