Canon announces EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0808/08082604canonEF-S_18-200mm.asp

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 26 August, 2008: Canon today strengthens its EF-S series of lenses with the launch of a versatile new model: the EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. With an equivalent focal length of 29-320mm, the lens offers an 11x zoom range – making it a powerful, lightweight alternative to carrying multiple lenses. The EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is designed exclusively for use with EOS cameras featuring an EF-S lens mount – including the new EOS 50D, EOS 1000D, EOS 450D, and earlier models.

High quality optics
The EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS features a 16 element, 12 group construction. This includes UD and aspherical lens elements, which minimise chromatic aberration and ensure crisp, corner-to-corner detail across the zoom range. A close focusing distance of just 45cm offers photographers total framing flexibility.

4-stop Image Stabilizer
A Canon 4-stop optical Image Stabilizer – specially designed for the lens’ specific focal length range - works to counteract image blur that can occur when shooting handheld, or at slow shutter speeds. Automatic panning detection ensures effective performance when tracking moving subjects. Plus, because the IS system is based in the lens, results are visible through the viewfinder during framing.

No flare or ghosting
Reflection off a digital camera’s image sensor can cause flare and ghosting. To suppress this, the EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS uses optics treated with Canon’s patented Super Spectra coatings – for crisp, undistorted images with natural colour balance.

making it a powerful, lightweight alternative to carrying multiple lenses I like that, for traveling

hmm ... should be pretty cheap by the look of it ... not even USM. Is the Nikon-equivalent an AF-S?

Ouch crappy micro-motor AF. Now that's cheap!

And at an estimated price of $700. Yikes!

hate that it doesn't have USM. at least it has IS, and is $700.

16 elements, 12 groups, it looks like the same design as the Nikon, which is apparently the best of the 18-200 equivalents (Sigma/Tamron have different designs). Too bad the BQ and AF are not better.

phibes wrote:
hmm ... should be pretty cheap by the look of it ... not even USM. Is the Nikon-equivalent an AF-S?

I think AF-S is the Nik equiv of Ring USM. This thing is not even Micro USM.
Now that's not a deal breaker if it's got good IQ and is the right price.

What is Canon doing? I'll reserve full judgment for when I see it proper, but the it looks like an extended 18-55 Is.

The build doesn't look solid, no USM, and it's not exactly cheap. I'll assume the image quality is going to be great to make up for it. The Nikkor is not perfect, but it definitely the best of the lot (Sigma/ Tamron). Hope this one is even better than these.

Agreed if its going to be 700us thats too much. unless its a big step up in IQ then its biggest competion is the IS kit lens and the 55-250 IS as a pair

Canon's 18-200mm only has to be better than the third party offerings. And from the looks of it, they tried to do just that

So what did you expect? Come on, this lens is targeted to the audience that want D-SLR but a one lens for all solution. Not for the real enthusiast like us. It's compact budget solution with great features (man, 5 years back I would have paid $2000 for a lens with this range and 4 stops IS!). It's gonna give a lot of people lot's of nice pictures, like it's the real EOSfun. Be happy, we're now able to add that travel lens in our glass collection, and for the real work we put on our primes or L-zooms. Have EOSfun!

What I don't understand is why develop lenses that are dedicated to crop cameras and then label them with FF Focal lengths?

This is not useable on anything other than a Canon 1.6x crop camera right?

So why not market it as a 29-320mm lens?

I'm sure there is an obvious reason that will make me wish I not asked this.....

eosfun wrote:
So what did you expect? Come on, this lens is targeted to the audience that want D-SLR but a one lens for all solution. Not for the real enthusiast like us. It's compact budget solution with great features (man, 5 years back I would have paid $2000 for a lens with this range and 4 stops IS!). It's gonna give a lot of people lot's of nice pictures, like it's the real EOSfun. Be happy, we're now able to add that travel lens in our glass collection, and for the real work we put on our primes or L-zooms. Have EOSfun!

Do you know the introduction price here in the Netherlands?

Expect around 525 euro (streetprice). Have EOSfun!

eosfun wrote:
Expect around 525 euro (streetprice). Have EOSfun!

That's not too bad... BTW How do you know all these prices... Do you have access to dealer info?

gowhow wrote:
What I don't understand is why develop lenses that are dedicated to crop cameras and then label them with FF Focal lengths?

This is not useable on anything other than a Canon 1.6x crop camera right?

So why not market it as a 29-320mm lens?

I'm sure there is an obvious reason that will make me wish I not asked this.....

Because the are still that focal length eg 18-200 and not 29-320 and to say otherwise is a missrepresentation .
Olympus markets heavily using the cropped conversion to intimated that zoom to 250 is actually a 500, but its still actually a 250 with all the DOF that gives

$700? Seriously?

gowhow wrote:
What I don't understand is why label such lenses with FF Focal lengths? Why not market it as a 29-320mm lens?

Focal length is focal length - a physical measurement of groupings of glass - regardless of format.

One can attach a 90mm lens to a 4x5 film camera, to a medium format camera, to a 24x36 "full frame" camera, or to an "APS-C" (or "EF-S") camera.

It's up to the marketers and users of each format to interpret the effects of that particular focal length for them.

gowhow wrote:
What I don't understand is why develop lenses that are dedicated to crop cameras and then label them with FF Focal lengths?

This is not useable on anything other than a Canon 1.6x crop camera right?

So why not market it as a 29-320mm lens?

I'm sure there is an obvious reason that will make me wish I not asked this.....

Probably for the same reason cameras like the small compact point and shoots say they have a 28mm equiv lens when it's really about 6mm (or something like that).

Edited by nikt on Aug 26, 2008 at 09:35 PM GMT

A Hands On Preview has just been posted:

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/canon_18-200_3p5-5p6_is/

zoom range looks way scrunched up between 18 and 24. not uncommon with low/mid priced zooms unfortunately.

from imaging-resource:

New EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
Canon has answered the call from advanced amateur photographers looking for a solid all-around lens with the introduction of the new EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens. With an incredible focal length range equivalent to 29-320mm in the 35mm format, the new EF-S 18-200mm lens will make an excellent addition to any camera bag, and it gives shooters a great lens to capture both standard as well as telephoto images. The new lens features Canon's built in Optical Image Stabilization system which gives the equivalent effect of a shutter speed roughly 4 steps faster, for better image clarity, even in shaky shooting conditions. With a minimum focusing distance of 0.45m/1.5 ft. at all zoom settings, this new lens should prove to be ideal for those situations where swapping lenses isn't an option. An ideal complement to the EOS 50D SLR camera and all other EF-S compatible EOS SLR cameras, the EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens is scheduled to be in stores this October at an estimated selling price of $699.00*.

I don't think anybody else posted this in this thread yet:

50D + 18-200 kit = $1599! From the mouth of Canon's own Chuck Westfall, according to PDN:

http://www.pdngearguide.com/gearguide/content_display/news/e3ib06feef71f62cc176182978d9e395dbe

Lots are hatin' on the superzoom, but given the quality (and success) of Tamron's 18-250 and Sigma's 18-200 OS, not to mention Canon's own recent 2 IS kit lenses, this is very good news indeed.

It's not just for soccer moms. Big zoom range has caught me scores of great captures that would've been missed in changing lenses. And great for PJ work. And with the new high ISO range, you don't always need the aperture you used to. Remember that 1600 was a barrier in film days, and 1600 with a 2.8 is the same as 12800 with an f8, exposure-wise...

Cheers.

Adam

Of course, the front element does not rotate... Can use CPL (yeah!)