Canon has unveiled a new telephoto lens, the EF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 IS II USM – price £499 – with a new settings display on the barrel and Nano USM technology aimed at making the lens ‘whisper quiet’ while filming video footage.
Replacing the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, the new Canon lens is designed for use with either APS-C or full-frame Canon cameras.
Inside is a new optical design using one ultra-low dispersion lens element to help reduce chromatic aberration, along with a new four-stop Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) to help reduce camera shake.
Perhaps the chief feature of the new Canon telephoto lens is its Nano USM technology. Introduced in the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Canon’s Nano USM reduces the sound of the motor, cutting down focusing noise when filming videos.
The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM is also the first Canon lens to feature an electronic Lens Information Display. This lets you check your settings quickly whilst shooting. Modes you can display include focus distance, depth of field scale at different apertures, focal length and camera shake.
The latter, for instance, will check your steadiness when shooting at low angles. And the display will also help you work out 35mm equivalents if using APS-C and APS-H format Canon cameras.
Other features include a 67mm filter thread and non-rotating front element.
The EF 70-300mm F4-5.6 IS II USM price tag is £499 with a release date set for November.
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