Another Mention of a New EF 70-200mm Lens [CR2]

[ahsanford]

While the current model is excellent, there is some room for improvement. Sun stars are really not nice with this lens and flare control isn't in the same league as the 70-300 LIS. It's also heavier than earlier models...and the coatings are quite old. It was launched just before the newer Flourine and SWC coatings became available.
The 100-400 LIS II set a new standard for IS smoothness and it's the only lens I've used where the viewfinder is completely wobble free when shaking the lens...it's really quite something. So I'm guessing the IS system could do with an upgrade.

And GMC is fond of his sunstars, I can attest. This is no less than the fourth time I recall you bring that up.

And you bring up a great point -- I keep forgetting what a wonderful landscape tool these 70-200s are.

- A

 

[tron]

...
Everyone's a comedian.

Like this rumor (as well as the new 300 f/2.8 one...)

We presently have a staple tool of a 50mm f/1.4 that dates back to the earliest parts of the Clinton administration and here goes Canon, updating its f/2.8 zooms every 8-10 years with the regularity of Old
Give me a damn sharp 50 prime with modern USM that is smaller than a pickle jar. Take my money.

- A
Faithful.

On that you are correct...

 

[Jopa]

Slightly off topic... Does anyone have an AF consistency problem with the 70-200 II on the 5dsr? Mine is very inconsistent on the 5dsr (the only inconsistent lens), but dead accurate on the 1dx2. Not sure what to do...

 

[pokerz]

DPAF is Canon's Future, please make it 70200 STM

 

[Boyer U. Klum-Cey]

Since everyone's a comedian: "Take my 24-70 F4L(IS) PLEASE!".(rimshot)

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

DPAF is Canon's Future, please make it 70200 STM

There is nothing wrong with the AF system in the L lenses, STM is for cheaper entry level lenses and saves money over putting a fast AF system in a lens.

It would make little sense to make a lens with a slower AF system in a "L" lens and raise the price too.

 

[ahsanford]

DPAF is Canon's Future, please make it 70200 STM

Just like every sports and event photographer wants slower AF to make things more challenging.

- A

 

[pwp]

I'm gobsmacked on an almost daily basis with the quality of the output from the 70-200 f/2.8isII whether it's on 1D MkIV, 5DIII or 7DII. This lens is hardly in need of an upgrade. The only thing I could hope for would be a weight-loss program with zero performance loss. I wouldn't expect a 70-200 f/2.8is III for years....

-pw

 

[Sabaki]

Let's play devil's advocate here quickly and be hyper critical of the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS mkii

* Sunstars not as good as say, the 16-35 f/2.8mkii
* Bokeh on the original is said to be more pleasing to the eye
* Weight for those shooting 8 hour events
* That 'pop' of the 24-70 f/2.8 L mkii & 35mm L mkii
* Is the f/4.0 L IS version a tad sharper?

I'm being a bit silly with the above but let's say the above is perfected on the new version, how good wouldn't it be?

 

[TeT]

MII really needed to be larger than 77mm. I forget the post but somebody did the math and figured it needed 82mm to take full advantage of its awesomeness.

So there is room for some improvement in there... Should be interesting.

 

[Maximilian]

Interesting news!

Regarding the image and built quality of both 70-200 IS lenses I wasn't expecting any of those two to be replaced before - say - 2020.
And even with the latest releases from Nikon and Sony I wouldn't call those a thread to the f/2.8 lens but just a step to catch up.

Of course, If you want to stay ahead and if you want to deliver the very latest technology to the pros with one of their main workhorses I can understand that move from Canon.
But let's see if there will be a 2017 or 2018 announcement of either of those.

 

[ahsanford]

Sorry to be a broken record, but rev'ing the design of the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II -- an absolute supercar of a lens, even in 2016 -- instead of other lenses is maddening.

Consider just a few nontrivial unmet needs at present:

• The sharpest 50mm prime Canon sells is a $125 focus-by-wire / external focusing / STM lens intended for beginners. (Hint: that was not a compliment.)
  
  
• The only way you can shoot longer than 400mm with Canon is to use a teleconverter or pay $9,000+ for a superwhite. Canon folks would give their left nut for a first-party zoom that goes to 600mm.
  
  
• Canon does not presently sell a lens for the astro crowd that is simultaneously ultrawide + fast + coma free. (You usually only get two out of three of those things.)

And those are just the ones I thought of in this moment. I'm sure there are other areas more in need of attention.

I love Canon, I recognize we are spoiled rotten with the lenses we already have, etc. I just wish Canon took a pause from refreshing the staple pro tools every 8-10 years and threw us a bone.

...shaped like a 50mm prime.

...with USM.

...and not too big.

- A

 

[Ryananthony]

Sorry to be a broken record, but rev'ing the design of the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II -- an absolute supercar of a lens, even in 2016 -- instead of other lenses is maddening.

Consider just a few nontrivial unmet needs at present:

• The sharpest 50mm prime Canon sells is a $125 focus-by-wire / external focusing / STM lens intended for beginners. (Hint: that was not a compliment.)
  
  
• The only way you can shoot longer than 400mm with Canon is to use a teleconverter or pay $9,000+ for a superwhite. Canon folks would give their left nut for a first-party zoom that goes to 600mm.
  
  
• Canon does not presently sell a lens for the astro crowd that is simultaneously ultrawide + fast + coma free. (You usually only get two out of three of those things.)

And those are just the ones I thought of in this moment. I'm sure there are other areas more in need of attention.

I love Canon, I recognize we are spoiled rotten with the lenses we already have, etc. I just wish Canon took a pause from refreshing the staple pro tools every 8-10 years and threw us a bone.

...shaped like a 50mm prime.

...with USM.

...and not too big.

- A

You are not the only person who thinks like that.

 

[Joakim]

I'm gobsmacked on an almost daily basis with the quality of the output from the 70-200 f/2.8isII whether it's on 1D MkIV, 5DIII or 7DII. This lens is hardly in need of an upgrade. The only thing I could hope for would be a weight-loss program with zero performance loss. I wouldn't expect a 70-200 f/2.8is III for years....

-pw

Agreed.

The 70-200 F2.8 IS II is an incredible lens. Mine consistently delivers better results than my 300 F2.8 IS II, even with an 1,4x extender on, to the point where i rarely take my 300 out any more.

(I have had the 300 for a year now and have not gotten a single satisfactory photo from it. In the beginning i chalked it up to inexperience with such focal lengths but i am starting to believe there is something wrong with the lens)

 

[Maximilian]

Sorry to be a broken record, but ... is maddening.
...

It is not maddening because it is a cash cow and a tech lighthouse product for Canon.

But you are right. They could find more interesting topics for the masses, not able nor willing to spend more than 1k on a piece of glass, let alone 2 or 3k.

 

[Maiaibing]

Just looking at DXO [throw up in mouth noise] as they are one of the very few places that tests lenses on the 22, 30 and 50 MP format, and strictly from a resolution perspective, they peg the 70-200 F/2.8L IS II as:

5D3: 21 P-Mpix (out of a max possible 22)
5D4: 26 out of 30
5DS R: 33 out of 50

So, in that light, there is room to improve. On my 5D3, as I said before, I'm hard pressed to want more sharpness. Perhaps if I made the jump to 50 MP I'd see more room for improvement, but that is quite literally splitting pixels at that point.

- A

Using a 5DS/R I can attest there is actually room for improvement.

However, I can also safely say there are quite a lot of other lenses that need it even more.

I believe that this lens is a high earner for Canon and it makes sense to upgrade to revive the 2.500$ price level for a while and sell the new version to people like me who will find it hard to resist simply because we use this lens a lot.

 

[midluk]

I guess something is preventing them from a continued production of the mk2 version (part availability, wear of the tooling, etc) and instead of a substantial new invenstment into the old lens they designed a completely new version.

 

[jolyonralph]

• The sharpest 50mm prime Canon sells is a $125 focus-by-wire / external focusing / STM lens intended for beginners. (Hint: that was not a compliment.)

Actually, the sharpest 50mm prime Canon sells is the 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro, a design that dates back to 1987. This isn't a compliment either (although it still remains a good lens albeit with ancient autofocus technology.)[/list]

 

[MintChocs]

When I first saw this article "bummer" as I just bought a new 70-200 mkii. Then sanity came back in as any new version would make my eyes bulge when seeing the price tag.

 

[SteveM]

The current mkll version is so good (I shoot it wide open for weddings and it is so sharp) why would I want to spend probably £2500 replacing it?