We have been told that Canon will introduce at least one inexpensive prime lens for the RF mount in 2020, and they could actually bring two. One of which would come later in 2020.
First up, an f/2.8 pancake is definitely in the works and should be announced sometime in the first half of 2020.
Secondly, the source claims that an RF 50mm f/1.8 has been shown on a roadmap which didn't include a date for an announcement.
I suspect that we'll definitely see at least one of these lenses this year.
Note: The image used for this post is the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 pancake.
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(and not to EF)
Why it might be a cheapo plastic fantastic:
But it will probably be the trolling me reason.
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You know it's gonna be a RF 50mm 1.4 IS USM just to troll you and everyone that really needs a good EF 50mm 1.4
I'm down with f/2 and keeping it small, but calling it L (of any sort) will doom this idea. L = $$$ and no one in their right mind will part with bigger dollars for an f/2 standard prime when heretofore EF had small, faster than f/2 lenses and both were under $500.
Love the idea personally, but the market will laugh and turn these into overpriced problem children, like the EF non-L 24/28/35 IS refreshes.
Now, yanking the L, I'd be down with a $500 'small line' of non-L RF primes, but haven't they somewhat already started that line with the RF 35 f/1.8 STM 1:2 Macro? Why not just make more of those to build a simple non-L prime roster of 24 / 35 / 50 / 85? (Bonus points if all of them are 1:2 macro)
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You can have RF 50 1.2L (but no IS) and/or RF 35 1.8 IS (but no 50mm).
So they may troll you. But just a little if that helps :ROFLMAO:
Agree with PBD. I personally love a compact FF setup with f/2 primes and f/4 zooms, but neither are considered premium and trying to do so will result in lower demand.
I just don't think that Canon wants to gamble on small and premium. They may leave that business to the two fixed lens premium FF offerings (Leica Q, Sony RX1R, etc.).
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As brilliant as the RF 50L is (tried one out with a CPS loaner), it's still a pickle jar. I'd prefer smaller and pitching whatever retrofocus paperweight nonsense is in there.
Lack of IS does not kill me so much as disappoint me, and we all presume that IBIS has to eventually surface on RF. As I've spec wishlisted before, I'd take a proper new optical design EF 50 f/1.4 sans IS if the AF was fire-and-forget money at f/1.4.
I don't need an L with this, I just a basically competent 50 prime that every other manufacturer offers -- focuses consistently and reliably and delivers useful content wider than f/2. No EF lens does that today. The RF does (and I would likely get one if I convert from EF), but I don't need face splitting sharpness and all that heft.
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If there will ever come a RF 35mm f1.4L. It is more likely a giant f1.2L even larger than the RF50L since those 35mm' always are bigger than the 50mm'. Many shake their heads in lack of understanding Canon's decision to create those very big lenses. But if you ever used the fine Zeiss Batis 2/40 you'd understand my intention. Canon needs such a lens... :)
100% yes an RF 35L will happen -- f/1.4 vs. f/1.2 remains to be seen. I'd be pretty surprised if Canon shot 1.2 all the way up and down the (not too long) prime spectrum. Some would get bonkers huge.
But I'd expect RF L lenses for what we have in EF, but surely they'll start with the staples:
There will be more lenses of course, but above are the staples one would expect.
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If consumers are choosing between the M series and R series bodes, anything that encourages conversion up to full frame creates some more opportunity for Canon in the long run for sales of other lenses - they just need something to get them into the ecosystem. I guess we'll see soon!