Canon new Lens strategy - Are they making room for the EOS-M line?

All these new Canon lens announcements and the inevitable whining about large price increases (EF -> new EF), has got me thinking:

Is Canon pushing out the old EF lens lineup in order to make room for the new (lighter, more compact) EOS-M lens lineup?
If you think about it it makes sense. Instead of having two lens lines (EF and EF/L) now they can introduce a third "low end" line that will be targeted towards the consumer, the EOS-M line.

This theory is backed by the consensus that, inevitably the future will be mirrorless for the majority of hobbyists/enthusiasts with SLR cameras moving upwards to the serious hobbyist/professional range.
So it seems that Canon is (hopefully ) looking ahead like it did in 1987 with the FD -> EF move that enraged Canon users and is pre-emptively shifting its EF lens line upwards to make room for the future: the EOS-M lens line.

So, in my mind, this is what the Canon lens range looks like:

EOS-M <$500 range (mostly wideangle-normal FL primes, kit zoom, macro, UWA)
EF $500 - $1,000 - (mostly wideangle-normal focus length with IS - also the EF-S line falls in here)
EF/L >$1000 - (all the rest: large aperture primes, constant aperture zooms, telephoto, specialty, supertelephoto etc.)

So there it is, let me know what you think.

All I can say is Canon needs to try a lot harder to be even competitive in the mirrorless market.

Tried the EOS-M instore the other day and it's simply terrible. AF is soooo slow with the 22mm pancake.

It was a bloody joke.

andrikos wrote in post #15213030
All these new Canon lens announcements and the inevitable whining about large price increases (EF -> new EF), has got me thinking:

Is Canon pushing out the old EF lens lineup in order to make room for the new (lighter, more compact) EOS-M lens lineup?
If you think about it it makes sense. Instead of having two lens lines (EF and EF/L) now they can introduce a third "low end" line that will be targeted towards the consumer, the EOS-M line.

This theory is backed by the consensus that, inevitably the future will be mirrorless for the majority of hobbyists/enthusiasts with SLR cameras moving upwards to the serious hobbyist/professional range.
So it seems that Canon is (hopefully ) looking ahead like it did in 1987 with the FD -> EF move that enraged Canon users and is pre-emptively shifting its EF lens line upwards to make room for the future: the EOS-M lens line.

So, in my mind, this is what the Canon lens range looks like:

EOS-M <$500 range (mostly wideangle-normal FL primes, kit zoom, macro, UWA)
EF $500 - $1,000 - (mostly wideangle-normal focus length with IS - also the EF-S line falls in here)
EF/L >$1000 - (all the rest: large aperture primes, constant aperture zooms, telephoto, specialty, supertelephoto etc.)

So there it is, let me know what you think.

Your theory might make sense if EOS-M lenses could also be used on Canon SLR cameras. But they can't. There will always be a need for low-priced EF-S lenses as long as there are entry level DSLR's being produced. I seriously doubt that the EOS Rebel line is going to disappear. The T4i and new EF-S 18-135mm STM lens are proof of that.

it almost seems to me like they're giving up the middle ground...there hasn't been an XXD/7D camera announced in quite a while...it's either FF, or cheaper rebel/eos-m...the lenses seem to be going that way as well...either cheap eos m, or expensive L...I can't think of the last time there was an EF zoom released that wasn't an L...

and also with their release of the IS primes, they've been discontinuing the older lenses...so there is no longer those $200-$400 primes...it's either suck it up and pay 2-3X more for features you may not want, or downgrade your camera to an eos-m and get ef-m lenses...

kin2son wrote in post #15213081
All I can say is Canon needs to try a lot harder to be even competitive in the mirrorless market.

Tried the EOS-M instore the other day and it's simply terrible. AF is soooo slow with the 22mm pancake.

It was a bloody joke.

Did you try it with the 18-55 efm or an EF lens with the adapter ?

My Strategy Given Canon's Joke of a Strategy:

1. Sports - 5DMKIII or MKIV (when released) + 70-200II (after D800 forces more price reductions) - Canon better be working on a better sensor.
2. Around Town - RX100 (have)
3. Travel - Top Notch Travel System that doesn't exist yet.

Work with current stuff in my sig until I get the above to happen.

lannes wrote in post #15215484
Did you try it with the 18-55 efm or an EF lens with the adapter ?

he said the ef-m 22mm pancake...everything I've seen says the focus on the mirrorless is painfully slow...

the new pricing makes me very happy that I have my dream lineup right now.

lannes wrote in post #15215484
Did you try it with the 18-55 efm or an EF lens with the adapter ?

The AF speed and accuracy are proven to be worse with any EF lens + adapter

It's pointless. Another overpriced DOA product from Canon...

It will probably takes Canon a couple of tries before it can catch up to something like the Nex7 or OM-D imo if they decides to stick around. But I highly doubted....Canon will tap out before even reaching the OM-D level.

They are simply WAYYY too late to the market.

If the EOS M wasn't a half-assed product, I might agree with your theory.