Canon Announcements Next Week? [CR1]

[Canon Rumors]

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For PhotoPlus 2012

A few murmurs about Canon announcements next week. All the talk about a development announcement for a large megapixel camera have gone completely quiet. Most of what was talked about was from new sources, known sources said they hadn’t heard anything.

There is some talk about lens announcements taking place early next week. Although no one is committing to which lenses will get announced. The usual suspects are an EF 35 f/1.4L II and the EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x. The latter is the most likely, with the other less of a possibility. I do expect something from Canon, but they’re holding their cards pretty close to the chest.

From reports earlier in the year, we’re still two short on the DSLR/Mirrorless announcements for 2012 and a few lenses as well. However, with the production problems Canon has had with lenses, it’s a good bet a lot of things have been delayed.

What DSLRs could be coming in 2012? The first would be the EOS-1D C becoming official, that would leave one more camera to be announced in 2012. My bet would have been on a Rebel T4, however we’re getting pretty close to the Christmas shopping season for an announcement like that. With the problems they’ve had with the Rebel 650D, it’s possible that too has been delayed. The big megapixel camera, would be a development announcement with availability well into 2013 according to most. We’ll have to see if that comes to fruition.

We also hope to find out about delays in production of the EF 500 f/4L IS II & EF 600 f/4L IS II, the last I heard we won’t see them until November.

cr

[neuroanatomist]

We also hope to find out about delays in production of the EF 500 f/4L IS II & EF 600 f/4L IS II, the last I heard we won’t see them until November.

Mt. Spokane previously suggested problems with fluorite crystal growth (a process which takes over a year for lenses that size) due to the power issues in Japan - that certainly makes sense.

They're obviously getting them out in limited quantities, as B&H got an allotment on 28-September sufficient to cover their existing preorders (including mine for the 600 II  ), and briefly list both 500 II and 600 II as In Stock on their website, before they quickly sold out again.

[BXL]

From reports earlier in the year, we’re still two short on the DSLR/Mirrorless announcements for 2012 and a few lenses as well.

Are we? There were talks about four DSLR/Mirrorless announcements for 2012 and we got four:
EOS 5D III
EOS 650D (Rebel T4i)
EOS M
EOS 6D

[traveller]

Big megapixels talk's gone quiet; delays to megabucks lenses... To be honest, other than reputation, this is probably not of much concern to most Canon users, even more so if the hi-res camera is going to be a 1-series.  What do Canon need to do to please most users?

1. Re-establish faith in their core enthusiast market, i.e. APS-C DSLRs (sales figures don't lie, as Neuro likes to point out).  How? EF-S 15mm f/2; EF-S 22mm f/2; EF-S 30mm f/1.8 would be a darn good start! A 70D and a 7D MkII in 2013 are also a requirement (yes, I think there is still a need for two separate models)

2. Next generation of APS-C sensors - we want to see progress: less noise, both at high ISO and in the shadows. 

3. Show commitment to EF-M: enthusiast orientated body with EVF; faster AF; lenses - see point 1 (above)+ 60mm f/2, 85mm f/2 and 55-200mm zoom - credit to Canon for the EF-M f/2, assuming performance is up to snuff. 

4. A more compact large sensor enthusiasts'... well, compact!

Or maybe Canon thinks that everyone will shell out for full frame DSLRs if they spread enough FUD about APS-C's future? Either that, or a lot of people will be taking a serious look at the likes of the OMD EM-5, XE-1 or NEX-6/7 (notice that I've omitted Nikon from that list?). 

Canon's got a lot to prove to their average users (the ones that are least tied in with lens purchases) in 2013. 

[KyleSTL]

Mt. Spokane previously suggested problems with fluorite crystal growth (a process which takes over a year for lenses that size) due to the power issues in Japan - that certainly makes sense.

I thought it was only the 1200mm f/5.6L that took that long to grow the flourite elements (~215mm diameter):


400 f/2.8L IS II appears to only be ~125mm diameter

800 f/5.6L IS has two (~140mm and ~120mm)


I haven't been able to find a block diagram for 500mm IS II or 600mm IS II, but I'd imagine they have a similar design to the 800mm (two large elements in the front of the lens), not like the 600mm IS I (one smaller element in the middle ~100mm diameter).

[Sitting Elf]

I would be willing to bet some serious moolah that the 200-400 f/4L with the 1.4X will be the major release announcement...along with the heart stopping price....

[Mt Spokane Photography]

New Lens announcements seem to have fewer leaks than new bodies. 
I'm not sure which Fluorite elements take a year to grow, its been a while since I read the article, but, as I recall, it said they took up to a year to grow.  Presumably, the larger they are, the longer it takes - (thats a pretty safe bet). 
The issue with power is that they have the fluorite in a molten state to grow the crystals, and a loss of power will ruin the batch.  Japan was having rotating power outages for months after the earthquake, and the power required for the big furnaces is not something you can supply with a ordinary portable generator.  The electric furnaces for glass probably use even more.
Natural Fluorite, Artifical Crystal, Lenses

[Aglet]

..and the power required for the big furnaces is not something you can supply with a ordinary portable generator.  The electric furnaces for glass probably use even more.
..

I'd think that for something that's so mission-critical they'd darn well have an adequately sized generator to back up such a process, it's not that big a deal.  We have standby diesel gen sets that can take over power for 2 large office buildings in a matter of seconds. Not like they could not afford to do that for a critical factory process.
Doesn't mean that they DID decide to backup tho.  or perhaps their furnaces are gas-fired and that's an interruptable commodity too.

[daniel_charms]

I would be willing to bet some serious moolah that the 200-400 f/4L with the 1.4X will be the major release announcement...along with the heart stopping price....

Quoting myself from that thread of yours : Anyway, here's an interesting thing: as reported on NL, some shops such as Foto Konijnenberg in Netherlands (edit: called Photospecialist in the UK) are actually already taking orders for the 200-400, although you can currently only order one bundled with either a 1DX or 5DIII and they're showing it as "out of stock". If you substract the price of the camera from the bundle, it makes the price of the lens itself to be around €10,000, which means that it will probably be, indeed, $10,000 in the US. And it also means that the announcement should be right around the corner. And last I looked, they had also added a lens + bag kit.

[Quackator]

I'd be much happier for a 1.8/50mm with IS and STM......

[pedro]

As we are talking about 2013: A 12/14-24 f2.8 by Q4 (November) ? 

[that1guyy]

Give me a damn 70D Canon.