IS Versions of the 50mm, 85mm & 135mm Coming? [CR1]

[Canon Rumors]

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More Non L IS Lenses

We’ve been told that Canon will announce at least 2 new non-L IS prime lenses in 2014. The two you can bank on are a 50mm f/1.8 IS and an 85mm f/2 IS (the source wasn’t totally sure on the aperture, but did say it would be slower than the current f/1.8). Both lenses should be announced some time in the first half of 2014. The replacement to the 50 was originally slated to come in 2013, but fell into the status of delayed like a bunch of other Canon lenses.

The other lens that was mentioned was an IS version of a 135mm lens. It was unknown whether or not the lens would be an “L”.

More to come…

cr

[cellomaster27]

Yessssss!!! Question is when in 2014 and how much.. Haha

[Dylan777]

Count me in for 135L IS 

Then I saw it's CR1 -- 

[dkyeah]

Finally a 50mm with a decent AF system?
The 135mm f/2 L IS would be lovely for weddings!

[Ruined]

I will buy all of these, I was very satisfied with the 24mm f/2.8 IS, 28mm f/2.8 IS, 35mm F/2 IS.  Of those three, I kept the first and the third for their focal lengths. The 28mm did not offer the drama of 24mm nor the faster aperature of the 35mm, which is likely why its priced a bit cheaper.

The image stabilization plus fast apertures is a great combo... My lens strategy lately has been basically to buy these new IS primes and only go to L glass for zooms and the 100 macro.  I don't think the value add is there with the current L lineup in primes, as these new IS lenses are so darn good and in some aspects better for 1/3 the price.  Yeah, you might not get the super slim DOF of the 85mm f/1.2 compared to 1.8/2, but how often is such a slim DOF really used anyway unless you have some special scenario?  Instead, you get IS, faster focusing, less weight, smaller size which I think are more practical in general.

[John]

count me in for the 85 and 135 with IS. that would be awesome. if have both those lenses and like them a lot. IS will only make them better.

[mackguyver]

Count me in for 135L IS 

+1

[Twostones]

I would buy these too.  I hope Canon found it in their, and our, best interest to put a rubber O-ring seal on the mount.  It would be a simple thing to do and would add to the popularity of the brand name.  Why Canon overlooks this simple modification on all lenses puzzles me.

[ahsanford]

Ah, a brand new "non-L IS refresh" rumor!  This is so new!   

The 50 and 85 refreshes with IS like the 24/28/35 are hammerlock certainties occur.  The questions, as always, are (a) when will we see it, and (b) will they choose to go with slower apertures than the originals?

But get fired up for these.  I have the 28 IS and it is fantastic.  Expect:

• Fast / accurate / modern USM AF (the current 50 F/1.4 lacks this and is slow to hunt for focus)
• Sharpness on par with the corresponding L at same apertures (hell the 50 F/1.4 beats the F/1.2L already after F/2.8 or so)
• Internal focusing
• Relatively small, lightweight -- for me, this is vital.
• 100L quality build (minus weathersealing)

...and hopefully, Canon will learn from its overpricing of the 24/28/35 IS lenses and just come to market with the right price.  I previously said I would gladly pay $799 for all of the above in a 50mm lens.  But the market performance of the 24/28/35 puts these lenses in the $500-600 range.

The 85 update is not truly needed unless you are a completist and believe 'the whole line needs to be refreshed', all the lenses need to look the same in a brochure, etc. (i.e. you are in Canon's marketing group or you are a lens collector.)  The current 85mm F/1.8 is quite possibly the greatest bang for buck lens that Canon currently sells.  It's a stellar lens for the dollar, even 15-20 years after its release:  http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/419-canon_85_18_5d?start=1

The 135L is a special lens that I don't think will be lumped in with a 50/85 refresh (keep in mind that there also is a 100m F/2 USM that no one talks about, also in need of a refresh).  I see the 135L being a very serious piece of kit that will get its own fanfare when it is released.

Canon, give me my new 50!  (Or Sigma will beat you to it.  They will 'Art' the crap out of this focal length, and soon.)

- A

[thedman]

If the "Year of the Lens" turns out to be just slapping IS on some existing lenses, I will be highly disappointed.

[ahsanford]

I would buy these too.  I hope Canon found it in their, and our, best interest to put a rubber O-ring seal on the mount.  It would be a simple thing to do and would add to the popularity of the brand name.  Why Canon overlooks this simple modification on all lenses puzzles me.

If weathersealing was as simple as this, all the third party lens makers would be doing it.

The rubber gasket is a bit of a placebo for weathersealing.  It's important, but it's only a portion of the sealing a lens needs to be protected from dust, sand and water.  A good primer on that is here:  http://www.thephoblographer.com/2013/02/14/how-a-lens-becomes-weather-sealed/

A guy was selling a kit to gasket-ize any EF lens for something modest, like $25, on Kickstarter, but it seems to have died despite hitting its target:  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/77243737/dust-donuttm-add-a-weather-seal-to-the-mount-of-an/

I'm off-topic, sorry, but I thought I'd pass that on.

- A

[traveller]

The 135L is a special lens that I don't think will be lumped in with a 50/85 refresh (keep in mind that there also is a 100m F/2 USM that no one talks about, also in need of a refresh).  I see the 135L being a very serious piece of kit that will get its own fanfare when it is released.

The 135mm f/2L is indeed a cut above the non-L primes mentioned; despite the lower price (bonus!), I would place it into a group with the 50mm and the 85mm  f/1.2L. What might be interesting would be a lightweight and lower cost 135mm f/2.8 IS. Judging by the price of the 24mm, 28mm and 35mm refreshes, it might hardly be worth it given the current price of the 135 f/2L, unless IS was really important to your shooting (video?).

[ahsanford]

If the "Year of the Lens" turns out to be just slapping IS on some existing lenses, I will be highly disappointed.

Again, see my last post.  These will be night and day better lenses than their predecessors.  It might not be the 14-24L, 35L II, or 100-400L II that everyone screams about in these forums, but these lenses are a killer option, and in the 50mm length in particular, address a comically unmet need for photographers. 

The 50 prime is perhaps the most embarrassing hole in Canon's lens lineup.  I am an amateur, but I see many pros with the old 50 F/1.4 on their rigs because the F/1.2 is a specialist arty / wide aperture tool.  The L is great at what it does, but overall sharpness and accurate focusing are lacking.

Consider why such guys are using a functional but dated & limited design (from 20 years ago!):  there still does not exist a 50mm lens that can do all of these things:

• Fast, accurate AF
• F/2 or faster
• Internal focusing
• IS
• A modern, well-built lens -- no major quality issues or wild copy to copy variation
• At least as sharp as the current 50mm F/1.4

That's the lens I'm waiting for, and I'm certainly not alone.  I think it's coming in the next year in this non-L IS refresh.

- A

[Drizzt321]

*sigh* Ok, new lenses, probably better optical IQ than their previous, with IS (yay?), more expensive and a lot slower. Yes, I said it, f/2.8 is slow. For a good quality prime that is. For a zoom, yea, that's pretty fast. But for the 85mm going from f/1.8 to f/2.8? Ugh. IS is great and all, but it does NOT help when you need faster shutter speeds to freeze subject motion in low light when you are already up to ISO 3200+.

Although I'd definitely take a 135L f/2 IS. That'd be rockin', even if all it is is the exact same optical quality with IS, and another $500 on top of the current retail. Improve the optical quality, and bonus!

[drjlo]

50 f/1.4 IS would be the thing that (again) separates Canon from the rest.  At least I hope the rumored 50 f/1.8 IS is more than decently sharp wide open. 

85L IS or 135L IS, yes those would be automatic buys