Archive for August, 2009

My Take: Sept 1 Canon EOS Announcements (Lens)

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

On the lens front, Canon has been very quiet for the past year with only 18-200mm IS and 2 tilt shift lenses. At the same time, the current lens catalog is now full of aging lens (with many from the film era) waiting to be replaced. If I’m to make a “bingo sheet” for Sep 1 announcements just like Macworld ones, these will be on my sheet.

EF 50mm f/1.4 USM II
the old one has been plagued with USM focusing problem

EF-S 35mm f/1.8
going back to the classic focal length following Nikon

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM
perhaps the most requested out there, with new IS

EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM II
new IS (but the lens is only 4 years old!)

EF 100mm f/2.8 IS USM
also with new IS, Nikon already put VR in their macro

Result: EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM
almost right except the L

EF-S 17/18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
my request, replacing EF 28-135mm IS USM (and EF-S 17-85mm IS USM?)

Result: EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM & EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
almost got 18-135mm right except that Canon left the USM out (so disappointed here… I’ll keep using 28-135mm for now), 17-85mm is being replaced by 15-85mm instead

EF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
similar to above for affordable walkaround FF zoom lens alternative to 24-105 f/4L IS USM

EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II
overdue IS update

EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II
a decade old IS needs refreshing, better dust sealing

EF 300mm f/4L IS USM II
another aging residence of the family

EF super-telephoto from 400mm to 600mm L IS USM II
for the Olympics, most of them a decade old