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Markings on the lens. Canon lens markings

Every modern lens has inscriptions. A similar inscription is present on all lens models: SIGMA 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 Aspherical Macro. So what could it mean?

Lens manufacturers:

Let's look at everything in order. SIGMA- this is the name of the manufacturer. All optics manufacturers are divided into native and independent. The first are companies that produce cameras and, accordingly, optics for them. It will be easier to explain with an example. The native lens for a Canon camera will be optics manufactured by Canon, while Sigma optics are independent. There is no need to think that independent devices are worse than native ones. Despite the fact that the passport of most cameras says that it is recommended to use native optics, devices third party manufacturers are of better quality and demonstrate best results. An important fact is that optics from third-party manufacturers are often cheaper than similar native ones. The most popular independent optical manufacturers are Tamron, Sigma, Tokina, Phoenix, Vivitar, Soligor, as well as Zenit. The listed manufacturers have good and not so good models. The best optics are produced by the first three listed companies. Vivitar, Phoenix and Soligor produce cheap optics. As for Zenit, this is an ordinary representative domestic market. As a rule, independent manufacturers produce all models of their lenses for different mounts Pentax K-AF, Nikon D, Canon EF , Konica-Minolta Dynax (Maxxum) and Sigma SA.

Focal length:


Designation 28-80 mm is the focal length of the optics. It's worth knowing that for 35mm film cameras normal value will be 50 mm. With this value, the viewing angle human eye and the focal length of the lens are the same. Also distinguish short focal length lenses, the focal length of which is less than 50 mm, as well as long focal length lenses- more than 50 mm. Short throw photographic lenses are called wide angle.

The designation 28-80 mm indicates that the focal length can be changed. The optics can operate in wide-angle and telephoto modes. Such photographic lenses are called “ zoom lenses" The fact that such lenses can replace devices with short, medium and long focal lengths comes at the price of reduced aperture due to the presence of large quantity lenses This is why professionals prefer to use lenses that are designed for shooting in certain conditions with certain parameters. This type of optics allows you to get better images.

Aperture:

Designation on the lens f3.5-5.6 shows the aperture level that corresponds to the size of the aperture. A lower lens aperture allows you to take better pictures in low light conditions. If two numbers are indicated, then these are the aperture values ​​for a focal length of 28 mm, and, accordingly, for 80 mm.

Special markings on lenses:

Designation Aspherical indicates the presence of aspherical elements (lenses). This designation comes about because aspherical lenses are cheap to produce. However, their use leads to the appearance of chromatic aberrations at the periphery of the frame. These defects manifest themselves in the form of colored halos with iridescent colors around contrasting image elements. Lenses with a flat rather than spherical surface eliminate this disadvantage from optics.

The last designation is Macro, which indicates that using this lens you can shoot in the mode of the same name.

All the designations discussed are basic, however, additional abbreviations can be found on lenses, for example EX, DG, APO, VR, ED-IF And IF-ED, DC and others. Each inscription indicates improved characteristics or unique properties optics and, accordingly, significantly increases the cost of the device. Let's look at two examples: notation LD(Low Dispersion) indicates that the lenses are made of low dispersion glass;, VR- vibration reduction, the presence of an optical stabilizer.

The parameter is also very important clearing optics. It significantly affects the quality of the image, its contrast and the presence of glare.

If you are an amateur and do not want to overpay a lot and delve into the intricacies of optical photographic equipment, then just use standard lenses.



Some things may seem simple and clear without unnecessary explanation, but in fact, what is obvious to you is not always obvious to other people. Several times I came across situations where my students were embarrassed to ask about the meaning of all these numbers on the lenses. If you don't know what they mean, don't be shy and think you're stupid. In this article we will figure out exactly what is hidden behind the numerous combinations of numbers on the lenses.

Standard settings seen on new digital lenses

FOCAL LENGTH

If you have a zoom lens, then you will find a ring on it, by turning which you can bring objects closer or further away. Using this ring you can also see what focal length is set at the time of shooting. For example, in a photograph of a zoom lens with a focal length range of 70-200mm, you can see that the selected focal length is 100mm.

If you are using a fixed distance lens, you will not find a zoom ring on it. The body of such a lens will simply indicate its fixed focal length, for example 85mm, as in the photo below.

MAXIMUM APERTURE

Maximum is the widest aperture opening (the widest small number on the aperture scale) that your lens is capable of. Many photographers want their lenses to have a wider aperture option, like f2.8 or even f1.8, because wide open lets in more light, allowing you to take clear photos in low light. This parameter can vary greatly between lenses.
You can usually find aperture information in one of two places on your lens, and sometimes in two named places at once:
- on the upper edge of the lens barrel;
- on the front side of the lens in the area for attaching the filter.
In the example below you can see two different lenses. Tamron 17-35mm lens (note that the focal length scale is also visible on this) and a lens with focal length 85mm. On a Tamron lens you see a value of "1:2.8-4", and on an 85mm lens you see a value of "1:1.8". This means that the maximum aperture opening on an 85mm lens is f1.8, while on a Tamron zoom lens it ranges from f2.8 to f4 depending on the zoom level used. At the 17mm focal length you can open up to f2.8, but if you use the maximum focal length of 35mm, the maximum aperture is only f4. This is a fairly common phenomenon with kit lenses and lenses that have wide range focal lengths (for example, 28-300mm or 18-200mm).

FOCUS RANGE AND FOCUS SCALE

On many lenses you will find a distance scale (not all digital lenses have one) - this is usually divided into two separate lines: for feet and for meters. At one end there will be an infinity sign, at the other end it will indicate at what minimum distance from the object your lens is able to focus - its minimum focusing distance. Some lenses have a MACRO function, which gives you the opportunity to get a little closer to your subject. These lenses aren't true macro lenses and you can't get very close to your subject, but they're a handy lens if you want to get closer to your subject without the cost and weight of an extra lens.
In the photo below you can see that in the case of the Tamron lens (on the right), this scale is printed directly on the body, but for the Canon 70-200 lens it is located in the body itself under a transparent panel. The scales on both lenses will move if you manually focus (**note: please remember to disable autofocus if you manually focus because if this function is not disabled, turning the focus ring may damage the mechanisms in your lens**).

FILTER SIZE OR LENS DIAMETER

On the edge of your lens, you may also see a symbol that looks like the letter "f" followed by numbers. These numbers indicate the diameter of the front of your lens or the size of the filter that will fit it. You can find these same numbers on the back of the lens cap. So the lens diameter in the photo below is 77 mm. This useful information, whether you are going to a photo store to buy a filter or buying one online.

Less common settings seen on older manual focus lenses

APERTURE RING

This ring may not be on your lens. Most new lenses do not have it, because now the degree of opening of the aperture is set and controlled using the camera body. In the days of film and lenses, manual focus was mounted on the camera, and the opening of the aperture was adjusted on the lens. You can find great deals on old fast prime lenses or film camera lenses that are great for specific purposes (like macro photography). Very often, such lenses will cost much less than new “digital” lenses (you will just need to buy a special adapter to install such a lens on your camera). Just remember that on such lenses you need to set the focus manually, and for some of them you will have to set the aperture opening yourself directly on the lens itself. If you have a similar lens, the aperture ring on it might look something like this:


HYPERFOCAL DISTANCE SCALE

This scale is more difficult to come across, and more difficult to explain why it is needed. If you only have zoom lenses, you won't find this scale on them. If you have a prime lens, especially if it's old model, you may notice an additional ring with numbers on it, similar to the one shown in the photo below (numbers in the center on both sides of the orange line).


The rows of numbers on this lens correspond (in order from top to bottom):
- focus scale;
- hyperfocal distance scale;
- a ring for adjusting the aperture, with which you adjust the degree of opening of the lens aperture.
The hyperfocal distance scale is used to let you know which parts of your photo will be in focus when using different aperture settings. Note that the lens in the photo above is set to open at f16 and is focused at 5 meters. Now look at the scale in the middle and look at the f16 value to the left of its central orange line - this indicates the closest point that will be in focus when you focus to the specified distance at the specified aperture opening (at in this case it will be approximately 2.75 m.). Now look at the f16 value to the right of the center orange line. You will see an infinity sign. Based on all that has been said, we can say that with an aperture value of f16, everything that is in the range from 2.75 meters to infinity will be in focus; the main thing is to point the lens at an object located at the desired distance.
In this situation, it appears that the infinity symbol and the f16 symbol on the hyperfocal distance scale to the right of the orange line have been combined, resulting in the largest possible depth of field at f16 (note that you are not actually focusing on a specific subject, you set the focus distance on the lens using numbers). Note: If you set the focus to infinity, then only objects located at a distance of about 4.5 meters to infinity will be in focus, and if you set the focus to 2 meters, the infinity in the photo will not be sharp. This issue has not been fully covered, so if you happen to have a lens with a similar scale, look for information on how to use it, and you can achieve much more interesting results when using it small degree opening of the diaphragm.
If you're wondering what the little red dot means, it's an indication for focusing when shooting in infrared. When you photograph with infrared film, you need to focus in a different place than you would normally focus on, because the infrared region of the spectrum is different from the region of the spectrum that we see with our eyes. Earlier time From time to time I took photographs with infrared film. It's a funny thing, but it's not so easy to deal with - you need to know how to focus correctly and understand how to get desired result. Today there are quite convincing digital ways to simulate shooting on infrared film. Despite this, sometimes I still think about taking photographs with film.

There are quite a lot of lenses for Canon cameras, and sometimes they differ by just a few letters in the model name, and the price varies quite significantly. Therefore, let's collect a breakdown of these designations so that it is clear what technologies are used in this or that optics and what the buyer ultimately pays for. This article will only show models for Canon produced by the company itself, and in one of the following I will collect transcripts for the popular Sigma and Tamron lenses.

As an example, let's take the popular Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM lens. Naturally, at the beginning there is the name of the manufacturer (Canon), then the type of lens mount or mount (), there may also be a designation for special lenses (TS-E and MP-E), it is understood that they also have an EF mount. The range of numbers or one value (24-105 in our case) reflects the focal lengths of the lens and the type - if there is one number, then it is a fixed lens, if the range is a zoom lens. Then comes the maximum aperture value (f/4 or f 1:4 in our case), again, if the range is indicated, this means that the maximum aperture depends on the focal length. This is the basic information, after it there is an indication of belonging to the top line (L) and the technologies used in this optics (IS, USM). You can often see the Roman numerals II and III in the name - depending on the location, this is either a lens version or a technology version.

Now let's take a closer look at each abbreviation:

  • E.F.(Electro-Focus) is a standard mount for Canon cameras; lenses with this marking are suitable for any Canon SLR cameras.
  • EF-S(Short back focus) is a type of lens mount designed for cameras with an APS-C matrix (crop). When purchasing such optics, keep in mind that they are not suitable for full-frame cameras due to the shortened rear segment.
  • TS-E(Tilt Shift) and MP-E(Macro Photography) - special versions of lenses with an EF mount, but without electric focus. The first use the technology of shifting a group of lenses relative to the optical axis to correct perspective and are used mainly for photographing architecture. The second type includes only one specialized macro lens, the Canon MP-E 65 mm 1-5x Macro, which is capable of providing five times magnification without additional accessories.
  • L(Luxury) - a series of lenses of improved quality with increased dust and moisture protection. Only EF lenses are marked with this letter; they are intended for professional photography and usually have a constant high aperture (for long focal length lenses a variable maximum aperture is possible). Purchasing this series of optics is advisable first of all if you plan to switch to full frame; it is unlikely that you will be able to maximize their capabilities with a crop lens, but in any case there will be a noticeable increase in sharpness and a decrease in optical distortion compared to conventional lenses. Externally they differ from other lenses with a red ring around the rim.
  • fisheye- designation of a specific type of lens ( fish eye), which usually comes after maximum value diaphragm.
  • Macro— a prefix indicating that the optics belong to the macro line. First of all, it is characterized by a reduced minimum focusing distance.
  • IS(Image Stabilizer) - lenses with a built-in stabilization system based on a movable lens unit that compensates for camera movement and allows you to shoot from a more long exposures, obtaining clear images. This is very useful technology, which makes it possible to shoot without flash in dark rooms and in low light conditions. On at the moment There are several versions of stabilization technology, and the newest ones make it possible to shoot at shutter speeds that are 4 stops longer than conventional lenses. The presence of this technology can be determined by the Image Stabilizer inscription at the base of the lens. The technology version within one lens model is indicated in Roman numerals; the higher the number, the newer.
  • USM(Ultrasonic Motor) is an ultrasonic focusing drive that allows lenses to focus faster and much quieter. Another advantage is the ability to use manual focus at any time without having to switch shooting modes. Lenses with an ultrasonic motor are marked with a gold ring, and for the L series the inscription Ultrasonic.
  • DO(Diffractive Optics) - the design of these lenses uses diffractive elements, which can significantly reduce the size of long-focus optics and almost completely eliminate chromatic aberrations. However high price does not allow them to be made widespread, so Canon has only two models of lenses with DO. External difference— lenses with DO are marked with a green ring on the body.
  • STM(Stepping Motor) - a stepper focusing motor used for quick and silent focusing when shooting video.

There are several other technologies that Canon, unlike its competitors, does not include in lens designations, for example, internal focusing or the use of aspherical and fluorite elements in the optical design; this data can only be found in the specifications.

A few words about lens versions. Popular versions of optics are improved from time to time and supplemented with newer technologies. Such changes are indicated by Roman numerals in the name, for example, the Canon EF 70-200 mm F 2.8 L II USM IS is the second version of the lens of the same name with an updated optical design, an improved stabilization system and slightly changed dimensions. Almost always more new version means improved performance and higher prices, whether one is worth the other is up to you to decide.

I hope this information will help you decide when choosing new optics and will give you the opportunity to evaluate the difference in price associated with the presence or absence of certain technologies.

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The first Canon SLR cameras to replace rangefinder cameras appeared in 1959 and had a Canon R mount. In 1964, it was replaced by a Canon FL mount, which in turn gave way to a Canon FD mount in 1971. However, with the advent of the autofocus era Canon lenses in 1987, he once again developed a completely new standard - Canon EF, which is still relevant today. Unlike Nikon, which has remained faithful to the Nikon F mount since 1959, thereby ensuring the relative compatibility of modern cameras and vintage lenses, Canon began its history from scratch in 1987, and therefore Canon’s principles of compatibility are very simple:

  • All Canon EF lenses are fully compatible with all Canon EOS cameras, both full-frame and cropped (APS-C).
  • Canon EF-S lenses are designed for cameras with a crop factor of 1.6 and are not compatible with full frame cameras.
  • Lenses produced before 1987 are practically useless on modern cameras.

Since 2012, Canon has been releasing APS-C mirrorless cameras (crop factor 1.6) with a Canon EF-M mount, and since 2018, full-frame mirrorless cameras with a Canon RF mount.

  • All EF-M lenses are fully compatible with all EOS cameras M and are completely incompatible with SLR cameras EOS, as well as with EOS R mirrorless cameras.
  • All EF-M lenses are fully compatible with all EOS M cameras and are completely incompatible with EOS DSLRs and EOS M mirrorless cameras.
  • EF and EF-S lenses are fully compatible with EOS M and EOS R mirrorless cameras with the appropriate adapters.

Basic designations

These parameters are universal and are available for all lenses, regardless of manufacturer.

Focal length The lens is measured in millimeters (for more details, see “Focal length and perspective”). For lenses with a fixed focal length, a single number is indicated, for example, 35mm. For zoom lenses, a range of focal lengths is indicated, for example, 70-300mm.

E.F.(1987) Electro-Focus - Electro-focus. Lenses with a Canon EF mount and a built-in focusing motor. Communication between the lens and the camera is carried out exclusively through electronic contacts. In 1987, this scheme looked very progressive, especially compared to the screwdriver autofocus of Nikon AF lenses. However, Canon paid for this advantage total loss compatibility with your old FD system.

DC(1987) Direct Current - DC motor. Used as a focusing motor in inexpensive Canon EF lenses. Compared to an ultrasonic motor, a DC motor is slower, making it more difficult to photograph fast-moving objects.

USM(1987) Ultrasonic Motor - Ultrasonic motor. Compared to DC motor, USM is faster and quieter. There are two types of ultrasonic motors: ring-type motor and micromotor. The ring-type USM allows manual focusing regardless of whether autofocus is on or off, while the micromotor for manual focusing requires switching to manual mode.

FT-M– Full Time Manual. Constant manual focus. Lenses with an ultrasonic ring-type focusing motor allow you to manually adjust autofocus performance by simply turning the focusing ring without having to switch directly to manual mode.

L– Luxury. Luxury. Expensive professional lenses with a red border. The main advantage of L series lenses is not so much in high-quality optics (which can be no worse in cheaper lenses), but in mechanical strength and reliability. They are protected from dust and splashes and can withstand being dropped onto rocks without losing their functionality. In addition, L lenses are very large and heavy.

Macro– macro lenses that allow shooting at a scale of 1:1.

I/R– Internal/Rear focusing. Internal/Rear focusing. To focus the lens, movement of an independent group of lenses inside the lens is used. In this case, the dimensions of the lens do not change, and the front lens remains stationary, facilitating the use of polarizing and gradient filters. In addition, such a scheme allows you to reduce the size of the lens, as well as speed up focusing.

Float– Floating optical element, changing its position depending on the focusing distance, allows the lens to focus at ultra-close distances without compromising sharpness.

CaF2– Fluorite. Lenses made from fluorite have a low dispersion coefficient, and therefore reduce the severity of secondary (purple-green) chromatic aberrations.

UD– Ultra-low Dispersion glass. Low dispersion glass has a dispersion coefficient significantly lower than ordinary glass optical glass. Individual lens elements made from UD glass are designed to reduce secondary chromatic aberration. Due to the lower curvature of the surfaces, lenses made of low dispersion glass are less susceptible to spherical aberrations than lenses made of fluorite.

S-UD– Super Ultra-low Dispersion glass. Ultra-low dispersion glass is even more low-dispersion glass than regular low-dispersion glass. In fact, there is practically no difference between UD and S-UD.

AL– Aspherical Lens. Aspherical lenses included in the optical design of the lens are used to eliminate spherical aberrations.

TS-E(1991) Tilt-Shift. Tilt-shift lenses allow you to correct perspective distortions through a simplified simulation of the movements of a large-format camera. The front of the lens can be moved or tilted within certain limits to correct perspective or to control the focusing plane. TS-E lenses do not have autofocus, and therefore, strictly speaking, are not EF lenses. The letter E in the name TS-E stands for electronic aperture drive.

EF-S(2003) EF-Small. Lenses with a reduced image circle, designed for digital cameras with a sensor with a crop factor of 1.6 (APS-C format). The lenses are not compatible with full-frame EF-S cameras.

EF-M(2012) EF-Mirrorless. Lenses designed for use with Canon EOS M system mirrorless cameras. Not compatible with cameras with an EF mount.

STM(2012) Stepping Motor. The stepper focusing motor is fast and almost silent.

Macro Lite(2017) Built-in flash for macro photography.

RF(2018) Canon RF mount lenses designed for use with mirrorless cameras Canon cameras EOS R. Not compatible with DSLR cameras.

Now let's go to specific example Let's figure out what information you can find out by reading the inscriptions on the lens. Let's take the first lens that comes to hand, and I believe, not without reason, that many of my readers will come across exactly the lens that they purchased along with the camera, i.e. Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, and let's take a closer look at it. If you have any other lens in your hands, proceed by analogy.

There is an inscription around the front lens element:

CANON ZOOM LENS
EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS STM
Ø58mm

CANON ZOOM LENS– reminds the forgetful owner that he has a Canon zoom lens on his camera, and not some other foreign object.

EF-S– name of the system. This lens is designed for Canon EOS cameras with a smaller sensor (APS-C) with a crop factor of 1.6.

18-55mm– range of focal lengths. 18-55mm on a 1.6 crop factor camera will give the same image angle as 29-89mm on a full frame camera. Thus, our lens covers the range from wide-angle to moderately long-angle, which makes it very versatile.

1:3.5-5.6 – aperture. At the wide-angle position (18mm), the minimum aperture value is f/3.5, and at the telephoto position (55mm) – f/5.6. 18-55mm is not too much fast lens, besides, its aperture decreases with increasing focal length, but this is the case with all amateur zoom lenses. A large constant aperture ratio would increase their size and cost many times over.

IS– optical image stabilizer. An extremely useful device for handheld photography in low light. For static scenes, it compensates to some extent for the low aperture ratio.

STM– stepper focusing motor.

Ø58– thread diameter for filters. In this case, the diameter is 58 mm.

On the lens body it is written in white and black:

Canon
E.F. S 18-55mm
IMAGE STABILIZER
MACRO 0.25m/0.8ft

Here you can also find a barely visible serial number.

Designations such as EF-S And 18-55mm we have already seen at the end of the lens.

IMAGE STABILIZER- this is the decoding of the abbreviation IS, whom we also met.

MACRO 0.25m/0.8ft– The minimum focusing distance is 0.25 meters or 0.8 feet. Do not forget that the focusing distance is calculated not from the front lens of the lens, but from the camera matrix. Some Canon lenses have a flower instead of the word MACRO, but it means the same thing.

If you look at the lens from the mount side, you can read:

CANON INC.
MADE IN TAIWAN

Don't be surprised - even Canon is slowly moving its production facilities outside of Japan in order to reduce the cost of production.

I hope that now it will not be difficult for you to make out the markings of any Canon lens.

Thank you for your attention!

Vasily A.

Post scriptum

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If you have a camera, no matter what level, amateur or professional, with interchangeable lenses or not, then if you look at it carefully, you will see a strange set of numbers. For example: 2.8-5.8/ 5.35-21.4 or 6.0-60.0mm 1:2.8-4.3

So what do these mysterious numbers mean? It's very simple. Without going into technical details, the group consisting of the smallest digital values ​​(2.8-5.35 or 1: 2.8-4.3) is called the aperture number and shows the maximum aperture value, i.e. How wide can the aperture be opened? And, as you know, the wider the aperture is open, the more it transmits more quantity Sveta. This parameter is called . This means you have the opportunity to shoot in more dark conditions. without increasing the shutter speed, and, therefore, as a result you will get more sharp and blur-free frames.

The second group, large digital values, 5.35-21.4 or 6.0-60.0 describe the focal length in millimeters. If we decipher the values ​​​​given in the example, it sounds like this: a lens with a variable focal length, in the range from 5.35mm to 21.4 mm or from 6.0 mm to 70 mm. These values ​​indicate how much further or closer you can move the subject you are shooting. The lower the first number, the greater the coverage angle of your lens; the larger the second number, the closer you can move your subject without moving.

Numbers on the lens

But why are these values ​​grouped into one block? It's very simple. It’s just that your lens does not have a constant aperture value (aperture) at all focal lengths and changes depending on this. That is, if you do not use zoom (the focal length takes its minimum value), then your aperture will be open more (it will let in more light) than if you use maximum zoom.
In an example, it looks like this: 2.8-5.8/ 5.35-21.4. With a focal length of 5.35 mm, the lens will have an aperture ratio of 2.8, and with a focal length of 21.4 mm (you brought the object as close as possible using optics, and not with the digital capabilities of the device), the aperture ratio will be already 5.8. I won’t explain why this happens. To understand this, you need to have a good understanding of the laws of optics. In practice, a simple conclusion can be drawn. The smaller the numbers indicating aperture, the better.
The ideal option looks something like this. 24-70 1:2.8. This means that the lens has a constant aperture value, i.e. at any focal length it is possible to open the aperture as much as possible. But, unfortunately, lenses with variable focal length and constant aperture are very expensive because they are difficult to manufacture. They are usually used by professionals.