Patent: Canon EF 600mm f/4 DO IS

[Light Sculptor]

Having looked a little on Canon's pricing I'm not sure it will be as expensive as some suggest here.

The 400mm DO II is 6.900$. Current 600mm f/4 is ~12.000$. My guess is the DO will effectively replace the 600 f/4 and Canon will split the productions saving between them selves and their customers. So that I would only expect a 12.000$ price tag.

That would be a very attractive lens by all accounts. Offering a distinct advantage over 300mm +2x in a package you could consider lugging around even for hand held shots.

A 600/5.6 DO would weigh less than 2.5 kg (a 300/2.8 II + 2xTC III weighs ~2.7 kg). I can lug one of those around all day on a Blackrapid strap and handhold for long periods even at my advanced age.

I don't think it would weigh as little as 2.5kg, due to the objective lens diameter being considerably wider than the 300mm lens width you are comparing it with. Even a small increase in diameter leads to a considerably greater volume of glass, hence weight.

Can you explain why a 600/5.6 lens would need a 'considerably wider objective lens diameter' than a 300/2.8 lens? Last I checked, 600 / 5.6 = 300 / 2.8 = 107mm.

Sorry! My bad! Apologies!

I misread the other persons post, and thought they were referring to the upcoming F4 aperture 600mm DO lens, rather than a new suggestion of F5.6 aperture 600mm DO lens.

Yes of course an F5.6 600mm DO lens would be considerably lighter, and a very interesting option for light weight nature travel photography.

 

[applecider]

The advantage of the DO design is size and weight. Do we really want to add a built in extender? It seems that would negate the advantages for most people. Maybe a second model with the built in extender would be the way to go.

I'd buy the one without and add external extenders as needed.

Or how about a switchable add on extender, that would give fast extending to all the big whites, if optically doable.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Now I like that idea, making an extender that can be negated while in use but physically it's probably a nightmare.

Jack

 

[Mikehit]

It would definitely entirely feasible.
Assuming it operates like the 200-400, when the 1.4xtc is switched out out of the light path, its place is taken by an optic that refocuses the lens image without any magnification. With the quality of the 1.4 tc nowadays there would probably be little to no optical degradation but even if there were it is the price to pay for flexibility.
This of course opens the possibility for different models: no magnification with switchable 1.4x, or with switchable 2x or switchable 1.4x/2x.

Now let me find where I put those patent forms....

 

[tron]

Tron's got a good memory. Yes, I'd be interested, if I could handle it. I tried the Sigma Sport 150-600 mm lens at 2.86 kg - could get it on and off tripod and hand hold in shooting position for a few minutes, but my panning is not great at 600mm - need more muscle to make it readily usable. (actual efforts underway since then, but a long way to go, gym-wise). So, the 500 f/4 L IS II is 3.19 kg and the 600 f/4 L IS II is 3.92 kg. I need to rent a 500 or 600 mm 3+ kilo lens once I have built up my usually ignored arms. This takes longer every year....must get very systematic about arm/shoulder exercises, normally I have just done core and legs.

I am no fit. I just try to use the 500 on a tripod close to my car or on a car window. When I was hand-holding it almost continuously (on a boat shooting birds) for a couple of days my left hand got so tired that I switched to the 400 DO ii. Even so my hand was feeling tired (when I tried to lift even something light) for about t2 months!