Following on from the FD400mm f/4.5 S.S.C. (Released in October 1975), this is a new type of compact, lightweight, large-aperture telephoto lens and is a groundbreaking lens that has overturned the image that telephoto lenses are large and heavy. It was developed for use by the press at the Montreal Olympics.
By adopting Canon’s own rear focusing system in which focusing is performed by only moving the rear lens group back and forth, the lens is made compact and lightweight despite being a large-aperture super telephoto lens. It also has excellent operability such as light and smooth focusing, the overall length of the lens remaining unchanged even when focusing and being well-balanced when held.
The lens also properly compensates for aberrations and has uniform high definition throughout the entire frame from close to far distances due to ideal power distribution achieved by implementing a completely new optical design technology in the optical system and the appropriate selection of glass material.