Nikon & how Canon Updates Lenses

[hayden]

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hopefully naay upgrade ang 24-70mm sa canon para mobarato ang old version. hehe.

mao diay ni imo preferred lens?

[eag]

very interesting discussion. I always thought before that canon lenses were cheaper than nikon counterparts because canon's versions were older. It always seemed like canon didn't bother to update their L lenses (and instead developed new consumer lenses like the efs 15-85) while nikon was coming out with newer lenses more

[dolina]

very interesting discussion. I always thought before that canon lenses were cheaper than nikon counterparts because canon's versions were older. It always seemed like canon didn't bother to update their L lenses (and instead developed new consumer lenses like the efs 15-85) while nikon was coming out with newer lenses more

It is true that Canon lens prices tend to be cheaper because of lens design age.

You have to understand that unlike bodies that are updated in months lenses are generally updated in decades.

As Canon has introduced more than 140 different glass since 1987 it took them awhile to get to updating any of them. In fact the 1987 EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye and EF 28mm f/2.8 are both in production today. These two will mark their 24th anniversary by April.

The EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM is marketed as a replacement for the EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye. This is in response to the 2003 AF DX Fisheye 10.5mm f/2.8G ED and Sigma/Tamron/Tokina/Zeiss/Samyung glass that are wider than 16mm. As Fisheye lenses are not volume sellers Canon decided to just have one lens that is videographer-friendly whether you use a 1.6x, 1.3x or FullFrame sensor.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see EF Lens chronology at New Canon EF lenses. This served as a reference for this thread.

Canon has been very enthusiastic in updating and introducing new L glass. Same can be said about the EFS.

What has stagnated are the non-L EF glass. The zooms of this line has not been updated since 9/2005 with the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM while the primes not since 12/2001 with the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM.

Canon has been introducing these many L glass per year

2011 - 3
2010 - 5
2009 - 3
2008 - 3
2007 - 2
2006 - 3
2005 - 1
2004 - 1
2003 - 1
2002 - 1
2001 - 2

Canon has been phasing out non-L EF glass outright or upgrading them to L glass. Glass that has been upgraded to L are 2009 EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM and 2010 EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM IS USM

The upgrades are in response to the ever increasing megapixels on cameras. There will reach a time where in the sensor will outresolve film lenses so to avoid this problem Nikon & Canon are issuing updates. When I mean outresolve I mean that the sensors will make flaws in the film glass much more apparent than it is now.

[dolina]

If Sony is considered an indicator these would be the indicators

1996 EF 135mm f/2L USM (2006 Carl Zeiss® 135mm f/1.8 Lens)
1998 EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (2009 70-400mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lens)

So the lenses below are gonna be idle until... 2013?

1993 EF 400mm f/5.6L USM
1996 EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM
1996 EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM
1997 EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
1995 EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM
1999 EF 70-200mm f/4L USM

Canon marketed 5 lenses each for 2009 & 2010. So if the pattern holds expect 2 more to go as 3 have already been announced.

The two lenses are likely to be marketed by August or Septmber which should coincide with CliQ 2011.

[pepponeskie]

rumors kay canon 24-70 f2.8L II will be released this year.

[dolina]

rumors kay canon 24-70 f2.8L II will be released this year.

An announcement in 2011 is possible but a release is improbably because of the Japan quake.

Expect a replacement to the 1990 EF 50mm f/1.8 II soon with USM. For the simple reason that Nikon announced (then removed mention of) the AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G with built-in Silent Wave focusing motor on Wednesday, 13 April 2011.

[cmontoya]

I for one would just like to see the old Canon 35mm f/2 upgraded to USM, more aperture blades, and f/1.8. I always drool when I see a Nikonian with his or her 35mm f/1.8. Shift na rin kaya ako, he he.

[Andy99]

So what Ls do I think will be updated or introduced within the next 24 months? The answer is below


2003 EF 17-40mm f/4L USM (2010 AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR)

Canon already released a EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM.

I'm also waiting for the rumored 24-70mm f/2.8L II to be released since that is the lens I still need to add to my line up.

[dolina]

I for one would just like to see the old Canon 35mm f/2 upgraded to USM, more aperture blades, and f/1.8. I always drool when I see a Nikonian with his or her 35mm f/1.8. Shift na rin kaya ako, he he.

I believe Canon is holding back updating non-L EF glass until a later date. All EF glass have built-in focusing motors unlike Nikon who sells lenses that have no built-in focusing motors.

Canon already released a EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM.

I'm also waiting for the rumored 24-70mm f/2.8L II to be released since that is the lens I still need to add to my line up.

The comparison was made based on f-stop rater than zoom range.

2007 EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM vs 1999 AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED
2003 EF 17-40mm f/4L USM vs 2010 AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR

I am not all that excited for an updated 24-70/2.8 as I already have one. Same with the 70-200mm IS II as I have the "I" already.

My preference for an update would go to either 1993 EF 400mm f/5.6L USM, 1996 EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM, 1996 EF 135mm f/2L USM or 1998 EF 35mm f/1.4L USM. As I see it the 1998 EF 35mm f/1.4L USM will be updated before any of my other choices.