First Photo of a Canon 135mm f/1.8L IS?

This image of a Canon 135mm f/1.8L IS lens was posted to Chinese forum Xitek. Most people seem to agree that it’s a Photoshop job, since the details on the rim of the lens don’t follow the curve of the lens very well. The question is therefore whether the image is some kind of early-stage mockup of a real lens, or simply a big fat hoax.

For the sake of comparison, here’s what the current 135mm f/2.0 (non-IS) lens looks like:

Back in May 2012, Canon Rumors also received a rumor that there’s a new 135mm on the horizon:

I’ve been sent info about an updated EF 135 f/2L. The source says we can expect it to get IS. It’ll either be f/2 or f/1.8. Both prototypes exist.

As a short-to-medium telephoto lens, the 135mm is useful for shooting sports in low-light conditions. Both the introduction of IS and the upgrade from f/2.0 to f/1.8 would therefore be great for its users.

It’s often grouped together with the 35mm f/1.4 and the 85mm f/1.2 in what’s referred to as the “Holy Trinity” of Canon prime lenses. The 85mm was launched in 1989, and had a Mark II version replace it in 2006 (17 years later). The popular 35mm was unveiled in 1998 and the 135mm was introduced in 1996.

In 2013, the 135mm will be 17 years old. Seems like it’s a prime candidate for an update.

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