# Interview With the Heads of the Canon Utsunomiya L Lens Factory



## Canon Rumors Guy (Mar 20, 2017)

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During DPReview’s tour of the Utsunomiya L lens factory, they had the opportunity to interview the 3 men that oversee the facility. This factory produced every L lens, cinema lens and broadcast lens in the Canon lineup.</p>
<p><strong>From the interview:</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><strong>What percentage of L lenses are manufactured in the Utsunomiya lens plant?</strong>

Because this is the ‘mother’ factory, 100% of L lenses are made here.</p>
<p><strong>How many different lenses can be manufactured simultaneously in this plant?</strong>

Basically, we create all lenses every day [including L-series EF, Cinema EOS and broadcast]. The only exception is some of the broadcast lenses.</p>
<p><strong>Which lenses in particular are the most difficult to manufacture and why?</strong>

Any large super telephoto lenses because of the size of the glass elements. In terms of skill required for lens assembly: the TV broadcast lenses are most difficult.</p>
<p><strong>How many lenses are produced at this lens plant every year, both in terms of types of lenses and total units?</strong>

We do not disclose total production for this plant. That said, Canon has produced a total of 120 million lenses over the years. Of course, many of those are kit lenses, which are not produced here, but in our facility in Taiwan. <a href="https://www.dpreview.com/interviews/4536277079/canon-lens-factory-interview">Read the full interview</a></p></blockquote>
<p>It’s nice to see Canon opening up a bit about how they manufacture what we think are consistently the best lenses in the world (No bias, honest!).</p>
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## douglaurent (Mar 21, 2017)

"It’s nice to see Canon opening up a bit about how they manufacture what we think are consistently the best lenses in the world" - I just made an update below on the best full frame lenses, and the 12 Canon winners out of 35 focal length categories mainly do only slightly outperform their rivals, or are winners because they have no competition like the fisheye zoom. The truth is that in 2017 it is easier than ever to shoot the highest quality with Canon mount cameras, while not using one single Canon branded lens.

Canon 8-15/4 Fisheye
Sigma Art 12-24/4
Canon 16-35/2.8 III
Sony 24-70/2.8 GM
Nikon 70-200/2.8 VR FL
Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6 II IS
Canon 200-400/4 IS +1.4EXT
Sony 24-240/3.5-6.3 (Allround)

Voigtländer 10/5.6
Voigtländer 12/5.6
Sigma Art 14/1.8
Zeiss Batis 18/2.8
Zeiss Milvus 21/2.8
Sigma Art 24/1.4
Zeiss Otus 28/1.4
Canon 35/1.4 II
Zeiss Milvus 50/2 Macro
Zeiss Otus 55/1.4
Canon 65/2.8 Macro 1-5x
Sigma Art 85/1.4
Zeiss Milvus 100/2 Macro
Nikon 105/1.4
Sigma Art 135/1.8
Sigma 180/2.8 OS Macro
Nikon 200/2 VR II
Canon 300/2.8 II IS
Canon 400/2.8 II IS
Canon 500/4 II IS
Canon 600/4 II IS
Nikon 800/5.6 VR FL

Canon 17/4 TS
Nikon 19/4 TS
Canon 24/3.5 TS
Nikon 45/2.8 TS
Nikon 90/2.8 TS


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