Canon EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS Update [CR2]

[Canon Rumors]

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The long awaited replacement….

We’re told production for the EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS will be “coming to an end soon”. Production for the replacement will begin sometime in late 2013 or early 2014.

Canon’s lens production has had its share of issues in the last few years with the new super-telephotos and to some extent the EF 24-70 f/2.8L II. We’re told until the EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x production reaches demand, Canon will not be producing the replacement to the long-in-the-tooth EF 100-400. All issues are apparently going to be resolved sometime this fall.

An announcement and release may depend on how fast Canon can sell off existing stock of the 100-400.

cr

[mrsfotografie]

Interesting. I can see myself upgrading to the new model when prices level out because it's a safe bet the new 100-400 will outperform the old model, and the 200-400 is out of my reach both in budget and bulk anyway. I'm hoping for the same sort of image quality improvement of the 70-200 f/2.8 IS Mk I vs MkII.

Note: I challenge you all not to have any more discussions about push/pull vs rotary zoom!!!  Let's wait and see what Canon comes up with...    

[tron]

Note: I challenge you all not to have any more discussions about push/pull vs rotary zoom!!!

Oh, how much I like push/pull zooms... 

[Sabaki]

This is cool!!!

If its at least as sharp as the 400 f/5.6 from 100mm all the way to AND INCLUDING 400mm, this may become another iconic Canon lens!

I would be prepared to sell my excellent copy of the 400 f/5.6 I have for this

[tron]

Note: I challenge you all not to have any more discussions about push/pull vs rotary zoom!!!

Oh, how much I like rotary zooms... 

[AlanF]

This is cool!!!

If its at least as sharp as the 400 f/5.6 from 100mm all the way to AND INCLUDING 400mm, this may become another iconic Canon lens!

I would be prepared to sell my excellent copy of the 400 f/5.6 I have for this

There is very little to chose between the 100-400mm L and the 400mm f/5.6 L in the centres - see http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=14296.msg259688#msg259688

If the new zoom lens is only as good as the 20 year old 400mm f/5.6, then I'll give it a miss as it won't be much better than the current - we want something better.

[Gary Irwin]

"We’re told until the EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x production reaches demand, Canon will not be producing the replacement to the long-in-the-tooth EF 100-400. "

LOL Based on my experience with Nikon's 200-400VR and the new 80-400VRII, if/when Canon update and release the 100-400L, trust me, that will take care of any and all excess demand with the 200-400IS II.

[docsmith]

No real substance to this post....just sayin' this is the lens I am waiting for.  If it is in the ball park of the recently released telephoto lenses, I will be buying one.  Wish list is improved IQ, faster AF, 4 stop IS, and better weather sealing.  The current version is one of my most used lenses.  I love it but the areas for improvement are obvious.

[heptagon]

Holding back the 100-400 for the 200-400 1.4x doesn't really make sense to me because the latter is so much more expensive.... except if the new 100-400 costs 5000$ upwards. But then again it wouldn't really replace the old model. So something about this sounds fishy if you ask me.

[scottkinfw]

I am with you on that.  Also on the block will be my 300mm F4L.  combine 2 lenses in one, better IQ, hopefully great IS, not push pull (sorry to bring it up), and light weight with fixed aperture.  And while I am at it, affordable.  Why not?

sek

Interesting. I can see myself upgrading to the new model when prices level out because it's a safe bet the new 100-400 will outperform the old model, and the 200-400 is out of my reach both in budget and bulk anyway. I'm hoping for the same sort of image quality improvement of the 70-200 f/2.8 IS Mk I vs MkII.

Note: I challenge you all not to have any more discussions about push/pull vs rotary zoom!!!  Let's wait and see what Canon comes up with...    

[mrsfotografie]

Holding back the 100-400 for the 200-400 1.4x doesn't really make sense to me because the latter is so much more expensive.... except if the new 100-400 costs 5000$ upwards. But then again it wouldn't really replace the old model. So something about this sounds fishy if you ask me.

It seems valid to me to first sort out production issues and satisfy customers that have ordered a lens that has been officially announced over putting effort into producing a lens that hasn't yet officially seen the light of day.

[Random Orbits]

I'm hoping for better IQ in a lighter package.  It will get the former, but the latter seems unlikely.  Can't wait for reviews of this lens to start dribbling out.  Hoping it will start shipping sooner rather than later, so that it might be on the rebate list that much sooner.   

[Aaron78]

I think there is confusion here, they way i understood the CR report is that they want to get a steady flow of 200-400 lens shipping before they start producing a new lens. I did not take that as them being worried that the 100-400 and 200-400 would be competing against each other for market share.

[dgatwood]

Note: I challenge you all not to have any more discussions about push/pull vs rotary zoom!!!

Oh, how much I like push/pull zooms... 

Burn the heretic! 

In all seriousness, if this were available today, I'd probably buy one for shooting the Papal blessing on our Europe trip next month.  It isn't, though, and I'm not about to buy the current-generation dust sucker, so I guess I'll just stick a TC on my 70-300L to make up for the loss of reach resulting from my FF upgrade.  *sigh*

[AlanF]

[/quote]

Burn the heretic! 

In all seriousness, if this were available today, I'd probably buy one for shooting the Papal blessing on our Europe trip next month.  It isn't, though, and I'm not about to buy the current-generation dust sucker, so I guess I'll just stick a TC on my 70-300L to make up for the loss of reach resulting from my FF upgrade.  *sigh*
[/quote]

It is not a "dust sucker". Many of us in the forum do actually use the old lens and know its strengths and weaknesses. Dust penetration is not generally a problem.