Why Are Canon Lenses White? The Science Behind the Sideline Icon
When you head to a sporting event, you will inevitably see a sea of big white lenses. For decades, it was Canon lenses 99% of the time. There were likely some people in marketing who were happy to see their lenses a different color than Nikon. Today? There are a lot of Sony lenses being used that also use their version of the white paint. Nikon has had a lens here or there, but all of their current lenses are black. Reverse marketing? So, while the white paint will always be part of Canon's branding, maybe less so today, there are real scientific reasons that Canon continues to evolve the white paint that most take for granted. I think we all know that dark surfaces absorb light and turn it into heat, whereas lighter and whiter lenses reflect more light from the surface, reducing the impact of the heat generated. Carbon black soaks up infrared, so much of the sun's heat passes into the…
