Canon Canada Inc. has announced four new professional-grade L-series lenses, ranging from a 180-degree fisheye lens to a fast 400mm telephoto; plus two new EF extenders. All six products have a new fluorine anti-smear coating on their front and rear elements, as well as enhanced weather and dust sealing.

The Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L USM fisheye lens works on both full-frame and APC-C-format DSLRs. On a full-frame camera, it provides 180-degree diagonal circular view. It employs ultra-low-dispersion (UD) and aspherical elements, plus Canon's Sub-Wavelength Structure Coating (SWC) to minimize flare. It will be available in January 2011. Canadian price is TBA, but tentative U.S. retail is US$1,400.

The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens (shown at left) is aimed at advanced amateurs who want a general-purpose telephoto zoom with superior optical quality. It employs two UD elements for improved sharpness, and a new optical formula that Canon says optimizes sharpness at all distance settings. The updated optical image-stabilization system provides up to four stops of anti-shake compensation. This lens will be available in Canada in November. Canadian price is TBA; tentative U.S. price is US$1,500.

Canon's new sixth-generation EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens (shown at top of story) features an upgraded optical formula with two fluorite lens elements, and improved image-stabilization system specified for four stops of anti-shake compensation, lower weight (2.35kg), and greater durability. It will be available in December. Canadian price TBA; tentative U.S. retail is US$7,000.

The fifth-generation EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens also features a new optical formula with two fluorite elements, an upgraded image-stabilization system with four-stops of compensation, and lower weight (3.85kg, 28% lower than its predecessor). It will be available in December. Canadian price TBA; tentative U.S. retail is US$11,000.

Also arriving in December are two new teleconverters that deliver faster and more precise autofocus with compatible lenses, along with a new anomalous dispersion element that reduces chromatic aberration. Tentative U.S. retail prices for the Extender EF 1.4x III and Extender EF 2x III are both US$500; Canadian MSRP is TBA.

Article Tags:  Canon, EF, L-series, lens, lenses, telephoto, zoom, 8-15mm, 70-300mm, 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8, fluorite, fisheye