Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 vs Canon EF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USM

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EF 50mm f/1.8 compared with EF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USM

	CanonEF 50mm f/1.8	CanonEF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USM
Overview
Released
Released	March 1987	June 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/4
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/32
Optical construction
Optical construction	Six elements in five groups	20 elements in 15 groups
Special elements
Special elements	–	One fluorite and two UD elements
Coatings
Coatings	–	Super Spectra coatings; fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements according to Canon's US launch announcement
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Five blades	Nine blades with a circular aperture
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
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.45 m	1 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.15×	0.27×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	–	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Micromotor autofocus	Ring-type USM with full-time manual focus override
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	–	Maximum 0.27× magnification at 200 mm; internal focusing according to Digital Camera World
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	–	Five-stop CIPA claim at 200 mm on an EOS-1D X Mark II; three modes including exposure-only stabilisation for tracking moving subjects
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	–	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	52 mm	72 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	67.4 mm	80 mm
Length
Length	42.5 mm	176 mm
Weight
Weight	190 g (better)	780 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 three IS mode switches; focus limiter excludes distances below 3 m according to Digital Camera World
Zoom design
Zoom design	–	Internal zooming maintains physical length according to Digital Camera World
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	–	Dust- and moisture-resistant construction
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	67.4 mm maximum diameter × 42.5 mm length	80 mm maximum diameter × 176 mm length
Weight detail
Weight detail	–	Approximate 780 g maker figure; Digital Camera World specifies this excludes the optional tripod mount
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	–	Optional A II (W II) tripod mounting ring according to Digital Camera World; the maker photograph shows this separately sold accessory
In the box
In the box	–	Lens, pouch, caps, hood and instruction manual according to Canon UK
Release detail
Release detail	Released alongside the EOS 650 in March 1987, confirmed by Canon's retrospective EOS anniversary release	Canon Japan announced first sale on 28 June 2018; Canon Camera Museum gives June 2018 and the US launch announcement states late June. The day is the Japanese sale date, not a separately confirmed UK date.