Canon Rumors

EF 24-70 f/2.8L IS not imminent [CR2]

From the same source as the 100-400
Canon has no imminent plans for an update to the 24-70. Canon has 5-6 lenses in queue for an update beforehand. There is a small chance you could see the lens at the same time as the 1Ds update in late 2009/early 2010.

One new lens that could be coming is a 500 f/5.6L IS. That would all but assure the end of the 400 f/5.6L. There is a market of baby boomers that are eating up higher end camera gear. Such a lens would be a sales monster according to a lot of people at Canon.

Ireland
Obviously I arrived alive. Working on getting this mobile broadband USB modem working, it doesn’t like Vista 64. That should get sorted so I can post a bit more often.

cr

History Lesson - 1959 Canonflex

Something different
Weekends can be pretty slow for news and rumors, but I still want to add content. So I’m going to try a few history lessons for the folks out there. I’m in the process of collecting various Canon cameras.  I’ll give a brief history lesson every so often about each of them.

Canon’s first SLR Camera Body
I finally acquired one of these historical Canon camera bodies yesterday.

Released: March 1959
Discontinued: August 1959
Production: 17,000 Units (Compared to the Nikon F which shipped 862,000.)
Weirdness: Bottom winder. You could wind pretty fast, but don’t try to use a tripod!
Feature: Removable Pentaprism

CR Guy's Canonflex

You can read more about the Canonflex here: http://www.cameraquest.com/canonflx.htm

cr

Rebel TSi/500D

Spec Update
The 500D should have the following feature that were ommited from my first post on the subject.

AF will be in Movie Mode, it will be a contrast detection that performs as well as the 5D2.

I’m also told it may have a better liveview system and an articulating screen. I still have nothing definitive on those 2 features.

Lenses
I’ve been promised some lens information tomorrow, so stay tuned for that.

Photo T-Shirt Contest
Keep sending me pictures, I’d like another few entries!

buzz@canonrumors.com

The winner will be selected Sunday night.

I must confess to an embarassing thing
I didn’t realize the 5D2 had AF in movie mode until today. I never tried to do it when I’ve used the camera.

cr

EF-S 17-85 Replacement on the Horizon? [CR2]

New highend kit zoom coming?
I’m told we could see a replacement of the EF-S 17-85 IS lens as soon as February. The new lens would be slightly longer at the telephoto end and build quality reduced to lower the price. It will run concurrent with the 17-85 until stock is gone, possibly Christmas 2009.

The source says EF-S 17-90 f/4-5.6 IS.

cr

1D Mark X [CR2]

A few things
A few places around the web are talking about an April timeframe at the earliest for the 1D replacement. A few people I spoke to said June is a possibility for an announcement with a fall launch. I still think an announcement in and around September. There will then be a good supply by the time the Vancouver 2010 games start in February.

A few things I’ve received in random emails about possible features of the 1Dx.

- Sport mode. Which will basically be an sRaw file at a very fast framerate.
- The camera will be full frame and anywhere between 15-21mp. No consensus on this.
- Internal memory. I don’t think this will ever happen.
- AF Mode in movies. 24P mode as well. I can see various modes coming for the video feature, I’m not sure what AF in movie mode would require to be useful.
- Full color top display, perhaps OLED. Why not?

I get constant emails about lenses. This is the info I currently have. It’s not much.

- 35 f/1.4L II is coming, but not until the fall 2009. A few people are talking PMA for this lens.
- 24-70 f/2.8L II IS is in the upgrade cycle, no word on when it’s coming to market.
- A new 200 f/2.8L IS Macro. Adding IS to a consumer macro would be dumb if it’ll raise the price $250, I don’t get why Nikon did it. The L however, there would be a market for that.
- The Tilt Shift lenses will get an update in two parts over the next 24 months.

With the economics of the planet right now, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Canon target niche lenses for introduction this year, and holding off on the consumer/prosumer products until 2010.

Discuss and keep the info coming.

T-Shirts
T-shirts should be shipped out to the winners on Monday. Hopefully they’ll get to you before Christmas day.

cr

Zeiss Brothers

They arrived
Initial impressions….. holy smokes the build quality is top notch.

Haven’t had a chance to shoot with them yet.

cr

Daily Deal - Great Camera

Zeiss ZE 50 f/1.4 & ZE 85 f/1.4

They’re coming!
The nice folks at Zeiss have shipped both EOS mount lenses to me for evaluation. I’m going to compare the following:

50mm
ZE 50 f/1.4 vs Sigma 50 f/1.4 vs Canon 50 f/1.4 vs Canon 50 f/1.8

I don’t have access to the 50 f/1.2L, I’ll ask around and try to get one.

85mm
ZE 85 f/1.4 vs Canon 85 f/1.8 vs Canon 85 f/1.2L

I own the 1.2L, will borrow the 85 1.8.

I know I’ve said I’m going to be doing reviews. Honestly… I probably won’t review camera bodies. I just don’t have the time or frankly the technical knowledge. I will offer editorial on camera bodies as I play around with them. Anyway, there are 50 reviews of every camera body out there.

What about Lenses?

I’m completely into comparing them. It’s a pretty quick process and I love shooting. It won’t be an issue.

Thanks a bunch Zeiss, it should be fun.

cr

New Lenses - Spring & Fall

What could be coming
Finding out what lenses are coming down the pipe has proven to be a difficult task. I have yet to find a really good source. I’ve asked around lately to figure out what’s coming. Here’s what I’ve been told.

Expect a big white lens or two to get updates in the next 12 months.

A pro baseball photographer ranked which lenses are likely to get replaced first. He wouldn’t go as far as to say whether or not he had been testing any. He didn’t deny it either.

1) EF 300 f/2.8 IS (Current model launched 1999)
- Very likely to get updated

2) EF 400 f/2.8 IS (Current model launched 1999)
- Probable that it’ll be updated at the same time as the 300

3) EF 500 f/4 IS (Current model launched 1999)
- This and the 600 will be updated at the same time

4) EF 600 f/4 IS (Current model launched 1999)
- This and the 500 will be updated at the same time

All four could be updated in the same year. I predict 2010, but it could be sooner.

Primes:

1) EF 35 f/1.4 (Current model launched 1998)
- This will be updated at the end of 2009

2) EF 200 f/2.8 (Current model launched 1991)
- It’s been suggested this will get IS. Don’t hold your breath.

3) EF 400 f/5.6
- Everyone wants IS put into this lens. I don’t think it’ll ever happen. Thankfully I’m wrong a lot, because I think such a lens would sell quite well…

Zooms:
1) EF 24-70 f/2.8 (Current model launched 2002)
- This has been a hotly desired lens to get an update. Adding IS and the new coating would make it very popular. I have no solid information that it’s going to happen.

2) EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 IS (Current model launched 1998)
- The most popular rumor for a lens is an update to this one. It’s rumored Nikon is redoing theirs shortly, and I think it’s time this one is redone by Canon.

New Lenses:
1) EF 500 f/2.8 IS
- One person has written me saying this lens is in the works. I don’t buy it, its cost would be astronomical. With current high ISO performance, do we really need a 500 at 2.8? Canon really has no reason to get into it with Sigma. Let them have their big green lens.

What else could be coming?
Canon has no real competition from Nikon for fast high quality primes, so I don’t see them updating the entire line in the next 18 months. We could see one a year though, starting with the 35.

I think they’ll be updating a lot of L glass. They’re done with consumer zooms for now. The 18-55, 55-250 & 18-200 should be enough choice for the crop users on a budget out there.

EF-S?
I don’t think we’ll see a new EF-S lens any time soon. The lineup is well equipped at the moment.

Wackiest idea I’ve been sent:
EF 24-70 f/2L IS - Yes, Olympus has f/2 zooms, but they’re for a 2x crop. How big and heavy would this lens be? Nevermind the price tag!

cr

Canon EF 24 f/1.4 II

Coming soon
Amazon has the lens coming sometime in the next 4 to 7 weeks. I have mine ordered. Do you?

I’m usually not first in line for a lens, but I do really want a 24. Lenses like this is also why I don’t shoot Nikon.

cr

EF 24-105 f/4L IS Stealth Upgrade? [CR2]

Reported a few places
I’ve received and searched out information in regards to the 24-105 f/4L IS “stealth” upgrade that may be happening with the 5D Mark II kit.

It’s a 50/50 split of bogus/true.

I think it’s bogus personally. The lens will become a lot cheaper to get with the kit, replacement “upgrade” lenses don’t make prices lower.

cr