LanguagesLenses: L-series lenses
As a professional, you want to produce the best quality images you can. This means they must not only be well exposed and composed, but also sharp, clear and show good colour rendition. In short, you want peak-performance lenses. And you want these lenses to last a lifetime and be able to produce quality images every time, in all conditions.
L-series lenses meet these requirements. Canon uses three technologies in its L series lenses to produce the sharpest, clearest pictures ? fluorite elements, aspherical elements and UD optical glass elements. To make sure you can easily identify these luxury lenses, Canon marks them with a red ring around the lens barrel. If it does not have this red ring, it is not part of the L-series lens range.
Built to last
Optical performance is only half the story. A lens destined for professional use must be able to withstand the rigours of a professional photographer’s working life. This means a rugged build quality that will endure the knocks of everyday use, and weather sealing to protect against every type of adverse conditions. Accordingly, the L-series lenses feature liberal use of rubber sealing at interface areas, such as the lens-to-camera junction, external switches, and around zoom and focus rings to prevent water getting in and destroying the lens’ electronics.
Low light limits
Professional photographers are often forced to shoot in less than ideal lighting conditions. Sometimes this can mean in low light or even at night. The L-series offers wider maximum apertures than other lenses. For example, look at the 24mm, 50mm and 85mm prime lenses. The L series lenses all have wider apertures, allowing better low light performance.
| L-series | non-L-series |
|---|---|
| EF24mm f/1.4L USM | EF24mm f/2.8 |
| EF50mm f/1.2L USM | EF50mm f/1.4 USM or EF50mm f/1.8 II |
| EF85mm f/1.2L USM II | EF85mm f/1.8 USM |
