EF200mm f/2L IS USM – the indoor sports master
Aimed squarely at indoor sports shooters, the fast EF200mm f/2L USM L series lens continues the traditions of excellence in the Canon lens range. Built tough to withstand the rigours of professional use the lens incorporates complete dust and moisture seals to keep out the elements whatever the weather.
Who is it for?
If there is one group of photographers this lens is more suited to than any other, it’s indoor sports shooters. That said, it’s also a highly capable portrait lens and will also find use in the hands of wildlife photographers working close to their subjects in low light levels.
Key features
- L series construction
- Large f/2 aperture
- 5-stop Image Stabilizer with tripod detection
- Super Spectra lens coatings
- Fluorite and UD lens elements
- Ring USM auto focus with full-time manual focus
Key benefits
A large f/2 maximum aperture gives you precise control over depth-of-field to hand creativity to you. It also makes this lens perfect for shooting in low light levels where you need to capture as much ambient light as possible without resorting to flash. The large maximum aperture also offers fine control over depth-of-field for candid portrait photography to help the subject stand out from the background. With the circular aperture diaphragm, background blur is smooth and consistent.
The side of the EF200mm f/2L IS USM lens.
A new 5-stop Image Stabilizer system ensures the lens can be hand held at very slow shutter speeds to make sure you get the shot when the light levels fall. Combined with the fast f/2 maximum aperture you can shoot in low light and still achieve fast enough shutter speeds without having to resort to using flash.
An optical construction, incorporating both fluorite and ultra-low dispersion (UD) glass controls chromatic aberrations, helps to eliminate secondary spectrum to provide sharp, high contrast images.
To make sure that you can keep up with the sports action, a ring-type USM autofocus motor has been used with full manual over-ride allowing full-time manual focus. The addition of a ‘focus preset’ switch allows you to preset a focus distance and move to that preset instantly, no matter where you are in the focus range.
The lens can also be used with either the EF1.4x II or EF2x II extenders to provide a 280mm f/2.8 or 400mm f/4 lens. In both instances the Image Stabilization system will still function, as will the AF on any EOS camera.
Key technologies
- USM autofocus
A ring-type USM autofocus motor means you can focus quickly, near-silently and with precision. It also provides full-time manual focus so that you can adjust the focus with the focus ring, without first having to switch the lens to manual focus. This allows you to adjust the focus accurately to ensure it is exactly where you want it to be for the most creative control possible. This lens also features AF stop buttons to allow you to halt the AF function should you need to. - 5-stop Image Stabilizer
The 5-stop Image Stabilizer in this lens means that you can get sharp shots up to five stops below the shutter speed you would normally need for hand-holding. This means you could be able to work down to 1/6sec and still achieve sharp shots. - Fluorite lens element
The fluorite lens element, combined with two UD lens elements provides exceptional image quality for sharp, contrasty images free from aberrations.
Lens Specifications
| Angle of view (horzntl, vertl, diagnl) | 10°, 7°, 12° |
| Lens construction (elements/groups) | 17/12 |
| No. of diaphragm blades | 8 |
| Minimum aperture | 32 |
| Closest focusing distance (m) | 1.9m |
| Maximum magnification (x) | 0.12 |
| Distance information | Yes |
| Image stabilizer | 5-stops |
| AF actuator | Ring USM¹ |
| Filter diameter (mm) | 52 Drop in |
| Max. diameter x length (mm) | 128 x 208 |
| Weight (g) | 2520 |
| Magnification - Extension Tube EF12 II | 0.19-0.6 |
| Magnification - Extension Tube EF25 II | 0.26-0.14 |
| Lens hood | ET-120B |
| Soft case | Lens case 200 |
| G.F.Holder III (hood III*) | NC |
| G.F.Holder IV (hood IV*) | NC |
| Extenders EF1.4x II and EF2x II | Compatible |
| AF actuator | ¹ Mechanical full-time manual focusing built-in |
| * Maximum number of Hood III/IV attachable. In the case of zoom lenses, the maximum number applies to the shortest focal length. |
| NC: Not Compatible with Gelatine Filter Holder III/IV. |
