What does "PE" mean on the Canon PE 300mm f/1.8, and is it a separate mount?
Asked 4/27/2017
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I found references to the rare Canon PE 300mm f/1.8. Some articles describe it as an EF-mount lens, but the lens nameplate says "PE". Canon also uses designations like TS-E and MP-E for special-purpose lenses, so I'm wondering whether "PE" refers to a distinct Canon mount or simply a lens series/type. Is there any evidence that Canon made a separate PE mount, or is this likely just a special designation on an EF-mount lens?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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The Petapixel article that seems to be the only information about the lens on the web states that the lens has an EF mount, so I don't think there's a separate PE mount; it's probably just a designation for an atypical construction (like the TS-E (tilt-shift) or MP-E (macro photo) designations), and in this case, for the slit photography required for horse race photo finishes.
I'd guess that the "P" is for photo-finish or (Crazy Dino's suggestion in comments) prototype; and "E" for electronic mount.
Odd, though, that the Canon Museum website isn't listing this one under its Special Lenses category.
Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27440
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Based on the available information, there’s no clear evidence that Canon ever had a separate "PE mount." The most likely explanation is that the 300mm f/1.8 uses the EF mount, while "PE" is a special lens designation rather than a mount name.
Canon has done this before: TS-E and MP-E lenses fit EF cameras but use different letter designations because they’re specialized designs. The community answers suggest "PE" may refer to the lens’s intended purpose or prototype/special-project status, not a different mount standard.
So the safest conclusion is: this is probably an EF-mount Canon lens with an unusual "PE" designation, not evidence of a separate Canon PE mount system.
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