canon lens color
Apr 3, 2019 15:11:07 #
Is there any signifigance to a Canon lens color being more tan than white? Just took delivery of a "tan" used 100-400 is L lens. It works perfectly and looks brand new. Just curious.
Apr 3, 2019 15:15:03 #
The color of "white" has changed over the history of the L-series lenses, twice or maybe three times. Models of the age of the original 100-400 are more "beige" colored than the current models.
Apr 3, 2019 15:21:20 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
The color of "white" has changed over the history of the L-series lenses, twice or maybe three times. Models of the age of the original 100-400 are more "beige" colored than the current models.
Thanks for the rapid response. Thought it might be grey market. Wouldn't matter anyway as it is out of warantee.
Apr 3, 2019 15:23:07 #
larryepage
Loc: North Texas area
I don't claim to be an expert on Canon lenses, but I do remember discussions with several knowledgeable folks in the early 1990s, when they started painting their largest lenses "white" instead of black. The common understanding at that time was that the reason for the change was to reflect more sunlight in order to limit the lenses from heating up and expanding during outdoor usage. The big concern was uneven heating on the side facing the sun vs. the side away from the sun. I also remember that all of the lenses I saw at that time were a very light tan, not white.
I also worked for an electronics/semiconductor manufacturing company for a number of years. Our 'official' corporate product paint color was a light tan, just a little darker than the color used on Canon's lenses. We learned that our paint would slowly darken over time as it aged...just a normal part of the process. And our products were not used outdoors, but were exposed to the ultraviolet light that is part of the spectrum from fluorescent lamps.
I also worked for an electronics/semiconductor manufacturing company for a number of years. Our 'official' corporate product paint color was a light tan, just a little darker than the color used on Canon's lenses. We learned that our paint would slowly darken over time as it aged...just a normal part of the process. And our products were not used outdoors, but were exposed to the ultraviolet light that is part of the spectrum from fluorescent lamps.
Apr 4, 2019 01:19:24 #
They're not white, they are a shade of really light grey.
Apr 4, 2019 02:11:04 #
boberic wrote:
Is there any significance to a Canon lens color being more tan than white? Just took delivery of a "tan" used 100-400 is L lens. It works perfectly and looks brand new. Just curious.
Perhaps the previous owner took a lot of outdoor photos without rubbing sun tan lotion on the lens ...
Apr 4, 2019 07:47:57 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
boberic wrote:
Is there any signifigance to a Canon lens color being more tan than white? Just took delivery of a "tan" used 100-400 is L lens. It works perfectly and looks brand new. Just curious.
Canon, Nikon, Sony all have their unique color cast. My favorite color cast was delivered by the old Minolta AF lenses, that, can be used on many of today's Sony A mount DSLR's.
Apr 4, 2019 14:13:36 #
orchidalan
Loc: Arroyo Grande, CA
The newest version of the Canon 70-200L is II lens is more grey than the previous edition. There is no significance of the color change but Canon decided to change for the upgrade.
Apr 4, 2019 18:00:13 #
carl hervol
Loc: jacksonville florida
Maybe the last was a smoker smell it to find that will change the color when I buy used lens at cameras I always smell if they smell like cigs I wont buy them.
Apr 4, 2019 20:08:32 #
I remembered having read sometime / somewhere about the color change. Buried in the EF 500L II review on the Digital Picture is a reference to the "new white" effective in the 2nd half 2010. The entire review is linked below, and here is a image showing the subtle difference of the older outside models to the newer inside models (500 / 600 lenses)
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-500mm-f-4-L-IS-II-USM-Lens-Review.aspx
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-500mm-f-4-L-IS-II-USM-Lens-Review.aspx
Apr 4, 2019 21:16:46 #
Jesu S wrote:
Perhaps the previous owner took a lot of outdoor photos without rubbing sun tan lotion on the lens ...
Sounds logical enough, but wouldn't the redness fade eventually? Maybe the previous owner used way too much sun tan lotion and it eventually stained the lens.
Apr 5, 2019 00:52:29 #
billnikon wrote:
My favorite color cast was delivered by the old Minolta AF lenses, that, can be used on many of today's Sony A mount DSLR's.
Are you referring to the dark grey with a slight bluish-violet tint?
Apr 5, 2019 04:33:53 #
Pablo8
Loc: Nottingham UK.
I remember years ago, while covering Federation Cup (Womens Tennis) tournament, a Canon Photographer sitting next to me with a 'White' lens. He said , it was to prevent over-heating while photographing in conditions experienced at places like the Australian Open. Condensation / misting of the internal lens elements being the biggest problem with standard black barrel lenses ,like I was using on my Nikon camera. It could have been in the 1970's / 80's.
Apr 5, 2019 09:48:50 #
rmorrison1116 wrote:
They're not white, they are a shade of really light grey.
I remember going paint shopping awhile ago. My wife spent hours choosing a white for the trim. Me, I use ceiling white for everything.
Apr 6, 2019 10:58:34 #
larryepage
Loc: North Texas area
Like Henry Ford, most manufacturers want paint that dries quickly. Sometimes a slight change in color can yield a big difference in drying time. Electrostatic properties of powdered coatings can sometimes be improved significantly if a slight color change can be tolerated.
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