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Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 L USM Lens Review

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This post has 41 Replies | 9 Followers

Top 10 Contributor
Posts 891
Bryan Carnathan Posted: 04-20-2009 11:41 AM

Discuss the Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 L USM Lens review - tell us what you think of the Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 L USM Lens

Top 10 Contributor
Posts 697

Wooow - at first I thought it was a joke.

Top 25 Contributor
Posts 304

Woah! I wouldn't have thought this would've ever happened!

Top 50 Contributor
Posts 148

If it's built like the back end of a 1 ton 4x4, I think that's what you need to pack this baby around. I haven't got the 4x4 but I'd sure like to take some shots with it. Amazing lens!

Top 150 Contributor
Posts 49

Bryan, could you test or try also the Sigma 200-500 f2.8 +2x

I saw a test on this lens. I looks amazing and in a way more "affortable". Here ia a link to the test   http://www.juzaphoto.com/eng/articles/sigma_200-500_2_8_ex_dg_review_test_samples_raw.htm

 

 

Top 100 Contributor
Posts 61

Amazing...I never expected to see an even slightly negative review of this lens.  I am in awe of your ability to remain objective in the presence of such gear. :)

(The helicopter shot is probably a no-go if you're going for prop blur...you want to get an entire rotation of the top rotor while the shutter is open...1/100 might even be too fast.  That's why plane spotters love IS lenses even though we shoot in good light...)

Top 75 Contributor
Posts 105

how do you carry it around ? say in a park or on a beach(the two most imp places that sprung in my mind, as useful locations for this lens) !? :P

Top 25 Contributor
Posts 347

Wow! Did you have to test it for just one day? Sounds like an awful lot of fun! I hope they make a new, smaller, more affordable 1200/8L IS sometime. :-)

devsalvi:
how do you carry it around ?
Like this! (Looks dangerous to me.) Huh? 

Top 25 Contributor
Posts 232

Bryan looks pretty tough there, but let Canon make a 1.4 version, and then let's see if he can lift it! Wink

Top 10 Contributor
Posts 562

No wonder the view in the viewfinder was shaky.  A lens of this proportions (over 8" aperture) deserves a more substantial mounting.  Eg:

http://astro-physics.net/index.htm?products/mounts/3600gto/3600-Wallys16

 

Top 50 Contributor
Posts 181

The photo of the woman (your wife?) with the lens on end reminded me of the cute photo of Mikayla with the 500mm f/4L IS lens and your note that there is obviously a "minimum height requirement" to use that lens.

Only one question: considering the price of this lens, how did you keep your hands from shaking when you put it on the tripod? One slip and there goes the house! Embarrassed

Top 10 Contributor
Posts 474

It was $99 grands a year ago, it's now $120 grands, I should have bought it then Smile

Top 25 Contributor
Posts 326

Smile That was unexpected - a 1200/5.6L lens review. As nice as ever before! Thanks Bryan!

Top 150 Contributor
Posts 57

I have actually known about the existence of this lens for a while. And I was actually wondering why Bryan did not have the review for this lens (because he seems to have reviewed all the Canon EF lenses).

This lens is the ultimate gear for certain tasks as Bryan suggested...

Otherwise, this lens is still an awesome gear to people who don't really need it (you don't need to buy it, only to awe)

Also, you definitely need to have this lens if you are a (wealthy/enthusiastic) lens collector :D

 

Wondering when Bryan would post the Canon EF 50 f/1.0 L review (this seems to be the only one missing now)

Top 50 Contributor
Posts 193

Sinh Nhut Nguyen:

It was $99 grands a year ago, it's now $120 grands, I should have bought it then Smile

I have one of those, but I don't use it too much because it is just too bulky. I use my 800L or 600L instead. The 1200 sits in my garage right between my 2010 Ferrari (which is OK) and my 2008 Porshe (which is old and ugly and I don't drive it that much). Anyway, if you're interested, I can sell it to you, for, say 80G, because it is already slightly (twice) used. You can e-mail me at ... what's that noise? Crap, it's my alarm clock... Time to get up and go to work... 

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