EF Lenses: The Eyes of EOS

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Speed, comfort and high image quality – a promise since 1987. Proprietary to Canon, EF lenses were launched in 1987 along with the EOS SLR camera system. Today, more than 93 lenses make up the EF range and are compatible with Canon’s current and future camera systems.

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Published on November 14, 2019 Updated On November 08, 2019

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EF Lenses:
The Eyes of EOS

Speed, comfort and high image quality – a promise since 1987.

Proprietary to Canon, EF lenses were launched in 1987 along with the EOS SLR camera system. Superior glass elements are the foundation of every EF lens, ensuring stunning image quality. Through technological innovation, EF lenses continue to evolve to stay relevant today, offering photographer’s endless possibilities.

Today, more than 93 lenses make up the EF range and are compatible with Canon’s current and future camera systems.

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Inventing the Future of Photography Since 1987

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Leading with World-first Innovative Technologies Every EF lens created is the result of uncompromised dedication and commitment to innovation. Our range of EF lenses spearheaded the photography industry with world-first technologies such as:

Ultrasonic Motor (USM) drives the lenses by transforming ultrasonic vibrations into rotational energy to move the lens. USM is by far the fastest focusing motor that allows you to focus close to no sound.

Canon is the first to develop the Image Stabilizer (IS) technology, an in-lens system that corrects camera shakes in DSLR.

Canon developed a first-of-its-kind technology, Diffractive Optics (DO), which enables nearly all light to pass through multiple diffractive optical elements. This game-changing innovation has allowed lens elements to be placed much closer within the lens barrel while reducing chromatic aberration, giving you higher-quality and sharper images.

Your photographic masterpiece

Prime lenses have fixed-focal lengths and larger apertures (small f-number, usually f/2.8 or smaller). They are often referred to as ‘bright lens’ and are capable of easily creating that creamy bokeh (blurring) effect to isolate your subject from busy backgrounds.

With maximum aperture (more light entering), prime lenses allow you to use a higher shutter speed when shooting in low light conditions resulting in sharper images. Best of all, prime lenses are more compact and lightweight as compared to zoom lenses as the lens design of prime lenses are simpler, requiring lesser glass elements.

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Admire beauty from afar

Most zoom lenses are the preferred lenses for wildlife, sports and travel photography. They are versatile and convenient for photographers who want to shoot a range of scenes without having to change lenses.

Challenge your creativity with zoom lenses. With a range of focal distances in one lens, you can create perspective by bringing your subject closer and experiment with creative compositions.

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Enter a realm of possibilities

How can you transform everyday objects into artistic masterpieces? Look at them from a unique perspective and photograph them with speciality lenses such as macro, fisheye and tilt-shift lenses.

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ULTRA-WIDE & WIDE-ANGLE
STANDARD
TELEPHOTO
SPECIALITY

EOS 5D Mark IV, EF16-35mm f/2.8L III USM, f/2.8, 16mm, 1/2000 sec, ISO 100

ULTRA-WIDE & WIDE-ANGLE

Available as a prime and zoom lens, wide-angle lenses generally have a focal length of 35mm and below. Such lenses capture a field-of-view that is wider than what the human eye can see. Wide-angle lenses also emphasise perspectives, making nearby objects appear bigger and faraway objects appear smaller. For this reason, these lenses are suitable for photographing:

• Narrow indoor settings
• Vast landscapes
• Vertical buildings to emphasise height

The 35mm is a commonly used wide angle lens for street photography.

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EOS 200D, EF50mm f/1.8 STM, f/1.8, 50mm, 1/1600 sec, ISO 200

STANDARD

Standard lenses reproduce an angle of view that is closest to what the human eye sees, giving you the most natural perspective of your subjects.

A standard lens is capable of shooting a variety of images. If your works revolve around photographing everyday situations and objects such as portraits, still life, landscapes, pets and the streets, a standard lens is what you’ll want to invest in.

The 50mm standard lens is a common favourite – affordable compact and multi-purpose. It usually comes with a very wide aperture (e.g.: f1.8), making it great for capturing shots in low light conditions.

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EOS-1D X Mark II, EF400mm f/2.8L IS III USM, f/11, 400mm, 1/6 sec, ISO 100

TELEPHOTO

Telephoto lenses are available in a wide range of focal lengths and also exists as prime and zoom lenses. Telephoto lenses are especially useful for photographers who capture subjects that are really faraway such as wildlife, sports or concerts by “pulling in” and filling the frame with your faraway subjects. You will also find yourself drawn into the beauty of your subjects when shooting with a telephoto lens. With a narrow angle of view, telephoto lenses make it easier for you to exclude unwanted background images for a neater composition.

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Speciality lenses such as the macro, fisheye and tilt-shift lenses also available as a prime and zoom lens.

Macro lenses

EOS 70D, EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, 100mm, f/2.8, 1/640 sec, ISO 200

Macro lenses are especially useful when photographing objects in extreme close-up to create the ‘larger-than-life’ effect. When selecting a macro lens, focal length and minimum focusing distance (the minimum distance between the object and the front of the lens) are crucial. These 2 factors determine the magnification ratio (how much of the frame the object can fill up) – the higher the magnification, the more intricate details are captured on your photo.

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SPECIALITY

Speciality lenses such as the macro, fisheye and tilt-shift lenses also available as a prime and zoom lens.