Top Quality Canon L Lens

Canon L Lenses

Amongst the current Japanese camera titans, Canon and Nikon go back and forth for the top spot.  They are so dominant in the field that some refer to them as “Canikon” or “Nikanon.”

It wasn’t so long ago, however, that Canon was seen as the “Rolls Royce” in the field and some professional photographers switched from Nikon to Canon.  In keeping with that Rolls Royce image, Canon L lenses were introduced as their top of the line series.  While some photographers think the “L” stands for low dispersion, one of Canon’s own publications says the “L” stands for luxury.

Canon L Lenses:  What Makes Them Special

Well for one, there’s the glass used in the lens.  Canon is a world leader in optical technologies applied across a wide variety of fields beyond the camera world. Some of the Canon L lenses use ultra- low dispersion UD glass while others use super low dispersion glass.  The wide angle and high speed lenses use ashperics polished by hand.  The telephoto lenses include fluorite elements.

For another thing, there’s the way they are made.  Although some say there are no technical advantages to Canon L lenses, others disagree and feel there is a definite difference in picture quality.  But no one can disagree that Canon spares no expense when it comes to what goes into Canon L lenses.  They are tightly sealed, and when used with an appropriate camera body they are water resistant.  A special gasket at the mount of many L series lenses keeps dust from getting into the camera body.  They typically have wide apertures which, when coupled with the overall quality of everything that goes into them, makes Canon L lenses heavier than their standard lenses.   Those of you who are hanging on to your old Canon SLR camera bodies will he happy to know that all L series lenses support both film and digital formats.

The price of these lenses also makes them special:  they are very expensive.  But advocates of L series lenses remind us that their resale value is very high as well.

Next, there’s the way they look.  Many of these lenses are white in color.  From a technical standpoint white reflects light better than black, leading to less heat gain in the lens.  Heat gain or not, no one can deny that the white color makes them look extra special.  Canon even sells touch up paint for those inevitable scratches and nicks. 

The final touch is definitely the red stripe.  All Canon L lenses have a red stripe around the lens near the mount.    Some say it says to the world:  “I’m a pro!”  The stripe is particularly striking against the white background of the white lenses.  If you doubt just how special these lenses are, watch the photographers around the field of any sporting event you attend or watch.  You’re going to see a lot of cameras with red stripes!