Canon continues to up the ante with three new products just announced. A new 65mm f/2.8 1x-5x macro lens is probably the best thing to happen from Canon for macro photographers! I look forward to this lens... Canon also helps the consumer with the offering of a new affordable 70-200 f/4L USM lens!

Here's the info from EOS magazine=

THREE NEW EOS SYSTEM ITEMS FROM CANON

Canon has announced three new products for the EOS system: * MP-E65mm f2.8 1-5x Macro Photo lens * EF 70-200mm f4L USM lens * Angle Finder C

The close-up capabilites of EOS cameras have been greatly extended by the introduction of the MP-E65mm f2.8 1-5x Macro Photo lens.

Unlike the EF Macro lenses, the MP-E65mm only operates in the range of magnifications from 1x to 5x - it does not offer infinity focusing. Not surprisingly, focusing is manual, rather than automatic. In effect, the lens is an alternative to a bellows unit (Canon does not supply a bellows unit designed for the EOS system).

High resolution and good contrast is ensured by the use of a UD (ultra dispersion) glass element which corrects chromatic aberrations.

The Canon Macro Ring Lite ML-3 can be used with the MP-E65mm lens, though the built-in focusing lamp is only effective up to a magnification of about 3x. At higher magnifications, a separate focusing lamp is required.

Camera shake is very noticeable at high magnifications. Use of a solid tripod, plus a Remote Switch, is recommended.

At high magnifications, the lens focusing ring may not offer the degree of fine focusing needed for precise work. In these situations, a focusing rail is recommended. This allows both camera and lens to be moved together for very accurate focusing on the subject.

Autoexposure with the EOS 1, 1N and 1N RS cameras ahould be accurate. However, this will depend on the subject, and exposure bracketing is recommended. Autoexposure with other EOS cameras may require compensation. AE Fine Spot metering is not recommended.

The MP-E65mm lens comes complete with a removeable tripod collar and has a suggested retail price of #899.99 in the UK. Availability is from September 1999.

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The EF 70-200mm f4L USM lens is a compact, lightweight, high-performance L-series telephoto zoom. It offers a similar optical performance to the EF 70-200mm f2.8L USM, but at a lower cost, making the lens suitable for both professional and enthusiast photographers.

The lens contains fluorite and Super UD elements to provide high quality performance at all focal lengths. The minimum focusing distance is 1.2 metres. A non-rotating fornt lens allows easy use of polarising filters.

Extenders EF 1.4x and EF 2x can be used with the lens. Autofocusing is retained with the Extender EF 1.4x. Manual focusing is needed when the Extender EF 2x is used (except with the EOS 3, where autofocusing is possible using the centre focusing point).

The EF 70-200mm f4L USM lens has a suggested retail price of #699.99 in the UK. Availability is from September 1999.

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Angle Finder C clips to the EOS camera eyepiece to make it easier to view the image with low-angle picture taking, or when the camera is on a copy stand. The image is gives is the right way up and the right way round.

The main advantage over Angle Finder B is that Angle Finder C allows the magnification to be switched from 1.25x (full viewfinder image) to 2.5x (centre of image) for precise manual focusing. It is an ideal accessory for use with the new MP-E65mm Macro Photo lens.

Angle Finder C has a suggested retail price of #149.99 in the UK. Availability is from September 1999.

Photos of the new products can be seen at www.eos-magazine.com

-- Bill Meyer (william_meyer@stortek.com), September 01, 1999

Answers

Thanks for the info. I knew about the new macro from the B&H website, but I had not noticed the new 70-200. The macro might be good to have after I learn how to deal with the 100 f2.8 I'm planning to buy. It is the same price as the 50mm macro - $270.

When I read about the 70-200 I got a little excited, until I saw the price. $900 at B&H. That's only about $400 less than the US version of the 70-200 f2.8. It isn't enough of a cost savings to get me to buy one. If it had been about the price of the 200 f2.8 I might be tempted, but it is really too much at $900.

The angle finder c could be useful, but does it need an adapter like the old one to work on the more recent cameras like the A2 and Elan II? An eyepiece extender for those cameras would be really nice, but I don't see that happening. Too bad.

Nice to know Canon doesn't ever seem to let up on inovations. We'll see where the prices cool to after about a year or so. No how about combining the best of the Elan IIe (50E) with the best of the A2 (5), and name it the Elan III (EOS 30). PLEASE!!!!

-- Brad (bhutcheson@iname.com), September 01, 1999.

It looks like I won't be getting the MP-E65 anytime soon either. I just checked B&H's website again, and it looks like they had a misprint the other day. The price is $1050. Sorry for the bad information in my other post. I wondered how it could be that cheap.

-- Brad (bhutcheson@iname.com), September 01, 1999.