Which Canon lens is most in need of updating.

Jun 12, 2015
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The lens I hope the most of, for a soon upgrade, is the 50L. The current is very good in terms of bokeh, and I appreciate the size and weather sealing. However, I wish it focused faster, more precise, and without focus shift when stopping down. It needs to be a little sharper wide open as well. It is too soft wide open, especially with the 5Ds.

Second I hope for a new 85 f1.8 with IS. Third, a 50 f1.4 with IS, with better focusing, better build, and better wide open performance.
 
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H. Jones

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Writing this list made me realize that Canon has really done a great job updating their most important lenses recently.

[list type=decimal]
[*]1: 85mm F/1.2L: I've been interested in buying one for portraits but I can imagine it would be so much better for my uses with BR, weather sealing, and faster autofocus. I'd (somehow) accept bigger size if AF could improve to sports-shooting levels.
[*]2: 50mm f/1.2L: Similar to the 85mm F/1.2L, but I rented one once and really enjoyed the tiny size for such a bright lens. Definitely could improve with BR and finding a way to cope with the focus shift.
[*]3: 28-300mm L: I don't have interest in the current version of this lens, but if Canon could surprise us with a really great upgrade, I'd be in.
[/list]
 
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May 4, 2011
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50 1.4 is numero uno, of course. Doubly so if the replacement has IS...but if it doesn't I'll understand.

The 28-300 would be my 2nd choice. Now that the 24-105 and 70-300 have been updated, the 28-300 could use a refresh as well.


Then, #3 would be perhaps the 1.2 version of the 50...I'd love to see what is effectively a Canon version of the Sigma 50 Art.
 
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All of canon's latest releases have knocked potentials off the list. 16-35 2.8? Check 100-400? Check 35 1.4? Check 400 do? Check
That leaves the most-favoured pick of the 50mm 1.4
The others imo would be:
50mm 1.2
85mm 1.2
28-300
I'd include the two longer TS-E's but personally view them as somewhat of a specialty, especially in these days of high res and post processing correction. Is ts-e better? Of course, but not many of us could tell the difference.

A couple holes they could fill would be:
Coma-free FullFrame UWA 24mm 1.4 or 14mm 2.8 (depending on the new 16-35's performance)
Fast UWA for crop
50mm f/1.whatever IS with ring type USM
Budget supertelephoto [zoom] ~600mm
 
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unfocused

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I'm an outlier. Don't care about either 50mm or 85mm lenses.

I'm interested in improvements rather than updates of these three:

15 - 85mm efs to f4 non-variable aperture and maybe an extra mm or two
At the wide end and an extra 10-15 mm at the long end.

300mm f4 with improved IS and other updates.

400 mm f5.6 moved to 500mm with IS.
 
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The 14 mm make it coma free and sharper at edges wide open, and make the wide open f 2.2 or 2.4. The larger aperture would allow exposures without star tracking.

400L 5.6 gets IS or better yet 400 moves to 500mm with IS.

28-300mmL gets sharpened and modern IS.

Make an extender that's compatible with more lenses like the 28-300 or make the lens compatible with current lenses.
 
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YuengLinger

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Larsskv said:
The lens I hope the most of, for a soon upgrade, is the 50L. The current is very good in terms of bokeh, and I appreciate the size and weather sealing. However, I wish it focused faster, more precise, and without focus shift when stopping down. It needs to be a little sharper wide open as well. It is too soft wide open, especially with the 5Ds.

+ 1023

Make a 150mm Macro 2.8 IS rather than updating the 180mm Macro

70-200mm f/4 IS gets latest IS
 
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H. Jones said:
Writing this list made me realize that Canon has really done a great job updating their most important lenses recently.

[list type=decimal]
[*]1: 85mm F/1.2L: I've been interested in buying one for portraits but I can imagine it would be so much better for my uses with BR, weather sealing, and faster autofocus. I'd (somehow) accept bigger size if AF could improve to sports-shooting levels.
[*]2: 50mm f/1.2L: Similar to the 85mm F/1.2L, but I rented one once and really enjoyed the tiny size for such a bright lens. Definitely could improve with BR and finding a way to cope with the focus shift.
[*]3: 28-300mm L: I don't have interest in the current version of this lens, but if Canon could surprise us with a really great upgrade, I'd be in.
[/list]

Have you used the Tamrom 28-300 at all? It's no L glass, but I was pleasantly surprised for what it is.
 
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neuroanatomist said:
Which three do I think 'most people' want updated?
1. EF 50mm f/1.4
2. EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8
3. EF 85mm f/1.8

Those are my three. I'd love a better 50/1.4 but not as big as Sigma's 50 Art.

The 17-55/2.8 should be an L-quality lens, as good as the 24-70/2.8L II, not the creaky current version. It does not need image stabilization. The IS on mine failed much too soon. It needs reliability.

The 85/1.8 should be better wide open. And with IS it would be a dream.
 
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