Green Ring

I was looking through last months Practical Photography and Canon has a two page ad, on the first page there is a lens with a green ring not red. Do they make one or is it just photoshopped for some reason?I'm going with PS but I wonder why they would.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

Green ring = Diffractive optics.

Canon makes 2 of them, the 70-300 DO IS and the 400 DO, that's the 70-300.

Green ring is DO I think?

I tried out a 70-300 DO the other day at my local camera store. Not too impressed. Oh well. Makes more sense on the Supertele's like the 400, though.

perryge wrote in post #4838074
Green ring = Diffractive optics.

Canon makes 2 of them, the 70-300 DO IS and the 400 DO, that's the 70-300.

OK thanks, I haven't heard anyone talk of a green ring.

Jman13 wrote in post #4838095
I tried out a 70-300 DO the other day at my local camera store. Not too impressed. Oh well. Makes more sense on the Supertele's like the 400, though.

What was it about the 70-300 DO you didn't like?

Actually on Canon's website the 400 DO looks like a grey ring.

I'm waiting for the marketing people to go wild like they do with cell phones and offer lenses in 26 different colors. Not just a ring but the whole body of the lens.

gasrocks wrote in post #4838218
I'm waiting for the marketing people to go wild like they do with cell phones and offer lenses in 26 different colors. Not just a ring but the whole body of the lens.

Haha, gotta keep up with current trends right? Get some in leopard print.

perryge wrote in post #4838074
Green ring = Diffractive optics.

Canon makes 2 of them, the 70-300 DO IS and the 400 DO, that's the 70-300.

Sorry , but that is wrong.

I'll quote Canon, always the best source for questions like this

Green ring is a "symbol of the use of innovative technologies"
The FL-F300 F5.6 released in 1969 had a green ring as it was the first SLR lens in the world to use fluorite lens elements and obviously no diffractive optics in that lens.

what is DO? what does it do rather?

It makes a stubby, fat, more compact lens that is supposed to have superior IQ. I am very surprised this is new to you guys. I was looking into them before I bought my first SLR.

zeva wrote in post #4840018
what is DO? what does it do rather?

It's mentioned several times above: Diffractive Optics.
It's not something I'm going to attempt to explain but Canon EF Lens WorkIII
(Sticky at he top of this lens forum) has all the answers including my quote regarding the green ring.
Page 72 was where I found that info.

It's good to discuss on the forums , but Canon EF Lens WorkIII provides the correct info rather than heresay.

Madweasel wrote in post #4838119
What was it about the 70-300 DO you didn't like?

Well, it wasn't that I didn't like it. It's a fine lens with solid optics, relatively good mechanical quality (the zoom was very smooth), decent (but not great) build quality, etc.

The problem is, for $1,100, you don't get hardly anything over the $550 70-300 IS. The only thing you gain for that doubling in prices is 1.7 inches in length lost, and full time manual due to ring USM vs micro-USM. That's it. It's .2 inches fatter, a full .2 pounds HEAVIER, and the optical quality is similar, and actually a bit lower than the 70-300 IS. So, for $550, you lose 1.7 inches in length and get full time manual, while gaining weight and losing a smidge of optical performance. If it had L-class build, or constituted a significant weight savings, etc, it might be worth it, but given how the 70-300 IS is every bit as good optically, and lighter to boot, I just can never see purchasing the 70-300 DO.

Now the 400 f/4 DO looks to be a great lens if you can afford the $$, but the compactness in a large aperture supertele is a great thing to have.

http://the-digital-picture.com …O-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

and

http://the-digital-picture.com …O-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

They aren't trying to pull your leg.