Current Status Of EF Lenses

I've been away from the hobby for a couple of years compared to how engaged I used to be. I know mirrorless cameras look to be the thing now, so where are EF lenses now? Are they making them anymore? Some retailers here in Canada still have many listed for the usual prices I was used to seeing, but when I look at the used buy and sell forum here it looks like quality Canon EF lenses have really dropped in price. I'm getting out of the hobby and sold off my gear slowly, all locally. I did have a Canon TS-E 17mm Tilt/Shift listed locally and a 28mm 2.8 IS prime but I received no interest at all, despite dropping the prices numerous times. I see the 17mm Tilt/Shift listed for about $2800 Canadian new and the 28 prime at $700. I would have assumed my lenses would sell, but they aren't. I know my local market (St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada) is limited, but I've sold 500 f4, 300 2.8, 24 Tilt/Shift a couple of 70-200 and numerous other quality lenses over the years locally, no issue. Is anyone else running into this problem?

I guess the tide has shifted, but the Canon line up of EF and L lenses was a pretty nice line up of glass. Has the bottom fallen out that quickly? I know I would be reluctant to invest again seeing where the market has lead. Good glass was always a smart investment.

Canon announced years ago that the EF line was mature and there likely would be no new EF designs or releases. They are putting all of their eggs into the RF/RFS lens basket.

The great thing is that EF and EFS lenses have a long future of being usable, dare I say better, on RF bodies, so life goes on with EF lenses, at least on the used market, refurbished market, and gray market.

There are a lot of lenses that still have no RF replacement. As they come in the market, the EF version will fall in price.

Like that EF 300 you had… still no RF on that one so prices for the ISii version are still strong.

I guess I just haven't stayed current. The 300 2.8 II was very expensive when it first came out. I never did try it but the 300 2.8 IS ver 1 was a fabulous lens. I guess there are no RF tilt shifts available yet?

TeamSpeed wrote in post #19486976
Canon announced years ago that the EF line was mature and there likely would be no new EF designs or releases. They are putting all of their eggs into the RF/RFS lens basket.

The great thing is that EF and EFS lenses have a long future of being usable, dare I say better, on RF bodies, so life goes on with EF lenses, at least on the used market, refurbished market, and gray market.

Are they still making any EF or EF-S lenses, or the TS-E tilt shifts?

Steven H Campbell wrote in post #19486983
Are they still making any EF or EF-S lenses, or the TS-E tilt shifts?

I don't think we have seen an EF lens released since maybe 2019? Nothing more to come either.

Steven H Campbell wrote in post #19486983
Are they still making any EF or EF-S lenses, or the TS-E tilt shifts?

My understanding is that Canon will still manufacture EF/EF-S lenses that are in demand, but they have already permanently discontinued a LOT!

Currently there are 44 Canon EF/EF-S lenses available to purchase new at B&H. The Canon USA website also lists similar number of lenses. According to B&H 32 of those lenses are full frame, 12 are EF-S. A couple years ago there were around 75 EF and EF-S lenses.

FWIW, Canon USA still lists seven EF-M lenses (for the M-series APS--C cameras), though many of them are shown "out of stock" or "backordered". B&H only has four in stock (not counting color variations).

And so far there are 33 Canon RF/RF-S lenses for the R-series cameras. Most are full frame. Only two RF-S (APS-C) have lenses have been released.

Some of the EF and EF-S lenses currently listed as available may have been discontinued, but new stock remains in stores.

Here are some articles about lenses Canon has discontinued:

https://amateurphotogr​apher.com …dslr-lenses-discontinued/

https://petapixel.com …e-ef-prime-lenses-report/

https://www.canonrumor​s.com …y-discontinued-ef-lenses/

https://www.popphoto.c​om …discontinues-dslr-lenses/

https://www.canonrumor​s.com …on-of-ef-and-ef-s-lenses/

Of course, upwards of 125 million EF/EF-S lenses have been sold over the last three and a half decades! So there are lots and lots of them on the used market. Even after Canon stops supporting them, you can bet there will be shops continuing to work on them for some years to come.

Canon has also been paring down their DSLR selection. There are currently six or seven models available in N. America. (Lens and camera selection probably varies by marketplace.)

I think you just quoted that whole post without adding anything.

Thanks for that great info! When I listed my last couple of lenses I went to a Canadian retailer and checked the current retail prices of those lenses to figure out what I should ask locally. After dropping my prices numerous times on both lenses, I'm not sure how these retailers will sell these lenses new, plus tax. There was a time an EF L lens sold for only a fraction of it's new price, but not anymore by the looks of it. I get it that a 17mm tilt shift is a specialty lens but so is the 24mm tilt shift I had no trouble selling locally a few years ago. I guess times have changed rapidly. Maybe I should have kept my 5D III and kept using it.

I did, but there was no where to add my post when I hit the quote button.

You just add your own text outside (usually before) the quote codes.

Steven H Campbell wrote in post #19487648
... I get it that a 17mm tilt shift is a specialty lens but so is the 24mm tilt shift I had no trouble selling locally a few years ago. I guess times have changed rapidly. Maybe I should have kept my 5D III and kept using it.

While they certainly are depreciating a lot from their original retail price, Tilt Shift lenses should still retain their value reasonably well... at least for the time being.

There are no TS being made for the RF mount yet.

And existing TS-E are easily adapted. In fact, adapting them with one of the adapters that accommodate a drop-in filter offers some new opportunities, especially with a lens like the TS-E 17mm that's very difficult to fit with a filter. There are quite pricey Canon OEM EF to RF drop-in filter adapters... much more affordable Meike (where some reviewers feel the Variable ND is superior to Canon's), as well as a couple others, plus an array of filters for them.

While the TS-E 24mm, 45mm, 50mm, etc. all can be fitted with filters much more easily than the 17mm, doing so may limit the lens' movement... so the drop-in adapter can be useful with them, too.

There are rumor of some future TS lenses coming from Canon for the RF mount. A TS-R 14mm f/4 and TS-R 24mm f/3.5 have been on the Canon lens roadmap for some time. There also have been hints that they might be the first lenses to feature autofocus, though that may be a bridge too far. I expect Canon will eventually port over the other TS-E lenses to the RF mount. No need to completely reinvent the wheel.

Tilt Shift lenses certainly are specialized... and quite expensive. A lot of photographers buy them for a job, then sell them off after they find limited additional use for them (might have been better to rent). But, as a result of this turnover, there has been a moderately robust used marketplace for them and unless a new model was introduced, they tended to hold their value pretty well. Personally I've still got the 24mm and the older 45mm. I had the 90mm, but sold it some time ago (and kind of wish I hadn't). I've probably used the 45mm the most... small product photography in studio.

I've seen some outliers... such as a TS-E 17mm that sold for $700 recently (an under-priced "Buy It Now" on everyone's favorite auction site). But that lens, which sells new for $2149 at retail rarely sells for less than $1200 used, and in very good condition often brings $1400 and $1700.

It appears Canon has discontinued the TS-E 135mm. It's shown as "out of stock" at Canon USA and no longer even listed at B&H website. They both still list the TS-E 17mm, 24mm, 50mm and 90mm. But only the 17mm and 24mm are in stock. The 50mm and 90mm are shown as "back ordered" at Canon USA. At B&H the 90mm is listed as "temporarily out of stock". I wonder how that differs from "back ordered", which is how they describe the 50mm's status?

Cheers!

Lot if not most of EF lenses are discontinued. Canon is pushing on monopolized RF mount.

The Rock might be too small market for specific and pricy lenses. With ebay been acting odd for sometime now, some are selling on FB market with offers to ship and PayPal payment. It worked for me as well.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #19487029
I don't think we have seen an EF lens released since maybe 2019? Nothing more to come either.

According to the Canon Museum, the last EF lenses were 600mm F/4 III, 400mm f.2,8 III, and a pair of 200mm lenses back in 2018. There were a pair of cinema EF lenses in 2020 but those don't really count though I guess you could use them on any EF mount camera.