What do the different coloured rings around the lenses mean?
There are a number of different types of lenses that Canon makes – each aimed at different markets: Silver If you see a silver ring around a lens, it means that it’s cheap. This is a lens aimed at the low-end consumer market. The lens feels like a toy and the build is somewhat flimsy (usually plastic). These lenses often come in “enthusiast kits” that bundle a lens and a body together. Gold Gold rings on lenses usually indicate that it’s a USM (UltraSonic Motor) lens. The USM technology allows for faster and less noisy auto-focus. It’s stock standard on pretty much all non-cheapskate lenses that Canon has in market right now. Not all USM lenses are created equal as there are two different types of USM – ring and micro. I won’t go into details, but ring is better than micro. Green The presence of a green ring around a lens means that it’s a DO (Diffractive Optics) lens. The DO technology allows more substantially lighter and smaller lenses. This is great if you’re traveling and don’t wa
