EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM & Power Zoom Adaptor Images

[Canon Rumors]

Images of the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM & Power Zoom Adaptor have leaked ahead of the official announcement, which is expected soon.</p>

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[mpphoto]

The lens says "Nano USM" on it. I wonder how this differs from regular USM.

 

[da_guy2]

Ummm ok.... looks expensive.... So who's this for anyways? I'm guessing it's a video thing?

 

[cpreston]

Power zoom? As a video guy, I'm intrigued. But what the heck is it? If it's just a motorized cradle for the lens, it's nearly useless. The aperture/transmission needs to be nearly constant for a power zoom to be useful.

After looking at it some more, it looks like the power zoom actually clips to the lens and has an electrical communication to the lens. If Canon has created a parfocal, continuous aperture, 18-135 with smooth motoried zoom, I'm impressed.

 

[PhotographyFirst]

Yeah, that thing is looking super gimmicky.

 

[TeT]

Minolta Maxxum Power zoom anyone...

 

[siegsAR]

That thing is the future!

 

[aussielearner]

So the powerzoom would essentially allow you to use your iPhone/Android device to control the camera and zoom lens remotely using Wifi.

As a recent owner of an EOS M2, I find the Wifi tethering quite useful, although you need to set your zoom where you want it before taking the picture remotely (it would seem that this takes take of it for you).

 

[Nininini]

I'm more interested in the fact how small they managed to make it. That is a SMALL lens for a 18-135, looks way smaller than the STM version. Good job Canon.

 

[Nininini]

Yeah, that thing is looking super gimmicky.

to a pro videographer using an Arri maybe

but you have to understand, that the majority of DSLR are now being sold to people on youtube and people going on vacation, they want video stuff like smooth and remote zooming such as in pro cameras, but at an affordable price and without a massive rig hanging on their shoulder

 

[Nininini]

Power zoom? As a video guy, I'm intrigued. But what the heck is it? If it's just a motorized cradle for the lens, it's nearly useless.

If you think this is useless, then you're not the video guy you claim you are, this is incredibly useful. Most pro cameras allow you to program the power zoom motor, so you do not need to touch the lens. It is preprogrammed, you do not want to be touching the lens during a high speed pan for example, you often can't do the take again (a stunt for example), and you don't want to introduce any vibration, so you preprogram the power zoom, or use it remotely.

Even if it's the most basic power zoom there is, it is still incredibly useful.

This exists for almost every pro video camera.

Including Canon:

The aperture/transmission needs to be nearly constant for a power zoom to be useful.

Why? If the lens is 3.5-5.6, you just lock the aperture at 5.6 at 18mm. Not hard. Not every video lens has a constant aperture either.

 

[H. Jones]

Looks like Canon is lining up the 80D to be one of its most video-centric DSLRs yet; the 70D was definitely the go-to crop camera for video, but this goes even further adding video-dedicated accessories on top of DPAF and a swivel screen.

I doubt that the power zoom adapter is going to only be for one lens-- could this mean we see full-frame power zoom lenses that appear with either the 6D II or 5D Mark IV? The 5D mark IV would make more sense, and it would be interesting to see where Canon goes from here with this thing.

I'm also interested in how well the nano USM focuses and seeing if this is the new prosumer line of crop lenses. A 17-55mm F/2.8 IS replacement with nano USM/power focus and that styling would be a big seller for video I'd think.

 

[Proscribo]

I'm also interested in how well the nano USM focuses and seeing if this is the new prosumer line of crop lenses. A 17-55mm F/2.8 IS replacement with nano USM/power focus and that styling would be a big seller for video I'd think.

Does anyone know what that nano USM actually means? Is it much better for video than regular ring-USM, something that similar to STM in video but is also as fast (or really close) to regular USM when shooting through viewfinder?

 

[H. Jones]

I'm also interested in how well the nano USM focuses and seeing if this is the new prosumer line of crop lenses. A 17-55mm F/2.8 IS replacement with nano USM/power focus and that styling would be a big seller for video I'd think.

Does anyone know what that nano USM actually means? Is it much better for video than regular ring-USM, something that similar to STM in video but is also as fast (or really close) to regular USM when shooting through viewfinder?

I'm absolutely clueless on that front and it may very well just be a new marketing term from Canon, but the wikipedia article for Ultrasonic motors mentions that:

"As the vibration becomes inaudible at 20 kHz or so, the vibration displacements are in the tens of micrometers, and motors have been built[2] that operate using 50 MHz surface acoustic wave (SAW) that have vibrations of only a few nanometers in magnitude. "

Which may mean that Nano USM creates vibrations so quiet that the microphone can't pick them up? Perhaps it gives you the speed/precision of USM while remaining absolutely silent for video? Again, I'm clueless, but that line definitely caught my eye.

 

[arcer]

I'm also interested in how well the nano USM focuses and seeing if this is the new prosumer line of crop lenses. A 17-55mm F/2.8 IS replacement with nano USM/power focus and that styling would be a big seller for video I'd think.

Does anyone know what that nano USM actually means? Is it much better for video than regular ring-USM, something that similar to STM in video but is also as fast (or really close) to regular USM when shooting through viewfinder?

I'm absolutely clueless on that front and it may very well just be a new marketing term from Canon, but the wikipedia article for Ultrasonic motors mentions that:

"As the vibration becomes inaudible at 20 kHz or so, the vibration displacements are in the tens of micrometers, and motors have been built[2] that operate using 50 MHz surface acoustic wave (SAW) that have vibrations of only a few nanometers in magnitude. "

Which may mean that Nano USM creates vibrations so quiet that the microphone can't pick them up? Perhaps it gives you the speed/precision of USM while remaining absolutely silent for video? Again, I'm clueless, but that line definitely caught my eye.

Nano USM got my attention also. As Canon is putting this new tech in this video-optimized lens, I would guess that it is a sort-of merging of USM and STM technology, where you have full USM capabilities for still shooting but still have smooth AF transitions for video-taking. "Nano"-USM referring to small movements of the AF motor similar to the stepping tech of STM lens.

In addition, I think this is more of a proof-of-concept lens that will deliver reasonable video-shooting performance but may not be acceptable for high IQ still shooting. This assumption is based on my limited knowledge of lens design and this lens seems smaller than its STM counterpart. However, Canon has been producing great lens for the past few years and they might surprise us and this might be a winner for the consumer market.
Nevertheless, I look forward to a new APS-C 15-85 IS nanoUSM lens coming soon. Or maybe even a new 15-55 f/2.8 IS nanoUSM lens. XD

 

[Quackator]

This will make the vertigo effect available to all those
less than skilled 1st ACs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKJeTaIEldM

 

[RustyTheGeek]

This thread ended up being a LOT more interesting than I anticipated. I even learned something about power zooms so I didn't put "Power Zoom" in silly italicized quotes. Oh. Ooops!

Seriously, this sounds pretty intriguing. And I think it is ESSENTIAL for Canon to keep things moving and find ways to generate excitement for cameras and DSLRs if they are going to keep the format alive and relevant for all the phone camera folks with disposable income. At some point most smart people, esp after they start a family, begin to want better images and video.

Personally, for years I suggested the 40D to anyone who asked what DSLR camera to get. For the past year, it has been either the 70D or the SL1. That will continue to endure but soon I hope the 80D will impress me for being a great performer while also being a great value like the 70D/SL1 cameras proved to be.

 

[markhbfindlay]

Google translation of the Digicame page:

Canon image of "EF-S18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM" and "power zoom adapter"
From the direction of the reader, we have provided and the EF-S18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM, the image of the adapter to power zoom of the lens.

EF-S18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM is not such thing as with the gearing of electronic contacts and zoom drive, connected to the power zoom adapter, you can power zoom ratio.

Since the power zoom function without much need for people who do not shoot the video, is of that provided in the option this feature, it might be good also for the video faction also for still faction.

This adapter, or a new type of the 18-135mm dedicated, is where do you corresponding to the lens is also this adapter that appeared future is worrisome.
------------------------------
Thank you for those who have to provide the image.

... So it's a conventional manual zoom lens, but with the power attachment thingy it becomes a power zoom. No experience with video but presumably this makes sense.

 

[wsmith96]

This might be interesting for bird shooters if you can remotely zoom your DSLR with your smartphone.

 

[mrzero]

Hot diggity. Yesterday, in http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=29079.0, I posted this:

There will also be something called a Power Zoom Adaptor being announced, but there is no information on this.

That name draws to mind the old EF 35-80mm f/4-5.6 PZ, where the PZ stands for Power Zoom. http://www.canon.com/c-museum/en/product/ef288.html

Sony has recently released several power zoom lenses for their E-mount, including a full-frame 28-135. I would love to have servo zoom lenses for video on a DSLR body. As this is referred to as an "adaptor," I could see it being a way to attach Canon servo lenses to EF or EF-S mount bodies or, and this is my preference, an adaptor to attach a servo to EF or EF-S lenses.

Unfortunately, it looks like you might only be able to attach it to PZ-capable lenses that have the mounting slots and zoom gearing on the bottom. However, this lens and adaptor will be part of my camcorder replacement kit. Just need to decide on the body. Then I can swap in fast primes where necessary, and I'm sure a second PZ-capable lens with a wider constant aperture will be on the way soon (15-85 f/2.8 anyone?).

Also interesting, is that the Power Zoom Adapter places the servo rocker switch on the bottom left, rather than the top right. That means you can support the lens with your left hand, as you traditionally do with an SLR, and run the zoom with your left hand while you control the camera with your right. Actually quite innovative for Canon to change the layout like that, but it seems to be a good idea.