Canon Releases the Speedlite 430EX Flash, and Two New EF Lenses Including the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lenses

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Aug 22, 2005 – Whether shooting with an EOS-1Ds Mark II digital SLR or an EOS Rebel T2 35mm camera, photographers in every corner of the world know the benefits of using the vast Canon EOS system. Canon today introduced three exciting new additions to the EOS accessory lineup, including the Speedlite 430EX flash, and two new EF lenses – the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM and the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Image Stabilizer zoom lenses.

Photographers looking to expand their system will appreciate the newest Speedlite 430EX flash unit, and the EF 70-300mm IS lens offers the photographer looking for an upgrade, and the chance to get up close and personal to the action. The EF 24-105mm f/4L IS lens completes the f/4 L-series compact zoom lineup which focuses on photographers that need high quality multi-purpose zoom lenses.

“The Canon EOS system is always evolving and expanding to meet the needs of today’s photographers,” said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. “All EOS users from beginners to professionals can reap the benefits of a system that will grow with them, one that always provides an exceptional selection of fully compatible EF Lenses, EX Speedlites and other useful accessories.”

Affordable Stability
Two new Image Stabilizer zoom lenses add to the more than 60 Canon EF and EF-S lens line-up and are versatile solutions to almost any photo situation.

The new EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens replaces the current EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens, and is an ideal second lens for beginners and advanced amateur photographers looking to expand their EOS camera system. With improvements that include an enhanced Image Stabilizer function that compensates for camera shake by approximately three full shutter speeds, this new lens is both powerful and easy to use. Users will appreciate the newest features on the lens including two selectable IS modes to match subject movement and a zoom ring lock mechanism that keeps the lens barrel from extending unintentionally.

Fully compatible with all EOS 35mm cameras, this lens was also designed with today’s EOS Digital cameras in mind. A moderately shorter minimum focal length is welcome with smaller sensor cameras such as the EOS Digital Rebel series, and the lens also uses UD elements to help correct chromatic aberration. Canon’s Super Spectra Coating is used to help minimize the ghosting and flare that can be found with other lenses and digital cameras.

The EF 70-300mm IS lens also improves the features that made its predecessor a best seller, such as Canon’s whisper quiet Micro UltraSonic Motor (USM) autofocus drive, a high speed CPU, and optimized algorithms that enhance autofocus speed. As always, environmentally friendly lead free optics are used.

Luxury Glass for the Demanding Photographer
Also fully compatible with all EOS cameras, the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens promises to be one of the most universally desirable lenses in the EOS system, because it meets the demanding needs of many advanced amateur and professional photographers. This lens bears the signature red stripe mark that denotes Canon’s luxury optical glass, known for its excellent image quality. Typical of an “L” series lens, the EF 24-105 L IS lens features superb correction over its entire focal length range for distortion and other aberrations encountered during zooming. This is achieved with the combination of a GMo aspherical lens, two replica aspherical lenses and a Super UD lens in an 18-element optical formula. Since shooting under perfect conditions is not always possible, the lens is engineered with dust and water droplet resistance, and advanced Image Stabilization compensates for camera shake by up to three full shutter speeds.

The new lens offers the ability to zoom from 24mm wide-angle to 105mm medium telephoto, with a close focusing distance of just 0.45 meters/1.5 feet throughout the entire focal range, making it ideal for a variety of photographic applications ranging from wedding receptions and portraiture to landscapes. Canon’s exclusive Super Spectra lens coating and Super UD glass produce outstanding color, contrast and resolution, all while suppressing chromatic aberration, ghosting and color fringing along the edges.

The EF 24-105 L IS lens also considers the needs of advanced amateur and professional photographers with an exterior design that features intuitively placed controls and a full time manual focusing ring that can be operated even when the lens is set for AF mode. Despite the lens’s extensive 4.4x zoom range, it maintains a compact length from 4.2 to 5.5 inches and the front of the lens does not rotate during zooming or focusing, making it easier to use with polarizers or other special effects filters. For quick adjustments, the IS and focus mode switches have been given distinct shapes so they can be easily discerned by touch while looking through the viewfinder.

A Bright Idea
The Canon Speedlite 430EX flash unit replaces the Speedlite 420EX flash model as the one of the most functional and powerful flashes in its class. The maximum guide number has been increased to 43/141 (ISO 100, in meters/feet), and the 430EX flash becomes even more versatile with the addition of a built-in wide panel, which increases the minimum focal length coverage from the previous 24mm limit to 14mm.

The Speedlite 430EX flash works equally well with film or digital cameras. Additionally, like its big brother, the Speedlite 580EX flash, the Speedlite 430 EX flash unit includes features that digital photographers will find especially useful. The Speedlite 430EX flash is compatible with Canon’s E-TTL II (Evaluative Through The Lens) auto exposure technology. E-TTL II technology analyzes relevant information like subject distance to modify flash power automatically, resulting in more accurate flash exposure, even when shooting subjects of different sizes, reflectance or high contrast. Advanced technology automatically adjusts the flash coverage to help compensate for differences in focal length as well as the variable size of CMOS sensors on digital cameras. The new Speedlite also analyzes flash duration and battery charge levels to adjust white balance dynamically for stable and accurate color from shot to shot.

The new Speedlite 430EX flash unit includes other upgrades, such as a full-power recycle time that is approximately 40 percent shorter than its predecessor at just two seconds with NiMH rechargeable AA batteries. A rear LCD and rotary dial make other new features more accessible, such as adjusting manual flash exposure from full power to 1/64 in whole stop increments, and enabling the second curtain sync function. Six custom functions are also now available, as well as a flash head that is more maneuverable and capable of more angles for bouncing flash illumination than its predecessor. The Speedlite 430EX flash also incorporates the high end features that make it an essential accessory, such as a 24-105mm auto zoom, locking hot shoe bracket, and the ability to be used as a slave flash in an E-TTL or E-TTL II wireless flash configuration. High speed sync and FE lock are also available, as well as a save energy (SE) function, a versatile feature set that delivers outstanding value. With all of it features and versatility, Speedlite 430EX flash becomes the next logical step in the evolution of the EOS system.

Pricing and Availability
Canon’s new EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM and EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lenses as well as the new Speedlite 430EX flash unit will be available in September for estimated selling prices of $1,249*, $649.99* and $299.99*, respectively.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2004, with global revenues of $33.3 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

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* Actual price set by individual dealers and may vary.