Canon Announces the 85mm f/1.4L IS, Three Other Lenses, a Flash, and a Camera

Canon Announces the 85mm f/1.4L IS, Three Other Lenses, a Flash, and a Camera

Hang onto your seats, folks. Canon just announced the widely anticipated 85mm f/1.4L IS, the first non-third-party 85mm lens with image stabilization, three new tilt-shift lenses, a new flash, and a new mirrorless camera.

Canon 85mm f/1.4L IS USM

The real star of the show here is the 85mm f/1.4L IS USM. As the 85mm lens category continues to heat up, Canon is stepping up to the table with an image stabilized, wide aperture version of their own. Check out its specs:

  • One glass molded aspherical element to reduce distortions and spherical aberrations and improve sharpness and clarity
  • Air Sphere Coating to reduce flaring and ghosting
  • Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
  • Image stabilization rated to four stops
  • Dust and water resistant
  • Nine-blade rounded diaphragm
  • Full-time manual focus override
  • Minimum focus distance: 2.79 ft. (85 cm)
  • Front filter: 77 mm
  • Weight: 2.09 lbs. (950 g)

Canon TS-E 50mm f/2.8L Macro Tilt-Shift Lens

You read that correctly: a macro tilt-shift lens. I'm already thinking about creative possibilities for this lens. Here are its specs:

  • Maximum tilt: +/- 8.5°
  • Maximum shift: +/- 12mm
  • Two ultra-low dispersion elements to reduce color fringing and chromatic aberration
  • Coating to reduce ghosting, flare, and internal reflections
  • Tilt lock mechanism and extra large knobs
  • Minimum focusing distance: 10.6 in.
  • Reproduction ratio: 1:2
  • Front filter: 77 mm
  • Weight: 2.08 lbs. (944 g)

Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro Tilt-Shift Lens

Here's the middle sibling of the three new TS-E lenses:

  • Maximum tilt: +/-10°
  • Maximum shift: +/- 12mm
  • One ultra-low dispersion element to reduce color fringing and chromatic aberration
  • Coating to reduce ghosting, flare, and internal reflections
  • Tilt lock mechanism and extra large knobs
  • Minimum focusing distance: 1.3 ft.
  • Reproduction ratio: 1:2
  • Front filter: 77 mm
  • Weight: 2.01 lbs. (916 g)

Canon TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro Tilt-Shift Lens

Here's the longest of the bunch:

  • Maximum tilt: +/-10°
  • Maximum shift: +/- 12mm
  • Two ultra-low dispersion elements to reduce color fringing and chromatic aberration
  • Coating to reduce ghosting, flare, and internal reflections
  • Tilt lock mechanism and extra large knobs
  • Minimum focusing distance: 1.6 ft.
  • Reproduction ratio: Not provided, but appears to be at or near 1:1
  • Front filter: 82 mm
  • Weight: 2.43 lbs. (1.1 kg)

Canon MT-26EX-RT Macro Twin Lite

Compatible with all new and old (a few with an adapter) macro lenses, this updated twin macro flash looks quite serious:

  • 2.4 GHz wireless 
  • Detachable heads
  • Heads rotate up to 60°
  • Compatible with Canon E-TTL / E-TTL II
  • Guide Number: 85.3 ft. at ISO 100
  • Manual control to 1/512 (independently)
  • Recycle time: 5 seconds at full power
  • Includes removable diffusers
  • Weight: 1.25 lbs. (570 g)

Canon EOS M100

If you're looking for a small travel option with a nice sensor and the ability to adapt your Canon lenses, this is quite an affordable option:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor
  • DIGIC 7 processor
  • 3.0" 1.04m-dot tilting touchscreen
  • 1080p at 60 fps
  • Wi-Fi with NFC and Bluetooth
  • Dual-Pixel CMOS AF
  • ISO range: 100-6,400 (expandable to 25,600)
  • Bit depth: 14-bit
  • Single SD slot
  • Weight: 10.7 oz (303 g)

Preorder

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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18 Comments

Can't wait to compare that 85mm...

Canonon rampage...OMG..need cash..,😁😁😁

I'm drooling over that 50mm TS

That 135 TS is HUGE!!!!!

Don't get why Canon did not make a new 50mm 1.4 that's decent. They would make a killing!

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme!

"You read that correctly: a macro tilt-shift lens." Well, the Nikon ones have been 1:2 macros for some time now. But the Canons have important extra movement control.

I personally do not think you need image stabilization at 85mm focal length. Most people that buy this lens are portrait photographers who shoot wide open. At f/1.4 you have plenty of light-gathering latitude to shoot well into the twilight.

Having used this focal length for better part of a decade to do just that - take portraits, I have rarely encountered a situation where my exposure called for a shutter so slow that image stabilization would've been necessary to save my shots from camera shake.

IS introduces weight and additional optical elements which can detract from sharpness and bokeh.

Just my 2 cents.

On the positive note, I am happy that Canon has finally put together a proper f/1.4 portrait prime. The only alternatives up until now were the 85 f/1.2, which no one, ever, shot wide open because consistent focus was impossible.

Yup, is the extra $400 worth the IS over the Sigma Art. This is actually lighter than the 1.2 and Sigma.

These new Tilt Shift lenses are making me feel pretty good about still being a Canon shooter.

It's about time for the tilt shift updates. Still tho, I don't see much demand out there so I'm kinda left scratching my head on this one.

I'm actually surprised at the price of the 85. I just expected 1800-1900. I don't know if I'm encouraged or concerned. Anyone got an MTF chart?

I'd chalk this one up to the "sigma effect", If Canon went much more expensive with this lens then most users would just go drop the $1200 on the Sigma 85mm ART which is a tremendously good lens. I suspect Canon wanted to price this higher but recognized they wouldn't sell many at a higher price point. I can't imagine optics are bad if Canon expects to actually sell any of them.

That's definitely what I'm hoping for, and if that's the case, it's a welcome change. My 85 1.2 is beat to hell and back and I've been interested in a replacement. If this was much more money, I would have indeed gone for the Sigma. I'll have a decision to make next year.

Imo, for most photographers even the $400 difference is going to be a hard pill to swallow just for IS on a lens that doesn't really need it.

Too bad they haven't produced a 35mm TS, I owned the 35mm FD TS lens in film days and used it often. Now I make do with an Olympus 35mm shift with adapter, but I think the Canon would be a better and more convenient lens to use.

The 50mm TS is interesting, the current 45 TS is pretty mediocre performer in my ( limited ) experience.

If you get the 1.4x extender (III) it converts the 24mm TS-E to 34mm.

I think I want the EOS M100