Shervin Mandgaryan
Well-known member
The Canon 80-200 F2.8 L "Magic Drainpipe"
The History:
In the late 80's, Canon released their new Autofocus camera and lens system known as EOS and EF, which impressively Canon touted out as the most 'Professional' and 'Reliable' of that era. Amongst the launch were a few legendary lenses which we can consider classics today... the 50mm F1.0 and the 85mm F1.2... though one lens would capture much fame among Canon pro shooters in the coming years... enter the 80-200mm F2.8 L.
It was built like a tank, had a constant F2.8 aperture, fast AF (for the time) and was TACK sharp. It's regarded as Canon's first serious zoom and was common to find amongst sports shooters in the late 80's and into the 90's. Simply put it was a work horse than went unnoticed for a long time after they stopped making it. It's king status as Canon's flagship telephoto zoom was diminished when Canon started making similar ranged lenses with built in IS. It quickly faded out into the late 1990's and 2000's as more and more pros dropped their beloved 80-200mm's for the newer IS and was eventually forgotten about.
Sadly, in 1995 the lens was discontinued (Along with the legendary 50mm F1.0) and a lot of speculation had been built up as to why it was discontinued. Some say it had a technical flaw in it's AF system and wouldn't last rigorous use... a few people said it had too much vignetting wide open at 200mm and perhaps the 72mm filter thread opening was too small... and others said it was too expensive for Canon to make and was ahead of it's time (The same remarks for why the 50mm F1.0 was discontinued as well). Either way, it was one of the sharpest lenses Canon has ever made wide open and was ONLY bested in 2010 when the 70-200mm F2.8 L IS II came out, which arguably is only a tiny bit sharper wide open than the 80-200mm 2.8 from 1987.
Today it's known as the 'Magic Drainpipe' among photography enthusiasts and retains prominence among photographers looking for amazing bang for buck. It's quite rare nowadays as they stopped making the lens in 1995, but perfect or near mint examples do pop up on eBay from Japan now and then and function fine mechanically. The copy I have is New Old Stock from 1993 and looks exactly like the day it rolled off the production line back then... performs the same way as well!
The 'Magic Drainpipe' name came after notoriety of the lens looking and being 'as heavy as a real drainpipe'. It's pretty much solid metal to the core inner workings and is very hefty and well put together. There used to be a similarly built mid-range zoom lens the 28-80mm F2.8-4 L that sold alongside the 80-200mm nicknamed 'Mini Magic Drainpipe' but has failed to really be a cherished gem in this day and age.
Getting back onto the 80-200mm... I bought the lens after hearing the hoopla on photography forums and it dawned on me that this would be a perfect match for cinematographers on a budget looking for that classic look. As I delved deeper and deeper in examining the lens, I'm convinced it's application for digital cinema is well worth the trouble in finding one.
Anyway, lets get into the good bits and talk about why this lens matters for Cinema use.
Why it's good:
This zoom has a lot going for it not taking the drawbacks of it's availability and it's scarce availability of parts for repair.
Firstly, it's a parfocal zoom. It holds focus perfect on subject from 80mm to 200mm. The zooming mechanics are a little bit spotty and the zoom ring doesn't have a dampened fluid feel to it, but it does work and coupled with a follow focus will give you a nice stable motion for zooming.
Secondly, it's got incredible bokeh. This goes without saying as most Canon L telephoto zooms offer incredible out of focus quality and creaminess.
Thirdly, focus rotation isn't too bad! At only 90 degrees it may be a deal killer for some but it's quite decent given that it is an autofocus lens.
And lastly, it's got Zeiss quality micro-contrast and feel, and would pair EXCELLENTLY with AE or MM Contax lenses. Think of it like how Angenieux zooms pair excellently with Cooke primes... the same thing is going on here. Angy and Cooke lenses are not exactly the same, but they're very complimentary and offer similar look. Same thing goes for the 80-200 F2.8 L and Contax primes.
Oh, and did I mention it was tack sharp at F2.8?
The drawbacks:
Breathing, close focus, mechanical noises and reparability.
The breathing issue is pronounced if you're focusing from infinity to close focus. From my tests if you rack the focus alot you will see the image getting significantly smaller and larger, so if you're the kind who likes long focus pulls from subject to subject, this may not be the zoom for you.
Close focusing is another issue as the MFD is only 1.8 meters. Again, maybe a deal killer for some, especially people wanting to do some close up 'macro' work.
Mechanical noises are a bit of an issue for sound as my particular copy does make a bit of a friction sound (As if gears are rubbing against each other), but given how old this zoom is it was normal for the time.
Reparability may be the biggest problem for many. If this lens goes kaput one day... you're basically left with two options. Convert the lens into a travel mug, a looking glass, or use it as an actual drainpipe... or find someone who will repair it and slap you with a huge bill for finding scarce parts.
Conclusion:
There you have it, I think I went over the history of the lens and why it's a solid choice to pick up. They used to retail for $1800 back in 1987. Today you can pick up the lens in factory mint condition (Provided you find one of that condition) for lens than $800. You can find used ones that are in rougher shape for less than $600... but the chance of that lens dying on you unexpectedly is a lot more and wouldn't be worth getting in my opinion (If you don't mind using the lens as a looking glass after something breaks inside).
Happy shooting.
Links:
Ken Rockwell's Review
Flickr Photo Group
A more detailed history
Last edited:
But then Image B doesn't look like what I get from my Zeiss lenses (AE)..
