The Rare Canon Lens You’ve Never Heard Of

Canon has released many legendary lenses over the years, but some models remain obscure. One of the rarest is the EF 50-200mm f/3.5-4.5 L, an autofocus L-series lens from 1988. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone. It’s so rare that even finding information on it can be difficult, but that makes testing one all the more interesting.

Coming to you from Christopher Frost, this detailed video takes a close look at the lens, breaking down its optical performance, handling, and quirks. It was one of Canon’s first EF-mount lenses, with a unique zoom range and a maximum aperture slightly brighter than typical. The lens is lightweight, built from plastic with a metal mount, but its construction doesn’t inspire confidence. It uses a push-pull zoom mechanism, which works well enough when new but can loosen over time. The focus system is another throwback, with a slow, noisy autofocus motor and a manual focus ring that feels scratchy and imprecise.

Optically, the lens shows both strengths and weaknesses. At 50mm, center sharpness is acceptable wide open but lacks contrast, and color fringing is noticeable. Stopping down to f/5.6 improves sharpness and contrast considerably, especially in the center. The corners, however, remain soft even as the aperture is reduced. At 120mm, performance improves in the middle, but chromatic aberration remains an issue. At 200mm, center sharpness is good, but corner resolution falls off significantly. Distortion and vignetting are present throughout the zoom range, with pincushion distortion becoming more obvious at the telephoto end. Flare resistance is average, and background blur is mostly smooth, though it can get busy in complex scenes.

The push-pull zoom and rotating front element make handling awkward, especially for those used to modern internal focus and zoom systems. Continuous autofocus can cause erratic behavior when adapted to Canon’s mirrorless cameras, making it important to disable that function. Image stabilization isn’t built in, so performance relies on the camera’s stabilization system, which struggles at longer focal lengths. Close-up performance is another weak point, with soft results at minimum focus distance unless stopped down to f/8.

Despite its flaws, the lens remains an interesting piece of Canon history. The 50-200mm focal range offers versatility, and the faster-than-average aperture makes it capable of creating decent subject separation. For collectors, it’s a rare find, but for practical use, modern lenses offer better performance in every way. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Frost.