The Next Lens from Canon Will be an EF-S Prime

[Maximilian]

...
What focal length of EF-S prime would you be interested in?

Something wider than the EF-S 24 pancake.

I don't know if any longer focal length would have an advantage in beeing an EF-S.

 

[TeT]

EF-S 8mm or 10mm, I would PAY for that.

 

[ahsanford]

...
What focal length of EF-S prime would you be interested in?

Something wider than the EF-S 24 pancake.

I don't know if any longer focal length would have an advantage in beeing an EF-S.

Purpose-built lenses for crop -- even if they overlap with what a FF lens could do -- will always have the advantage of being smaller diametrically, i.e. an EF-S 85mm prime to simulate an 136mm FF prime doesn't need to cover an FF image circle and therefore should be smaller/lighter, even if made from the same materials as the FF lens.

Canon doesn't offer such EF-S primes for a host of reasons, though. That's why this announcement is a little surprising. Why is Canon doing a positive thing for the EF-S brand now after neglecting it for so long?

- A

 

[AvTvM]

EF-S 85mm f/2.4 IS STM. Just to piss off AvTvM.

Seriously, I think an 85mm APS-C lens is a possibility (likely f/2.8, but maybe f/2). It's at the edge of a focal length that will benefit from the smaller image circle, and the current 85/1.8 is 'old' while the 85L is expensive, so an APS-C short tele prime may have a decent market.

LOL. ;D
I would possibly buy it anyways if it were compact and focuses reasonably well with EF-M adapter.

 

[mrzero]

An EF-S 12 or 14mm, ideally at f/2.8, with autofocus would be great if it was reasonably priced. Anything from 17mm or wider would be good. When I started on crop, I relied heavily on the 20mm/2.8 for indoor shots, and frequently wished for a wider option.

 

[Sharlin]

Canon's EF-S strategy has been pretty consistently creating FoV equivalents to existing EF lenses where there's no "good enough" EF alternative already available.

Let's see what the situation is regarding primes:

EF	Eqv. ƒ	Crop alternative
14mm ƒ/2.8L	9mm	None
20mm ƒ/2.8L	12mm	None
24mm ƒ/2.8, 24mm ƒ/1.4L	15mm	None (unless you count the 14mm/2.8L!)
28mm ƒ/2.8	18mm	None
35mm ƒ/2.0	22mm	None (unless you count the 24mm/1.4L!)
40mm ƒ/2.8	24mm	EF-S 24mm ƒ/2.8
50mm ƒ/1.8	30mm	EF 35mm ƒ/2.0 (but current IS version is not cheap!) EF 28mm ƒ/1.8 (old, not cheap, optically not awesome)
85mm ƒ/1.8	50mm	EF 50mm ƒ/1.8 nifty-fifty
100mm ƒ/2.8 MACRO	60mm	EF-S 60mm ƒ/2.8 MACRO
135mm ƒ/2L	85mm	EF 85mm ƒ/1.8

Longer than that, there's practically no advantage in special EF-S glass anymore, it's going to be expensive no matter the size of the image circle.

There's a distinct lack of alternatives for wideangle primes which might tell us something. WA is also the FL region where the smaller image circle matters the most.

 

[AvTvM]

you forgot the EF-S 24mm/2.8

 

[PeterT]

Interesting move, which can hopefully give us the first real Canon EF-S prime (no specialty lens, no low-cost pancake) after more than 16 years of Canon ASP-C DSLRs existence.

I really miss the classic focal lengths combined with apertures usual for modern primes (2.8 is a good maximum aperture for a zoom, not for a prime) and size kept as small as possible thanks to the smaller image circle.
So my wish-list is quite long and I sorted it on how much I wish each lens to happen:
EF-S 22mm f/1.8 or at least f/2, IS would be great
EF-S 15mm f/2 or at least f/2.4
EF-S 56mm f/1.8 IS
EF-S 85mm f/2 IS

But I am afraid that those commenters that expect a 30 to 35mm one may be right... Maybe Cannon wants to release a new lens in the least needed interval of FLs (the EF 35mm F/2 IS is good and small enough) and sending again the message saying: "You want real primes? Go FF!" (as it did with every new EF-S lens in the past).

 

[GDPhoto]

I'd love to see something WIDE. As mentioned above, an 8mm or 10mm would be fantastic! I know we all want beautiful portrait lenses that flatter our subjects as well as the compression longer lenses to isolate subjects ...... but getting in close with a wide lens is where the party is! Wisely used, it produces oodles of character.

 

[ritholtz]

Interesting move, which can hopefully give us the first real Canon EF-S prime (no specialty lens, no low-cost pancake) after more than 16 years of Canon ASP-C DSLRs existence.

I really miss the classic focal lengths combined with apertures usual for modern primes (2.8 is a good maximum aperture for a zoom, not for a prime) and size kept as small as possible thanks to the smaller image circle.
So my wish-list is quite long and I sorted it on how much I wish each lens to happen:
EF-S 22mm f/1.8 or at least f/2, IS would be great
EF-S 15mm f/2 or at least f/2.4
EF-S 56mm f/1.8 IS
EF-S 85mm f/2 IS

But I am afraid that those commenters that expect a 30 to 35mm one may be right... Maybe Cannon wants to release a new lens in the least needed interval of FLs (the EF 35mm F/2 IS is good and small enough) and sending again the message saying: "You want real primes? Go FF!" (as it did with every new EF-S lens in the past).

Most probably very small lens to complement M users as well. There was a talk about Canon moving 15-45mm kit lens from 18-55mm kit lenses. What happened to this?

 

[Tanispyre]

I would like it to be a 55mm F-1.2 EF-S. There really isn't a good crop sensor equivalent to a portrait lens.

 

[ahsanford]

I would like it to be a 55mm F-1.2 EF-S. There really isn't a good crop sensor equivalent to a portrait lens.

Fuji makes one -- 56mm f/1.2 -- but they don't have a professional FF platform they are trying to sell you instead like Canon does. :

I peg a very low chance for this new EF-S prime to be an L-equivalent-ish large aperture tool.

- A

 

[ExodistPhotography]

It could very well be a 30mm.
I am not saying it is not a 22mm. Canon did in fact release the EF 24mm, 28mm and 35mm IS USM lenses in 2012 back to back.. But those are full frame. 30mm is more likely tho becuase its more of a 48mm equivalent and Canon does need to fill that gap between the 24 f/2.8 and 40mm f/2.8 STM. Yea the 40mm is FF, but its still a budget STM lens. Canon is not going to make another 50mm since the STM fills that budget line already and is a fantastic lens.
Now could it be wider? Very likely could also be a 20mm. Then again they may even go super wide and release a 8mm linear fisheye.. Would that not be cool.. But.. in reality. Its likely a 30mm to compete with Sigmas junk..

 

[ExodistPhotography]

I would like it to be a 55mm F-1.2 EF-S. There really isn't a good crop sensor equivalent to a portrait lens.

Fuji makes one -- 56mm f/1.2 -- but they don't have a professional FF platform they are trying to sell you instead like Canon does. :

I peg a very low chance for this new EF-S prime to be an L-equivalent-ish large aperture tool.

- A

Agreed...

I would have to say tho I would be ecstatic if they tricked us all and released something like a 90mm STM or Nano USM f/2 lens with IS..

 

[asl]

a good 15-16 mm maybe.

 

[slclick]

A couple things which help drive my 2nd body choices to the M5 and 80D over a 6D1/2 are the pancakes (sure, I mean the ef-s 24 since I already have the 40) and the possibility of new great crop primes. Especially an 8, 10 or 12mm ef-s lens.

 

[jolyonralph]

It'll either be a 16mm f/2.8 or a 35mm f/1.8

There's very little point in them doing anything else as it'll either be too specialist or too much of an overlap with other lenses.

 

[Gnocchi]

I think it will be a replacement for the efs 60mm macro.

 

[DaveN]

I'd love a 15 f/2.8 STM (24mm equiv.), no IS, priced under $300, with solid sharpness and distortion control. Perfect for wide-scene video and landscape stills. Canon would sell a ton of them.

 

[justawriter]

Wonder if this is a reflection of increasing interest in the 7D MII from higher level photographers who are the ones most likely to buy a bag full of lenses. If so, there could be more such announcements coming.