The Zeiss are about 2x the price of the non-L ($1000 range), but still a bit cheaper than the L. Compared to the Zeiss, the L have wider aperture at the same focal length, so you do get something for the extra bucks. But do you need f/1.4 on a 24mm? f/2.0 for the 28mm and 35mm sounds pretty good to me, but that is just my personal amateur opinion.

Then there is the issue of the AF. I seems as if Zeiss had an agreement with Sony to provide AF lenses only for them, in order to be made the “official” supplier of high end lenses for Sony Alpha.

I’d love to see a comparison between the Sigma 28mm f/1.8, Canon 28mm f/1.8 and Zeiss 28mm f/2.0.

“Most recently in 2010 Canon has launched the new high-quality, telephoto zoom lens the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM for all types of professional photography.”

The Canon website shows this lens, but doesn’t quote the list price. Further, Amazon for one, doesn’t list it at all. However, Amazon does list the earlier EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, and the still earlier EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM.

Any rumors about the availability of the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM – and expected price?

maybe we should in fact be looking in the other direction, and asking Sigma why they don’t step it up a bit in terms of producing quality budget primes. I know you get what you pay for, but it seems like someone’s got to be able to do better than what’s around in the $500 WA prime range

MFA exists because it has a purpose. there are photographers and there are photographic applications that demand the fine-tuning that MFA gives you, and who will use, notice, and appreciate MFA.

there are also plenty of people (most people) who are not perceptive to the benefits of MFA, and who will never demand that level of rigor from their equipment, yet think they desperately need MFA and that MFA is proof that all their lenses are faulty.

I believe that you are of the first type, who notices and demands MFA, and EF mount is pointing out that a lot of people are in fact of the second type, who whine about mis-focusing lenses when it’s really themselves

nobody realistically expects L glass for non-L prices, but there’s enough room for canon to at least improve the non-L glass to a more satisfactory level

A good alternative that is stealth, small, and light for a prime in a ball park price range from $300-500 is good enough.

notice everything else costs more today than it did in ’87 also?

Due to their inability to develop a lens of their own, thePrecision Optical Instruments Laboratory used one from Nippon Kogaku Kogyo, thepredecessor company of Nikon Corporation. Three years following the initialstart up of the company, the Hansa Canon was released in 1936 to the public.The following year, Canon as we know it today was founded.

Nowadays, Canon makes cameras, printers, copiers and manyother office products and their most profitable area involves the sale ofdigital copiers for offices. It’s funny because most people think of theircameras before their office products, but numbers don’t lie!

Besides its current financial strongholds, Canon is stillventuring out into new avenues all the time. They are currently forging aheadinto the digital display field and have since bought the shares Toshiba had ina joint venture for the manufacture of flat panel television screens.

Did You Know

1934. Japan’s first domestically-made 35mm focal-plane shutter camera, the “Kwanon’ — named after the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.

1935. “Canon” trademark registered.

1935. Hansa Canon cameras offered for sale at half the price of a Leica.

1961. The Canonet introduces EE camera.

1963. 1 millionth Canonet shipped.

1965. The Demi EE 17 follows in the footsteps of the Demi, Color Demi, Demi S, Demi C, and Demi Rapid, all half-frame (i.e. 24×17 mm instead of 24×36 mm film area) cameras introduced to compete with Eastman Kodak’s Instamatic cameras. This is the first “serious” camera that got me interested in photography. It was so easy and intuitive to use and it worked well. Of course, back then, most pictures were B&W and we learned to develop and print our own pictures. The bathroom substituted for a darkroom and many a night, my father banged on the door wondering when I would be finished and out of there so the family could take their showers.

1969. Canon, inc. established.

1971. Canon F-1 debuts. The rivalry between Nikon and Canon starts as to which camera, the Nikon F2 or the Canon F1, is the best professional SLR camera. Both had their fans and both developed their own system of lenses and equipments. While Nikon cemented its hold on photo reporters, Canon concentrated on wild life photographers.