White Lenses are now Gray?

[glennpollockphotography]

Is it just me or are Canon's off-white lenses now colored a neutral gray?

[zml]

<p>FWIW: Canon "white" lenses were never really white, but always sort of grayish off-white.</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<p>I think they have always been off-white. With age they darken a bit.</p>

[DickArnold]

Right now I am holding a 1996 70-200 2.8L in my hand. It is grayish off white to quote Michael.

[mendel_leisk]

<p>There's mention in this The-Digital-Picture article that the new EF70-300 f/4-5.6 L IS is a <em>whiter</em> white:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-70-300mm-f-4-5.6-IS-L-USM-Lens-Review.aspx">http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-70-300mm-f-4-5.6-IS-L-USM-Lens-Review.aspx</a></p>

<p>And that article suggests using the site's lens comparison tool:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-Product-Images.aspx?Lens=738&LensComp2=358&LensComp=104">http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-Product-Images.aspx?Lens=738&LensComp2=358&LensComp=104</a></p>

<p>I've set the above up to show the 70-300 and 70-200 f4, for comparison. It's not that intuitive, but I found one way to toggle the images, by clicking the "MFD" buttons beside each lens name, near the bottom of the page.</p>

<p>It shows the 70-200 a little more of a putty shade, compared to the 70-300. Not a big difference though.</p>

[glennpollockphotography]

<p>Thanks folks! Mendel, you hit it on the head with The-Digital-Picture review. They picked up on it too. I bought a new 70-300L and I was a bit surprised at the grayish-white coloration. I think it's a positive change as well though. Doesn't yell "Hey, I'm an expensive white Canon lens" quite as much now! LOL</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<blockquote>

<p>Doesn't yell "Hey, I'm an expensive white Canon lens" quite as much now! LOL</p>

</blockquote>

<p>A few decibels less fortissimo but still a bit of an eye popper...</p>

[JDMvW]

<blockquote>

<p>yell "Hey, I'm an expensive white Canon lens"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>for those worried about frightening game and small children with their Moby Dick lenses, there have long been custom camouflage covers for them.<br>

e.g., http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=camouflage+lens+cover&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=6Il&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1448&bih=1087&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=2008869620101283627&sa=X&ei=hD-0ToKoJqH4sQKk5qW-Aw&ved=0CJEBEPMCMAY</p>

[fmueller]

<blockquote>

<p>there have long been custom camouflage covers for them. e.g., <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=camouflage+lens+cover&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=6Il&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1448&bih=1087&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=2008869620101283627&sa=X&ei=hD-0ToKoJqH4sQKk5qW-Aw&ved=0CJEBEPMCMAY" target="_blank">(link)<br /></a></p>

</blockquote>

<p>which really make them look like a tool suitable to invade a small country.</p>

[Marcus Ian]

<p>There's the ever popular sharpie! Ask Brian Stiedle! It made 28-300L he used to document the atrocities in Darfur <em>vastly</em> more subtle.<br /></p>

[zensphoto]

<p>After looking at the links provided by Mendel the L whites look the same to me as they have always looked. The older they get from the oily in your skin they do darken. </p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>I think the color is "oyster."  :-)</p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>... and so the "big whites" should really be called "big oysters," as in, "Hey, look! That photographer has some big oysters!" Or, "It would really take some big oysters to get that shot."</p>