EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III and EF 600mm f/4L IS III developers talk

Canon USA has published an interview with the developers of the brand new EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III and EF 600mm f/4L IS III super telephoto lenses.

The EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM take their places as the world’s lightest professional super telephoto lenses in their class. The weight of the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lenses has been reduced by 2.2 lbs. (more than 25 percent) and 1.9 lbs. (more than 20 percent) respectively.

EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III costs $11,999 while the EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM priced at $12,999.

Some of the design goals and challenges facing the developers:

• Rather than simply making the lens lighter, we retooled the lens from the ground up for an overall balanced weight.
• Improved mobility and portability, with reduced weight
• A significant — not average — reduction in weight
• We were convinced we could reach our goal thanks to the
  proposal of a new optical system.
• New challenges, one after the other, with tag-team efforts
  between Optical Design, Mechanical Design, Electrical
  Design, and Production that overcame these challenges.
• Reducing the number of component s results in both
  a lightweight design and increased strength.
• Using a new high-strength alloy for the lens barrel
• Using the latest gyro sensor is insufficient for improved
  IS performance — it was necessary to build a new control algorithm that assumes a variety of situations.
• Not only has handheld IS performance improved, but it can
  now deal with vibration when using a tripod.
• Improved lens focus drive speed even when an EF tele-extender is attached.
• An expert coating team was formed with the cooperation of the
  Mechanical and Manufacturing departments within Canon, to aim
  for an ideal solution.
• We didn’t compromise on the white color, despite placing
  priority on functionality.

The Full Canon Developers Interview (19.6mb PDF)

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