The new lens should be arriving this week

Nov 10, 2014 08:45 GMT  ·  By

Canon’s EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM debuted back in 1998 and since then a lot of folks have been hoping the company will roll out a replacement for the optics.

After sixteen years of waiting, the new Canon lens might not be far from us, finally. Courtesy of Canon Rumors, the first images detailing the optics have been leaked into the wild alongside complete information related to specifications.

Say hello to the long-awaited Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II

Given how complete the report is, launching the lens remains only a formality for Canon, because most the information about the lens has become available to us.

According to the report, the new lens is made up of 21 elements in 16 groups including a fluorite one and super UD element said to be able to provide impressive contrast and resolution with reduced chromatic aberrations across the entire zoom range.

The new lens should be pretty immune to smearing and leaving pesky fingertips marks, due to the fluorine coating applied on the front and rear elements.

The optics are said to feature a compact construction and should be perfect for sports and wildlife photography.

The Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II also takes advantage of Air Sphere Coating (or ASC) which is supposed to reduce backlight flaring and ghosting issues.

The upcoming lens has a new inner focusing AF system that is capable of delivering accurate focus down to 3.2ft with 31x maximum magnification.

Canon is also throwing in a rotation-type zoom ring with adjustable zoom torque for improved, customizable zoom performance.

On top of that, users will also have a redesigned tripod mount at their disposal, which can be attached or detached without actually having to remove the lens from the EOS camera.

Last but not least, the new lens is offered with a hood featuring a side window that lets users adjust specialty filters without having to take the hood off.

The optics is also dust and weather sealed, so you’ll be able to take it out and shoot even in rough weather conditions.

Expect to lens to go official this week

The report mentions the release date is set for November 11, but we’re not given a specific time frame for when the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM should make it into the wild.

You’re probably curious about pricing at this point and luckily the source is kind enough to deliver this information as well. When it hits retail shelves, the long-awaited Canon lens should be marketed for $2,199 / €1,762 a pop.

Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II (6 Images)

Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II shows up in first images
Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II side viewCanon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II has been expected for more than 16 years
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