Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 vs Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS III USM

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EF 50mm f/1.8 compared with EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS III USM

	CanonEF 50mm f/1.8	CanonEF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS III USM
Overview
Released
Released	March 1987	September 2018
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Prime	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	50 mm	70–200 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/1.8	f/2.8
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/32
Optical construction
Optical construction	Six elements in five groups	23 elements in 19 groups; retains the optical layout of the EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Special elements
Special elements	–	One fluorite and five UD elements
Coatings
Coatings	–	Air Sphere Coating and revised optical coatings; fluorine coating on front and rear element surfaces
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Five blades	Eight blades with a circular aperture
Angle of view
Angle of view	–	Diagonal 34°–12°; vertical 19°30′–7°; horizontal 29°–10°
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Canon EF	Canon EF
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Compatibility
Compatibility	Canon EF lens for full-frame and APS-C cameras (Bob Atkins Photography)	Canon EF mount full-frame and APS-C cameras
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	–	EF1.4X III gives 98–280 mm f/4 and 0.30× maximum magnification; EF2X III gives 140–400 mm f/5.6 and 0.44×; autofocus remains available but is slower
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.45 m	1.2 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.15×	0.21×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	–	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Micromotor autofocus	Ring-type USM; full-time manual override after One-Shot autofocus while holding the shutter button halfway
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	–	Internal focusing; maximum 0.21× magnification at 200 mm
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	–	Up to 3.5 stops under CIPA testing at 200 mm on an EOS-1D X Mark II; Mode 1 for still subjects and Mode 2 for panning; Canon notes tripod results depend on the tripod and shooting conditions
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	–	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	52 mm	77 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	67.4 mm	88.8 mm
Length
Length	42.5 mm	199 mm
Weight
Weight	190 g (better)	1,480 g
Controls
Controls	Focusing-distance window and separate manual-focus ring; metal lens mount and infrared focus index (Bob Atkins Photography)	AF/MF, IS on/off and IS mode switches; focus limiter selects 1.2 m–infinity or 2.5 m–infinity
Zoom design
Zoom design	–	Internal zooming maintains physical length (Digital Camera World)
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	–	Dust- and moisture-resistant construction with a rubber gasket at the mount
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	67.4 mm maximum diameter × 42.5 mm length	88.8 mm maximum diameter × 199 mm length, measured from the mount to the lens front; add 24.2 mm for front and rear caps
Weight detail
Weight detail	–	Approximately 1,480 g lens only according to Canon's instruction manual, UK store and Camera Museum; a Canon USA one-page specification chart instead lists approximately 1,440 g
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	–	Included removable rotating B (W II) tripod mount ring; detach the lens from the camera before removing the collar
Lens hood
Lens hood	–	ET-87, with release button and reversible mounting for storage
In the box
In the box	–	ET-87 hood and LZ1326 lens case according to the UK store; tripod mount ring included according to Canon's instruction manual
Release detail
Release detail	Released alongside the EOS 650 in March 1987, confirmed by Canon's retrospective EOS anniversary release	Marketed in September 2018 according to Canon Camera Museum; Canon USA's 7 June announcement had scheduled US shipping for August 2018