Canon FD Resources - Super Telephoto lenses
New FD 600mm f/4.5 & New FD 800mm f/5.6
L

 

The super telephoto is not a lens you can casually take along because you think you might need it and too often it may not be that easy and convenient to use.

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Their narrow angles of view, weight, size and great magnifications of the 600mm and 800mm lenses restrict the number of places where you can use them effectively. Particularly suited for sports and nature photography or inaccessible events or places, these super telephotos are also used by photojournalists in tough shooting situations where they just can't get close enough to the places where the action takes place.

Neither the 600mm nor the 800mm lenses are simple to use or handle. Although considered lighter and smaller than one might expect, neither lens can be handheld and still maintain a sharp image. However, professional sports photographers are known to have handheld the autofocus EF 600mm f/4L USM when shooting Formula One and Bike GPs. Now Canon has made it even easier with the introduction of the new EF 600mm f/4L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM. The 600mm has half the angle of view of a 300mm while the 800mm has half the angle of view of a 400mm. More important, the 600mm and 800mm lenses have four times the magnifications of the 300mm and 400mm respectively. With these lenses, you definitely would require a monopod/tripod or any other form of steady support One considerate feature designed by Canon's optical engineers was these lenses were built with revolving mechanisms so you can instantly change from horizontal to vertical format with exceptional ease.

Canon FD 600mm f/4.0L S.S.C. Super telephoto
An OLDER, original version of a Canon FD 600mm f/4.0L S.S.C. --- MORE INFO

Credit
: Image courtesy of "Ebay - Mathew Duren" <ebay@adorama> URL: Adorama.com, who also operates a popular Ebay Store. Image Copyright © 2003. All rights reserved. Adorama Inc. also can be contact at: Used & Collectible Ebay Department Adorama® Inc. 42 West 18th Street New York, N.Y. 10011 1-212-741-0052 1-880-223-2500 Option 55 Ext.119 FAX: 1-212-675-8715

Canon 800mm f/5.6L
Credit: Image courtesy of Laura Kornylak ® <shutterblade@comcast.net> from shutterblade*com where the Company has a website on its own. Image copyright © 2003. All rights reserved. Please respect the visual property of the contributing photographer.


In most cases, these lenses will be used at their maximum apertures because most of the time, one would need the fastest possible shutter speed to stop the action. Photos such as this one below was shot with the lens fitted to monopod and the highest shutter speed possible at f/5.6 on ISO 800 film was 1/125 sec., hence the motion effect from the hands.

From Samoa, with style, love and affection.jpg (54k) Loading...
<<<<<--- The athletes from Samoa Island during the official opening of the XV1 Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Pix: © 1999, Vincent Thian, an AP photographer. (The Associated Press)


You can consider using it with high-speed color or black-and-white film to solve part of the problem or a compromise by using smaller apertures for greater depth of field control.

Use of automatic film advance devices like a motor drive or power winder whenever possible to transport film or a cable release to release the shutter. Furthermore, depth of field for the 600rnm and 800mrn lenses are extremely shallow.

Prefocus as precisely as you can and release the shutter just soon enough to catch the subject at the point of sharpest focus.

New FD 600mm f/4.5 Lens

A 600mm super telephoto lens with a fast speed of f/4.5. This is not an '
L' series designated lens. But it employed many of Canon's unique original designs such as Rear-group focusing system in which the focus is performed by moving only the lens in the rearmost section. The overall length of the lens does not change during focusing. Thus excellent balance of the lens is maintained throughout its distance range. This lens has a minimum aperture of f/32. A one-touch revolving mechanism is incorporated to facilitate changing to a vertical format when using a tripod. The exterior of the lens is treated with gray paint to protect the lens from heat when shooting under strong sunlight.

Specification:

600mmf56optic.jpg

Focal length: 600mm
Aperture ratio: 1:4.5
Lens construction: 5 groups, 6 elements
Coating: S.S.C (super spectra coating)
Angle of view: Diagonal: 4° 10' Vertical: 2° 20' Horizontal: 3° 30'
Distance Scale: (m) 8 (magnification 0.08X) to 100.
OO (ft) 27 to 300 oo
Focusing: Rear-group focusing
Minimum aperture: f/32.A (large size aperture ring with numerals in two places)
Diaphragm: Automatic
Filter Type. Rear section filter holder, drop-in type (with 48mm exclusive filter. Regular 1X)
Hood: Built-in type. Extension hood can be attached
Tripod holder: Built-in type
Cap: Bag Type (CF2-0633)
Function: Auto Aperture, Full aperture metering (AE operation when used with ALL Canon automatic SLR cameras.
Length x max. diameter: 462mm x 154mm
Weight: 3,800g



New FD
800mm f/5.6L Lens

This is one of the fastest lens of its class in the world. It utilized an Ultra low-dispersion optical glass element in its design to hold the secondary spectrum to a minimum and to prevent deterioration in picture quality from chromatic aberration. This lens also incorporates the light and smooth Rear-group focusing system in which only the rearmost lens element moves internally for focusing. Thus, good balance of the lens is maintained when using a tripod. This lens also comes with a device for fine adjustment of focusing torque and the focus can be locked. A revolving mechanism to facilitate format changing when using a tripod is incorporated as well. It weights almost 4.3 kg in weight and does not cost that much either in price - in those days it was even cheaper than what it will cost you to buy the New FD 300mm f/2.8L version.

600mmf4optic.jpg


Credit: Image courtesy of Laura Kornylak ® <shutterblade@comcast.net> from shutterblade*com where the Company has a website on its own. Image copyright © 2003. All rights reserved. Please respect the visual property of the contributing photographer.

Specification:

Focal length: 800mm
Aperture ratio: 1:5.6
Lens construction: 6 groups, 7 elements (including 1 protective glass and 1 UD glass)
Coating: S.S.C (super spectra coating)
Angle of view: Diagonal: 3° 06' Vertical: 1° 40' Horizontal: 2° 35'
Distance Scale: (m) 14 (magnification 0.06X) to 100.
OO (ft) 45 to 300 oo
Focusing: Rear-group focusing
Minimum aperture: f/32.A (large size aperture ring with numerals in two places)
Diaphragm: Automatic
Filter Type. Rear section filter holder, drop-in type (with 48mm exclusive filter. Regular 1X)
Hood: Built-in type. Extension hood can be attached.
Tripod holder: Built-in type
Cap: Bag Type (CF2-0636)
Function: Auto Aperture, Full aperture metering (AE operation when used with ALL Canon automatic SLR cameras.
Length x max. diameter: 577mm x 154mm
Weight: 4,270g

Click Here to a summary dedicated page for older version of Canon FD super-telephoto lenses. Not all Canon super telephoto lenses were gray in color...


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