Canon EF 50mm f 1.2 L USM Lens Press Release

August 24, 2006 12:02 AM US Eastern Timezone

Canon's Two New Lenses Focus on Needs of Professional and Advanced Amateur Photographers

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 24, 2006--Canon continues its tradition of optical excellence with two new EF lenses - the powerful EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM and the versatile EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM lenses. Both lenses are valuable additions to the EOS arsenal for professional wedding and portrait photographers as well as advanced amateurs - expanding the range of current Canon EF lenses to more than 60 selections.

"The EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM lens is now the fastest autofocus lens in its class*, which makes it an essential tool for many professional and advanced amateur photographers," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc. "The EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM lens delivers the legendary sharpness and clarity of the Canon 'L' series lenses in a compact and lightweight design that is easy to use for hand held photography, making it a versatile lens for any photographer."

"Wedding moments unfold at the speed of life and my mission is to artfully document in real time as a lasting history of the newlyweds," said Canon Explorer of Light photographer Denis Reggie, who is known worldwide for captivating wedding and portrait photography. "Many favorite images are made under the challenges of very low light levels, but using superb, fast lenses, the reward is an unmistakable, documentary look. I love the shallow depth of Canon's remarkable 'L' series lenses to bring sharp focus and full attention to the bride's eyes... that gives me and my clients compelling images that stand out from the crowd. For my celebrity and society wedding assignments, these new Canon lenses will be prized additions to my gear bag."

The EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens - Serious Glass for Serious Photographers

Canon is the only camera manufacturer to provide professionals and advanced amateurs with Digital SLRs that feature full frame sensors, such as the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II and EOS 5D digital SLRs. The new EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM lens complements full-frame cameras, while delivering beautiful results on APS-C/H sized sensor models as well.

The EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM lens is a strong testament to Canon's heritage of optical excellence. Every aspect of this lens exudes professional quality from its wide 72mm filter diameter to its dust and moisture sealed construction. A high refraction glass molded aspherical lens element helps to minimize spherical aberration, which is crucial in order to provide fine detail and maximum image quality from corner to corner, even when the lens is used wide open. Full frame digital camera users will especially appreciate the benefits of the 50mm focal length, when shooting waist-up portraits while maintaining appropriate subject distance at a wedding.

The large maximum aperture of f/1.2 allows this lens to produce shallow depth of field that softens the background and makes subjects "pop" out of a portrait. Photographers can also take advantage of higher shutter speeds to shoot in lower light and help prevent blurring caused by subject movement or camera shake. In addition to a large aperture, the new lens also has blazingly fast autofocus speed and response time, thanks in part to Canon's ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM), which quietly drives the lens. A full-time manual focus feature allows photographers to fine-tune the sharpness of their images, even when the lens is set for autofocus.

Canon designed the EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM to deliver the best possible optical quality while being tough enough to meet the needs of demanding photographers. Eight lens elements in six groups provide high resolution, while advanced coating suppresses flare and ghosting. A glass molded (GMO) aspherical element ensures maximum image quality by reducing spherical aberration and linear distortion. Dust and moisture resistant components in the lens mount, switches, and focus ring help to protect the lens in a wide variety of shooting conditions.

The powerful and fast EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM lens will be available in November for an estimated selling price of $1,599**. The compact and universal EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM will also be available in November for an estimated selling price of $1,249**.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent holder of technology, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2005, with global revenues of $31.8 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

Specifications and availability subject to change without notice.

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*As of August 24, 2006

**Pricing subject to change at any time. Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.