EF 24-70 f/4L IS & EF 35 f/2 IS Preorders

[kevl]

I'm not overly happy with my Sigma 24-70 IF EX DG APO because it takes a maximum micro adjustment of +20 to get it in focus (and it is still slightly out, if I could adjust it to +21 it would be perfect). Yet if Sigma starts releasing weather sealed excellent lenses at prices that match the previous generation of Canon L glass then I'll be buying their products instead of this new batch of Canon lenses. I need a few more lenses to fill out what I want to do professionally, so I'm in the market with a reason to buy.

[mrsfotografie]

In all seriousness, a lot of people here treat MSRP like it's built in stone. Anyone that can't get a 5DmkIII for around $2900 with a light amount of work/patience isn't trying very hard, so let's stop pretending like these aren't going to be bundled/adjusted.

2900 euro.... and is it worth 600 euro more then the D800? ..... imho not.

850 euro (you know what that is in dollar?) for a 35mm f2.... pffhhh.
and that´s a preorder price i saw.

sigma here i come!!

Canon has great marketing, they will sell more third party lenses this year! 

[Etienne]

I was really hoping the 35 F/2 would be quite affordable... what was I thinking.

Well, Sigma still have my trust. Plus their 35 1.4 looks nicer

Both lenses look attractive to me. The Canon is small and light, has close focus and IS.
The Sigma is very big, but may produce better IQ.

I always like to save $$$, but they both look interesting to me.

[roguewave]

I was really hoping the 35 F/2 would be quite affordable... what was I thinking.

Well, Sigma still have my trust. Plus their 35 1.4 looks nicer

Sigma has just announced the price of their 35 1.4: $899. For about the same price as Canon's 35 f2, on a wide prime I personally prefer the extra stop than IS. Can't wait to see IQ comparisons (and hope Sigma has no AF issues).

[Ellen Schmidtee]

I know Canon keeps throwing the "the yen is expensive!" excuse out there but legitimate or not it's definitely wearing pretty thin.

The Yen is as high for the 35mm f/2 @ $310 as it is for the 35mm f/2 IS USM @ $850.

I think the best example of Canon shooting itself in the foot is killing the EF 15mm f/2.8 in favour of the EF 8-15mm f/4 L. If I had to buy a fisheye today, I would buy the Sigma 15mm f/2.8 because of price (~1/3), extra f-stop, and DxO support (e.g. defishing).

[PerfectSavage]

Guess I'll have to wait and see the MTF and reviews on this one. The hybrid IS is nice, as is the near 1:1 macro, but for $1500 it'll have to improve both resolution and distortion over the 24-105 to sell well.

Or the 24-105 will soon cease to appear on price lists and will be withdrawn from the market place.

I've always considered the 24-105 a "pseudo-L" kit lens with OK not great IQ, not on par with the 16-35, 17-40 or even 24-70 L (version I let alone II) lenses...am I missing a great lens for travel/touring here?

[PerfectSavage]

Do remember that Canon is not your only lens option. .... To me it's a no-brainer but then, I don't feel wedded to Canon lenses.

AdamJ, you make a good point.  Like I said, the competition - esp for lenses, is loving it.

With their recently announced strategy, Sigma is undergoing a sea-change from a price-driven proposition to a quality-driven proposition. I believe this is at least partly a response to the gap in the market that Canon's pricing is opening up. Sigma can develop premium products now because they know they can pitch them at the premium-but-not-inflated price level that Canon has vacated.

This is a very interesting observation Adam.  Canon is creating a price gap vacuum that will encourage a higher quality alternative to fill it at a previously acceptable price point (but probably still slightly less).  And if the alternative is good and receives rave reviews, it will succeed.  The fickle enthusiasts will flock in droves.  Hell, I might even be one of them.  If I can have a quality lens for half the price of the Canon L, I can afford to even replace it if I wear it out and still come out ahead.  Time will tell!!

Don't be shy about Sigma.... I have the 50mm 1.4 and the thing takes fabulous pictures. They are sharp, and the bokeh is super creamy! Additionally, it's built like a tank and has a very professional look and feel. I would highly recommend this lens, especially if you have a camera with AFMA(for obvious reasons.)

Great observations.  Also, given we are in a down economy - ESPECIALLY in Europe - it doesn't make sense to focus on mid-market or prosumer lenses for Canon or even Sigma at this point.  I also don't think Canon's manufacturing and supply chain has recovered fully from the earthquake.  In a down economy products are going to be sold at lower volumes so therefore higher margins must exist to justify the R&D and total cost of sales.  So the two influencers (economy and earthquake) combine to focus on lower volume/higher margin products until both recover fully.  So the focus will be on professionals, wedding shooters, event/sport shooters, etc. who make their living shooting and can therefore invest in new bodies, glass that outperform previous versions at a premium price; arguably these pros have to upgrade to stay competitive in their fields - do more with less (or the same with less etc).  I thought the 6D was a perfect example...a body at high margin for the affluent prosumer/enthusiast who wants a FF camera and can afford it; OR a great B/C cam for the wedding/event shooter instead of another 5D/1D series body.  The economy is also why the 7D II is being held back; it's not going to appeal to FF pros (though it's perfectly capable of pro images) and those 7D lovers that aren't pros making their living (not money on the side, rather their livelihood) from their images can't afford to replace a perfectly good 7D camera right now just for some better ISO performance and other features etc.  The EOS M is a late launch in a different market entirely but will prevent erosion there for Canon, total stop-gap and wait and see what happens in the mirrorless space effort, Canon waited as long as they could here.