When will the mount change?

I wasn't around for the lens mount change around 1984, and I was just wondering...why did they do it, what did people think about it, and what would make them do it again? (and what would you think of Canon if they changed the mount tomorrow?)

S

They have started with their EF-S. At the moment it's too early to know if it will be a success. A successful change will happen over an extended period of time. Right now, the EF-S line doesn't have any really worthy lenses to speak of, but it might eventually happen.

I don't mind though. Most photographers will switch bodies every several years. So compatibility with the EF-s line is no problem. I think the big advantage is that Canon does not appear to be dissolving the EF mount, EF-S is rather an evolution. This means that most camera's in the foreseeable future will accept EF and EF-S mount lenses.

The EF mount replaced the FD mount simply because there was no more evolution to be done to the FD.
You have to realise that the FD mount had mechanical linkages and a smaller throat than the EF - this meant that it was more difficult to design lenses without compromising. Look at the Nikon legacy mount and all the compromises that they have had to make over the years!.
There was a lot of ill-will against Canon from FD users when the EF mount was announced because it was not backwards compatible - Canon having decided that the new EF mount was to have electrical contacts only for passing lens information and control and that the drive motors were to be in each lens, not in the body and that the throat size was to be larger, and the bayonet totally different anyway.
Canon have reaped the benefits of effectively starting again from scratch whilst other manufacturere have lagged in technical details (USM, IS etc.) and have had to play catch-up ever since).
Note too how the present Nikon mount wouldn't allow the use of some MF lenses on DSLR bodies either! So much for backwards compatibility over the long term.
Will Canon think about a mount change - not for a long time I think, the EF/EF-S has a long life yet.

I'm deliberately avoiding EF-S lenses, as I figure Canon will come out with a reasonably priced full frame (35mm) sensor camera sometime in the not too distant future. When that happens i'll be able to use EF lenses on it, but EF-S lenses will have to be replaced. Correct me if i'm wrong.

I have to say I think the EF-S are a nitch / limited apeal lens. Being designed for digital with less than full frame sensors means they will never be good for digital cameras that have the full frame sensor and I think as price comes down on the sensors the full frame sensors will become more common.
Also the EF-S compleatly ignors the (sorry for the four letter word ) film camera owners.

PaulB said what I was going to say,. and said it better.

EF isn't going anywhaere soon. In fact .. not ever so long as 35mm film remains a concern. The EF mount allready has so much room for expansion. (unused electrical contacts, and plenty of room for more etc..)

The ONLY reason that Canon would have a need for a new mount would be for a format other than the 35mm film plane...

Thus EF-S.

Waaaaaaay down the road when Film is of no interest and Digital technology is pushing evrything to get smaller.. than an alternate mount physically smaller than EF/EF-S may come to fruition... but this may not happen either.. as EF-S may remain the sensible alternative.

There is frequent discussion related to the introduction of a 'reasonably priced' full-frame DSLR and how that will affect EF-S lenses. While Canon may come out with such a camera, it is highly unlikely that they will abandon the APS-sized format for the consumer market, especially with Olympus, Nikon, and Minolta committed to it. So I think the EF-S lenses will be viable for a while.

Meanwhile, the overall DSLR market is moving from film to digital, and the majority of the lenses (especially below 100mm) are designed for film or full-frame cameras. The first EF-S lens (18-55) was built to provide the same coverage as a 28-90, and the next two also mimic popular full-frame zooms - the 17-85 IS provides the same coverage as the 28-135 IS, and the 10-22 provides the same coverage as the 16-35 L. This is not by accident, and I think there will be more new lenses. How about a 15-44 to mimic the 24-70, or a 44-125 to mimic the 70-200?

Added to that, Canon keeps updating and improving their current lens formulas, adding weather-sealing, updating the 28-70 L to the 24-70 L, updating the 80-200 L to the 70-200 L, etc.

So don't let the prospect of what Canon might do in the future affect a lens purchase today. If an EF-S lens is the right one, buy it. If Canon does introduce that $1500 full-frame DSLR you can sell your EF-S lens to someone that just bought the new $300 Drebel.

Have Fun,

I wish they would tomorrow!!!

So I can buy all the used EF lenses and build the ultimate lens line-up!!!



..............okay, this did not contribute at all to this thread.

Ro1