Red/Gold/Silver/Green - What is the meaning these days?

Canon adorns each of their lens with a ring of some sort. L series lenes get the lauded red ring, while DO lenses get the Green ring. Then we come to the consumer lenses, which get the silver and gold rings. Used to, the entry level lenses got the silver rings (18-55, etc), while the high end consumer lenses got the gold rings (such as 17-55). But with the recent lens additions, things seem to be out of order. For example, the recently announced EF-S 15-85 is getting a silver ring, but is priced above alot of gold ring lenses (such as 28-135, EF-S 10-22) and even some L lenses (17-40). Can someone elaborate on ranking of the color of rings on lenses? I thought I had it understood but I'm guessing I dont.

Isn't a gold ring a non-L with USM?

I know:
Red = L
Green = Experimental or new technology such as DO.

I think:
Gold = EF lens with USM
Silver = EF-S
No ring/black: EF lens without USM

red = pro
gold = USM, non pro, but still above consumer?
green = special coating on lens
silver = efs?

I guess they forgot the gold ring on the 15-85. It doesnt really matter what color ring there is, its all about sharpness and aperture anyway.

The Gold ring is actually a dotted line, and it in fact means USM lens (but only when not related to an L).

The Silver ring of old was actually a cheap silver tape. And it was befitting of the TERRIBLE little lenses that it was attached to (I own two such dogs, the 28-90 f/4-5.6 II and the 75-300 f/4-5.6 III).

Also up until the most recent batch of lenses (15-85IS USM and 18-135IS) the silver was used in the FL marking ring of the zoom ring and a lens with USM had the gold ring in addition to this. With the release of the 15-85IS USM, it seems Canon has changed their marking style again. Because this lens is an EF-S lens with USM and doesn't have the gold ring, and the FL marking ring is now black.

The 60mm EF-S MAcro has the silver band around the focus ring, I guess because it can't change focal lengths.

mrkgoo wrote in post #8753698
I guess because it can't change focal lengths.

What would that have to do with anything?

Red = L lens.
Gold = USM lens.
Silver = they couldn't think of any other applicable ring for it.
Green = DO lens.

Bear in mind, these are flexible and rather discretionary. L lenses for example feature USM focusing, but they're Ls due to other things. Same with DO lenses, some of them are of L standard, and have USM...but they're green, cos they have DO. It's canon. The ring colour seriously isn't important.

Pandya wrote in post #8754134
L lenses for example feature USM focusing, but they're Ls due to other things.

Not all L's had USM. Some had Arc Form Drive.

L's with AFD:

50-200L

80-200L

100-300L

Hmm, I doubt that GOLD means USM. Just browsing Canon's site, the following lenses have USM but have a silver ring

EF-S 15-85
EF 28-200
EF 75-300mm 4-5.6 III

BigBlueDodge wrote in post #8754259
Hmm, I doubt that GOLD means USM. Just browsing Canon's site, the following lenses have USM but have a silver ring

EF-S 15-85
EF 28-200
EF 75-300mm 4-5.6 III

A Gold ring with "USM" used to mean it had USM, but it could be either cheap Mirco USM or Ring USM.

Canon stopped using the gold ring on new lens designs around 2000. Older USM lenses that are still in production still have the Gold ring.