Last Updated on January 13, 2019
A new 85mm lens has been added to the Canon 85mm focal range lineup, the Canon 85mm f/1.4L IS USM. Three new tilt-shift macro lenses – the TS-E 50mm f/2.8L, TS-E 90mm f/2.8L, and the TS-E 135mm f/4L – were also introduced alongside it, plus a new Macro Twin-Lite MT-26EX-RT flash. These new products add to the applications and solutions available for shooters who dabble in architecture, food, landscape, portrait, and product photography.
Creating images that are powerful and timeless needs more than just a camera, according to Canon USA president and COO Yuichi Ishizuka. The products Canon just launched intend to be the solutions needed to take compelling photographs. Ishizuka adds that the newest products will push the boundaries of what photographers, both professional and amateur alike, can capture and share.
Better portraits
Canon EF 85mm f/1.4 L IS USM
Lenses in Canon’s 85mm family are generally favored by portrait photographers. With the addition of the Canon 85mm f/1.4L IS USM, the lens family now has a unit with image stabilization (IS). The IS feature of the lens is capable of providing up to four stops of shake correction to guarantee images that are smooth and crisp.
Ishizuka said that high-quality, well-crafted optics are needed to create compelling images, and Canon used a large diameter, high-precision molded glass aspherical lens with Air-Spehere Coating (ASC) coating for this model.
With an f/1.4L aperture, the lens is capable of producing shallow depth-of-field and fast shutter speeds. Images inside the viewfinder also appear bright thanks to the large aperture, making for more reliable focus and image composition. Beautiful bokeh can also be achieved thanks to a circular aperture with 9-blade iris.
The lens will be available in November 2017 with prices starting at $1,599.
More creative options
Photographers who want more creative control over depth-of-field and perspective turn to tilt-shift lenses. The former is controlled through the tilt function while the shift function alters the latter. The ability to change the composition of images is utilized by many photographers, particularly those who shoot architecture, landscapes, and portraits.
Just like the new 85mm lens, the three new tilt-shift lenses from Canon were made with enhanced optical elements, such as aspherical glass and UD lenses. The components provide edge-to-edge resolution, enhanced image quality, and minimum distortion.
The lenses feature two anti-reflective coatings: SubWaveLength Structure Coating (SWC), which reduces flare and ghosting, and ASC, a new technology with high, anti-reflective performance. The TS-E 135mm f/4L is coated with SWC while the TS-E 90mm f/2.8L is coated with ASC. The TS-E 50mm f/2.8L gets both SWC and ASC.
The new lenses also have improved operability, including bigger knobs for tilt, shift-and-lock function and a new tilt-locking mechanism.
Canon’s new tilt-shift lenses will be available in November 2017. Prices will start at $2199.
Improved macro photography
Canon Macro Twin-Lite MT-26EX-RT Flash
Photographers often need flash to shoot photographs in macro. The new Canon Macro Twin-Lite MT-26EX-RT Flash aims to provide a better lighting situation. The flash uses a macro twin-lite which can be adjusted and shifted to a degree that suits the photographer.
The Macro Twin-Lite flash will also be available in November 2017 and will retail at $989.99.
