# What is the most EXOTIC Canon lens?



## dirtcastle (Apr 11, 2012)

By "exotic", I mean extreme or unusual. It could be specs, rarity, price, quality, etc. Whatever you think constitutes extreme or unusual... post it.

Let's include both current AND discontinued lenses.


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## D.Sim (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*

Well... each person would probably think of something different depending on their definition of "exotic"... but to me it'll have to be the either the 50 1.0 or the 1200mm monster


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## Axilrod (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*

Definitely the 1200mm f/5.6


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## TexPhoto (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*

1200mm f5.6 is a wide angle compared to the Canon 5200mm F14 Prime Lens. Yea, it's a mirror lens, but it's still 5200mm. 5200mm Canon Lens World's MOST powerful Super telephoto EF FD (updated upload)


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## mws (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*

Damn, I was going to post the 5200mm.


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## EYEONE (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*

I'd say the 65mm MP-E 1x-5x Macro. It is certainly very odd in it's physical operation though not really rare. And no one else has a comparable macro lens.

The 1200mm is certainly rare but it's just a bigger 800mm


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## liberace (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*



EYEONE said:


> I'd say the 65mm MP-E 1x-5x Macro. It is certainly very odd in it's physical operation though not really rare. And no one else has a comparable macro lens.
> 
> The 1200mm is certainly rare but it's just a bigger 800mm



As far as commonly produced lenses, it has to be the MP-E 65mm, some may think the 135mm softfocus though. Otherwise the 5200mm posted above.


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## Ellen Schmidtee (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*



EYEONE said:


> I'd say the 65mm MP-E 1x-5x Macro. It is certainly very odd in it's physical operation though not really rare. And no one else has a comparable macro lens.
> 
> The 1200mm is certainly rare but it's just a bigger 800mm



There's a 5X macro lens for MFT cameras.


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## Canon Rumors Guy (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*

The FD 7.5 Fisheye is up there and I think was used in Reverie.


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## Canon Rumors Guy (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*

The 50 f/0.95 is probably regarded as pretty exotic.


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## lol (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*

I'd rate the EF 50mm f/1.0 as more exotic than the 50mm f/0.95 TV lens as other people still make lenses similar to the latter. Kinda wondering if I should have got a used f/1.0 when one popped up in the past, but decided if I ever wanted to go that route I'd take the speed hit and get the more modern f/1.2 so you have any resolution at all wide open.

I think there is a certain desire for what's no longer available. Some day I hope Canon remake the 1200mm as I'd like one. New.  If that doesn't get me me enough terrestrial reach with AF nothing will...

The MP-E65 is kinda unique as a 1st party lens these days I guess, but I believe Minolta used to do something similar.

For something else that is still made, I really like the fisheye zoom if only I need one enough to pay for it! And I still think tilt-shifts are kinda weird and funny, like they're broken and droopy.


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## KreutzerPhotography (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*

I agree with the 5200mm


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## Quasimodo (Apr 11, 2012)

There is one even more out there. According to the Canon book "EF Lens Works III: The eyes of EOS" (p.136) there is a 8.2 meter ultra high performance lens in the Subaru Observatory at Mauna Kea in Hawaii. 8.2 meters...... when we recall the introduction of the new 24-70 II and its new filter thread of 82mm. I wonder what the expenses would be for a B&W circular polarizer for this one, lol


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## Ellen Schmidtee (Apr 11, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*



Canon Rumors said:


> The FD 7.5 Fisheye is up there and I think was used in Reverie.



How is it different from the Sigma 8mm circular fisheye?


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## Wild (Apr 11, 2012)

The Canon 8-15 F4L is pretty unique. If I'm not mistaken, I don't think there has ever been another fisheye zoom lens on the market.


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## KyleSTL (Apr 11, 2012)

I would say, in order:

1200mm f/5.6L 1.4x FD (extinct)
1200mm f/5.6L
65mm MP-E
17mm f/4L TS-E
8-15mm f/4L fisheye
50mm f/1L
150-600mm f/5.6L nFD
38-76mm f/4.5-5.6 (rare, but not desirable)
35-80mm f/4-5.6 PZ (rare, power zoom)

Third party EF mount:

200-500mm f/2.8 Sigma



Wild said:


> The Canon 8-15 F4L is pretty unique. If I'm not mistaken, I don't think there has ever been another fisheye zoom lens on the market.



Tokina has the 10-17mm fisheye for crop cameras.
http://www.tokinalens.com/products/tokina/atx107afdx-a.html
Which is the same as the Pentax 10-17mm
http://www.photozone.de/pentax/132-pentax-smc-da-10-17mm-f35-45-edif-fisheye-review--test-report


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## @!ex (Apr 11, 2012)

Wild said:


> The Canon 8-15 F4L is pretty unique. If I'm not mistaken, I don't think there has ever been another fisheye zoom lens on the market.



wrong:

http://www.photozone.de/pentax/132-pentax-smc-da-10-17mm-f35-45-edif-fisheye-review--test-report


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## @!ex (Apr 11, 2012)

KyleSTL said:


> I would say, in order:
> 
> 1200mm f/5.6L 1.4x FD (extinct)
> 1200mm f/5.6L
> ...



whoops, beat me to it...


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## sweetcancer (Apr 11, 2012)

Didn't even know there was a 5200mm canon lens  thank you for that.


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## EYEONE (Apr 11, 2012)

KyleSTL said:


> I would say, in order:
> 
> 
> 150-600mm f/5.6L nFD
> ...



I take back my answer. This 150-600mm is certainly an odd beast.


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## Viggo (Apr 11, 2012)

For one that I could see myself using; The 200mm f1,8 L...


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## johankh (Apr 11, 2012)

Hubble II IS f/1,4 L EF mount


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## ecka (Apr 11, 2012)

Sigma 50-500mm is a pretty unique zoom, as well as 8-16mm DC


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## funkboy (Apr 11, 2012)

Well, in terms of lenses that I'd actually like to be able to own & use, it would be the S-mount 50mm f/0.95. I'd be all over one of those things adapted to a Fuji X-Pro 1.


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## iaind (Apr 12, 2012)

The 5200 f14.

Do you mount it on a 4x4 or 6x6


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## marekjoz (Apr 12, 2012)

I'd say quite opposite: 50 1.8. It's exotic because it's 10 times cheaper than others and still delivering outstanding IQ. In terms of Canon - you can admit it's quite exotic


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## AJ (Apr 12, 2012)

In a way the DO lenses (70-300/4-5.6 and 400/4) are quite exotic. The optics work like no other lenses.


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## DavidRiesenberg (Apr 13, 2012)

I wish it was the 300mm f/2.0 like over at Nikon


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## Bosman (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*



TexPhoto said:


> 1200mm f5.6 is a wide angle compared to the Canon 5200mm F14 Prime Lens. Yea, it's a mirror lens, but it's still 5200mm. 5200mm Canon Lens World's MOST powerful Super telephoto EF FD (updated upload)


Id love this for shooting weddings from home.


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## ericski (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*



Bosman said:


> Id love this for shooting weddings from home.



That's the only way I'd shoot weddings. From miles away.


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## marekjoz (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: What is most EXOTIC Canon lens?*



ericski said:


> Bosman said:
> 
> 
> > Id love this for shooting weddings from home.
> ...



If there are a few thousands people invited, then this lens might be wide enough for such a group photo


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## emag (Apr 13, 2012)

Pinhole lens made with a body cap. Fits and works with all Canon EF mount cameras. It is useful, simple and can be dropped into a mud puddle by accident without shedding tears. The IS version is hideously expensive, though...


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## moreorless (Apr 13, 2012)

Its not that rare as a Canon lens but I'm not aware of anyone else offering an 85mm 1.2 at the moment. Seems to me this has been a clear tactic for Canon in recent years, offer lenses like this, the 17mm TSE or the 65mm MPE that might not sell a great amount but can attract users to the brand simpley becasuse theres no alternative.

Looking less towards the high end the old 22-55mm lens offered a pretty unique range, I'm actually supprized that nobody is offering anything similar. To me thats potentially a great one lens landscape solution, if Pentax had actually released the rumoured 12-35mm on crop I'd probabley be using a K-5 right now.


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## Wild (Apr 14, 2012)

KyleSTL said:


> I would say, in order:
> 
> 1200mm f/5.6L 1.4x FD (extinct)
> 1200mm f/5.6L
> ...


Whoops never saw those before. I stand corrected! ;D


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## Frankie T Fotografia (Apr 14, 2012)

I have a Canon FL 58mm f1.2 that I think is pretty exotic


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## gerga (Apr 14, 2012)

emag said:


> Pinhole lens made with a body cap. Fits and works with all Canon EF mount cameras. It is useful, simple and can be dropped into a mud puddle by accident without shedding tears. The IS version is hideously expensive, though...



LOL... now I'm tempted to try that...

When I started out with a 28-80 & 75-300mm kit with an old film EOS 300, I used to aspire to the EF35-350mm f/3.5-5.6L USM --> way beyond my means at the time, but would have loved one L lens with similar zoom ratio to the combination of my 2 kit lenses, and with an extra 50mm focal length reach at the far end


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## HarryWintergreen (Apr 14, 2012)

Exotic in terms of a tendency to create a tender relationship would hold for the 85 f/1,2 - at least to my mind (sigh)


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## Viggo (Apr 15, 2012)

I guess my TS 17 is quite exotic, it's thw widest TS lens made, and one out of two where you can rotate tilt and shift independently of each other. Plus the IQ is the best under 24.


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## NWPhil (Apr 16, 2012)

@!ex said:


> Wild said:
> 
> 
> > The Canon 8-15 F4L is pretty unique. If I'm not mistaken, I don't think there has ever been another fisheye zoom lens on the market.
> ...





no, not really - look at the 8-15mm sample shots. Nowhere I saw the 10-17mm getting close to 180 degrees.
It's a crop lens - the range corresponds to a ( with a pinch of salt) 16-25mm on FF, or slightly shorter than Canon EF-s 10-22


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## shtfmeister (May 4, 2012)

Canon FD 800mm f/3.8 Mirror


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## marekjoz (May 10, 2012)

If only this topic was not limited to Canon, I'd now say maybe Fisheye-Nikkor 6mm f/2.8s. It has 220 degrees of coverage.

http://blog.graysofwestminster.co.uk/2012/05/01/amateur-photographer-nikon's-100k-fisheye-lens-whopper-finds-buyer/

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/fisheyes/6mmf28.htm 
6mm f/2.8 Fisheye-Nikkor on a Nikon D800 - First Time Ever?


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## dr croubie (May 10, 2012)

Unfortunately i spend way too much time browsing ebay and googling, nothing in canon's lineup can be considered 'exotic' going on other brands...

TOZ-500 russian mirror lens, 500mm f/3.5 is damn fast for a mirror lens.
Another russian, Jupiter 13 125mm f/1.5, but it covers a 4x5" film area (35mm FF equivalent framing of 49.8mm f/0.78) 
The Hasselblad 1700mmm f/4 (35mm FF equivalent of 1100mm f/2.6)
CRguy's mentioned the Nikkor 6mm 220degree fisheye.
The olympus OM-mount 35mm f/3.5 macro, specifically designed for 5x-12x mag.
The nikkor 80mm f/1.0 (but only at 1x mag).
How about the Leica telephoto system with interchangeable heads and backs?
edit: how could I forget the Siglauncher 200-500 f/2.8?

But for canon, i'm saying their 'most exotic' would be the TS-E 17mm, just because it's wide (for people who think 'independent tilt and shift' is exotic, google 'superrotator').
The 8-15 fisheye certainly is unique in that it gets to a circular fisheye (but no, tokina/pentax got in first with 'fisheye zoom').
Canon also had the 50mm f/1.0, but then Leica have the 50mm f/0.95 as a regular production lens.

In terms of 'trailblazing', i'm picking the FD 150-600 f/5.6, first lens in the world with internal zoom/focus, one-knob zoom and focus so the other's on the shutter permanently (and if i ever get a job that pays enough, i'm buying one for a collection).


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## Drizzt321 (May 11, 2012)

dr croubie said:


> TOZ-500 russian mirror lens, 500mm f/3.5 is damn fast for a mirror lens.
> Another russian, Jupiter 13 125mm f/1.5, but it covers a 4x5" film area (35mm FF equivalent framing of 49.8mm f/0.78)



That first Russian mirror, holy crap that looks huge! And f/3.5 on a mirror lens? Wow!

For the 2nd, the Jupiter-13, seeing some of the sample photos from the link, wow!


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## dr croubie (May 11, 2012)

Drizzt321 said:


> For the 2nd, the Jupiter-13, seeing some of the sample photos from the link, wow!



I've read of people buying them for $100 a few years ago, but the only one i've ever seen is some guy trying to sell one on ebay for $1200 or so.

As for the TOZ-500, as far as i can tell it was only ever a prototype unfortunately.
Probably as many of them in the wild as there are 1200/5.6 L though...


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## ruuneos (May 12, 2012)

1. 5200mm
2. 50mm f1.0

Are most exotic canon lenses for me and really like see both someday I've just have seen pictures of them.


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## tron (May 12, 2012)

@!ex said:


> Wild said:
> 
> 
> > The Canon 8-15 F4L is pretty unique. If I'm not mistaken, I don't think there has ever been another fisheye zoom lens on the market.
> ...



The pentax does not offer circular fish-eye view since it is meant for non-FF cameras.

Canon 8-15 remains the most unique fisheye zoom


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## briansquibb (May 12, 2012)

I have a 8-15 fisheye and a truly excellent lens it is. I would go for the ef 1200


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