Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Photography
  3. News

Canon’s new 35mm lens has highest level of chromatic aberration correction

By

canons new 35mm full frame lens promises to eliminate purple fringing for good canon ef35mm 14l ii usm 4
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Canon has a new 35mm L-Series pro lens, the EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM, but it isn’t just another full-frame wide-angle lens. It is the first to utilize Canon’s new Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics, or BR optics, which offers the highest level of chromatic aberration correction of any lens and that color fringing is virtually eliminated, the company claims. The lens will replace the existing EF 35mm.

BR Optics helps correct a problem where there is color distortion due to the refractive indices or wavelengths of light produced by the lens. One issue of chromatic aberration is color fringing (or purple fringing) along the boundaries of photos. According to Chuck Westfall, Canon’s technical adviser, “Chromatic aberration is one of the toughest image defects in terms of correction.” The level of correction BR Optics offers was not physically possible before, he says, allowing for improved sharpness – crucial for wide-angle lenses.

Canon_EF35mm_14L_II_USM-3
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The technology uses organic material to correct color. The problem occurs because natural light and white light “comprises a spectrum of wavelengths, or colors, each of which realizes a unique refractive index when passing through a lens,” according to Canon. Chromatic aberration happens because not all the meet at the same point. The BR Optics element, which is placed between two glass elements, refracts the blue wavelength – a difficult feat, because of its short wavelength – to correct the distortion.

canon-br-optics
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Beyond BR Optics, Canon also built in new elements that enhance the lens’ performance (two aspherical elements and one UD glass element in a 14 element, 11 group optical formula). The lens has new aspherical elements and UD glass elements. The new design also includes a Sub-Wavelength Structure Coating (SWC) to help decrease flare and ghosting. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 11 inches (0.28 meters), which allows for a maximum magnification of 0.21x that lends itself to close-up shots. The lens is resistant to dust and water, and a flourine coating on the front and rear lens surfaces repels liquids and dust particles. Autofocusing is nearly silent.

Recommended Videos

The lens will be available in October for $1,799. The lens comes with a hood and storage pouch, and is compatible with 72mm filters.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Enid Burns
Enid Burns
Contributor
Enid Burns is a freelance writer who has covered consumer electronics, online advertising, mobile, technology electronic…
How to remove location data from your iPhone photos
How to transfer photos from an iPhone to an iPhone

We all love making memories, and a great way to collect those memories is to take a quick snap of a gorgeous landscape, a party in full swing, or a particularly incredible meal. The Apple iPhone now also adds a location to your pictures, meaning it can collate those images together into a location-themed album, or show you all the shots you've taken in a specific location. It's a fun little addition, and it's one that adds a lot of personality to the Photos app.

Read more
‘Photoshopped’ royal photo causes a stir
The Princess of Wales with her children.

[UPDATE: In a message posted on social media on Monday morning, Princess Kate said that she herself edited the image, and apologized for the fuss that the picture had caused. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she wrote, adding, "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."]

Major press agencies have pulled a photo of the U.K.’s Princess of Wales and her children amid concerns that it has been digitally manipulated.

Read more
Nikon sale: Get up to $700 off select Nikon cameras and lenses
nikon d780 review product 1

Crutchfield has a huge sale on many different Nikon cameras with some of the best camera deals that we’ve seen in a while. With nearly 30 different items in the sale, the best thing that avid photographers can do is take a look for themselves. However, if you want a little insight before you dive in, take a look at what we have to suggest below.

What to shop for in the Nikon sale
Nikon makes some of the best DSLR cameras around with our overall favorite -- the -- available for $2,197 reduced from $2,297. The camera is perfect for both photographers and videographers with a 24.5-megapixel full-frame image sensor. Its rugged magnesium-alloy body is weather-sealed against dust, dirt, and moisture so it’s great for all occasions. The Nikon EXPEED 6 image processor is optimized for low-light performance while maintaining long battery life with an autofocus sensor module with support for 51 focus points. You just need to add a lens to reap the benefits with features like the 273-point phase-detection AF system detecting and tracking subjects throughout the entire frame.

Read more