New EF lenses at Photokina

[ScottW]

We've all read discussions about what may appear at Photkina regarding a 10D upgrade. What I am wondering is what does Canon usually announce regarding lenses? Lots of new "stuf" or just a few improvements? I am holding off getting my second EF lens until I see what happens at the show.

[Jesper]

Well, at the last big show in February, they announced the 70-300 DO IS USM and the 28-300 L. Especially the 70-300 DO IS USM is not just a minor improvement, it's the first zoom lens with DO (Diffractive Optics). So also in the lenses department, new technologies are under development.

There are many very fine EF lenses though, and if a new version of an existing lens is announced, the old version is still very fine, so if there's a specific lens you like, just get it. Lenses don't get out of date as quickly as digital cameras.

[DaveG]

Well, at the last big show in February, they announced the 70-300 DO IS USM and the 28-300 L. Especially the 70-300 DO IS USM is not just a minor improvement, it's the first zoom lens with DO (Diffractive Optics). So also in the lenses department, new technologies are under development.

There are many very fine EF lenses though, and if a new version of an existing lens is announced, the old version is still very fine, so if there's a specific lens you like, just get it. Lenses don't get out of date as quickly as digital cameras.

I'm wondering if they might come out with a fixed focal length lens in the 60mm area. A 60-65mm f1.8 would be a very very useful lens on a 1.6 camera giving approximately a 100+mm effect. The two uses that spring to my mind would be to make more consistent compositions (than a zoom) if you were doing a number of H&S shots; and it would give a lot of speed, for not a lot of money, in a lens that would be great for available light sports shooting like basketball.

The 50 while a very good focal length is a little short. This mythical 60-65 would also stay a portrait lens of sorts for the 1.3 cameras, doing for the Mark II what the 50 now does for the 10D.

[Tom W]

Interesting proposal, Dave. It might be useful, but I'm not sure that there's a wide-enough gap between the 50 and the 85 to make it worthwhile.

I think Canon needs to work on the wide end first. All the 18-XX lenses that Sigma and Tamron are producing present a challenge to Canon that needs to be met (not to mention the 12-24). On the prime side, Sigma's trio of 20-24-28/1.8 lenses are a good deal, despite their having a rather cumbersome focus system. I've got the 20 and while it isn't nearly as sweet as my 50/1.4, it produces pretty nice f/2.8 shots. I don't think its a threat to the 17-40 zoom, but it certainly is a cheap answer to a wide prime for the 1.6X crowd.

[DaveG]

Interesting proposal, Dave. It might be useful, but I'm not sure that there's a wide-enough gap between the 50 and the 85 to make it worthwhile.

I think Canon needs to work on the wide end first. All the 18-XX lenses that Sigma and Tamron are producing present a challenge to Canon that needs to be met (not to mention the 12-24). On the prime side, Sigma's trio of 20-24-28/1.8 lenses are a good deal, despite their having a rather cumbersome focus system. I've got the 20 and while it isn't nearly as sweet as my 50/1.4, it produces pretty nice f/2.8 shots. I don't think its a threat to the 17-40 zoom, but it certainly is a cheap answer to a wide prime for the 1.6X crowd.

Yeah a 10-20mm zoom - even a slow one - would be on my list!

[Matti J]

We've all read discussions about what may appear at Photkina regarding a 10D upgrade. What I am wondering is what does Canon usually announce regarding lenses? Lots of new "stuf" or just a few improvements? I am holding off getting my second EF lens until I see what happens at the show.

It is time for new and updated EF primes. My suggestions are as follows:

A. EF 400/5.6 L, new with IS
B. EF 200/2.0 L IS (to match the new Nikon 200/2.0 VR)
C. EF 50/1.2 L replacing both EF 50/1.0 L (discontinued) and EF 50/1.4
D. EF 12/4.0 L or EF 14/4.0 L with better performance than EF 14/2.8

Matti J.

[aam1234]

If we are talking wishes, I have one. 70-200 L f4 with IS.

The current offering of that lens is either f2.8 with and without IS or f4 w/o IS. There is no f4 with IS. The reason for the wish is cost:

1- f4 without IS = $ 550
2- f2.8 without IS = $ 1,100
3- f2.8 with IS = $ 1,600

So an f4 with IS could be, theoretically, be around $1,000

[Andy_T]

If I can make a wish ...

... it'd be for a 12-24/4.0 L
... same optical quality and afordable as the 17-40/4.0 L

Best regards,
Andy

[theoldmoose]

If we are talking wishes, I have one. 70-200 L f4 with IS.

The current offering of that lens is either f2.8 with and without IS or f4 w/o IS. There is no f4 with IS. The reason for the wish is cost:

1- f4 without IS = $ 550
2- f2.8 without IS = $ 1,100
3- f2.8 with IS = $ 1,600

So an f4 with IS could be, theoretically, be around $1,000

The problem there is, that they already have a 70-300 f4.5-5.6 DO IS for about $1300. I'd say that a 70-200 f4L IS for about $1000 is too close to that lens for comfort in the marketing ranks. :wink:

[BAS1]

I'd like to see a 200-500 L F4 IS zoom. If the 100-400 L IS was revised to be a straight F4, that would be nice as well.

Bev

[ron chappel]

There are allready strong rumours (several canon dealers have repeated the exact same thing) for new lenses at photokina.

An EF-s 18-85 IS (i think it was -85)
and a 11-22 zoom or thereabouts

[Mthorpe_Davies]

I would like to see an f4 version of the 24-70 f2.8, it's a gap I would like to fill but the 24-70 f2.8 is too expensive and the 28-85 is junk. I'm sure a market is out there and if it had IS not having the speed of the 2.8 wouldn't be a problem.

I think an f4.0 version is logical since you can get a 17-40, 70-200 and 300 all as an f4.0 as well as 2.8, the gap is waiting to be filled.

[Lunatique]

The 200 1.8 needs a new release.

The 85 1.2 needs a replacement.

There should be cheaper 1.8 versions of the 35 1.4 and 24 1.4.

There should be a 20 1.8 and 120-300 2.8 for people that don't want to buy Sigma.

Deperately needs a 12-24.