Another Mention of Big White Lens Revisions [CR1]

[Chaitanya]

I would like to see 500 f/5.6 & 400 f/4 IS L being added to lineup replacing the 300 f/4 IS L and 400 f/5.6 L. Both those lenses still sell lile hot cakes and are in need of replacement soon.

 

[dswtan]

Price (cost) reductions are what's needed on these lenses most of all!

 

[motofotog]

What's the news with the Canon 200-600 lens? are they planing to compete with Sigma/Tamron 150-600 or Nikon 200-500. If they think 100-400L II is the answer to those lens, then they are wrong.
I wish they get new Canon 500mm f5.6 L

 

[Mikehit]

What's the news with the Canon 200-600 lens? are they planing to compete with Sigma/Tamron 150-600 or Nikon 200-500. If they think 100-400L II is the answer to those lens, then they are wrong.
I wish they get new Canon 500mm f5.6 L

Why do you think the new 100-400 is not an answer to the Nikon 200-500? It is a superb lens and its sharpness allows you to crop significantly.
Regards the Sigma/Tamron a few reports say that they are both close to the Canon but drop off a bit above 400 and are arguably no better than the 100-400 cropped to the same FOV. The 100-400 is also considerably lighter.

I am not denying the value of a 500 f5.6, just you logic on criticising the 100-400.

 

[Rogerdodge]

Regards the Sigma/Tamron a few reports say that they are both close to the Canon but drop off a bit above 400

I had a tough choice between the 100-400 II, and the Sigma 150-600 Sport. The reach of the Sigma seduced me, and I have had no issues with sharpness at 600.

Roger

 

[motofotog]

Regards the Sigma/Tamron a few reports say that they are both close to the Canon but drop off a bit above 400

I had a tough choice between the 100-400 II, and the Sigma 150-600 Sport. The reach of the Sigma seduced me, and I have had no issues with sharpness at 600.

Roger

I tried my hands on Nikon 200-500 and its not comparable with the current 100-400L. Even I like the 100-400, but the reach the third party lens (Tamron/Sigma) have is what Canon is missing.

 

[Ekpil]

there is no need for a new 800mm F5,6

Please Canon build a 600mm F4,0 plus 1,4 Extender build in = 840mm F5,6

I love the 200-400mm + Ext it is perfect !! Please follow this way with integrated Extender.

 

[scyrene]

The current big whites are so good (at least the "ii" versions) that new versions seem not very urgent. They would be interesting if:

- they could cut the size/weight (with "do" versions) significantly.
- or even better add new features. Double extender versions (1.4x and 2.0x) switchable would almost make them zooms
- longer reach for the same size/weight would be great, if possible without big jumps in price. Why not 500 2.8 DO 1.4x/2.0x or 700 4.0 DO 1.4x with 5.0 kg .

I do not see anybody upgrading a 500mm 4.0 ii if there is 200g weight/5cm lenth saving and 0.3 stop IS improvment for 5000$ upgrade cost. For this the current versions are to good

And i think, even for well earning enthusiasts the current versions are painfully expensive, and from my country i am used to high prices. So in my opinion there is not so much room for price increases, i would like to know how many 17'000$ 800's nikon sold, at least i never saw one

It's worth remembering what DO does. It reduces the length, and consequently some of the weight, of a lens, but the front element is still the width it has to be for the maximum aperture. A 500mm f/2.8 DO would be rather wide (more than 178mm, second only to the 1200mm f/5.6) and front-heavy.

 

[rs]

I would like to see 500 f/5.6 & 400 f/4 IS L being added to lineup replacing the 300 f/4 IS L and 400 f/5.6 L. Both those lenses still sell lile hot cakes and are in need of replacement soon.

There is a 400/4 IS already:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-400mm-f-4.0-DO-IS-II-USM-Lens.aspx

 

[IglooEater]

It appears that Canon is trying to maximize profits in the face of plunging camera sales by focusing on the release of expensive L lenses. Others try to increase profits by releasing expensive cameras (e.g., Nikon's multiple FF models, Sony's recent A6500 & A7 series, Olympus OMD-EM1 II, Panasonic GH5 etc).

Just a neutral observation

That would correlate with their "glass first" tag line I guess.

 

[Steve Balcombe]

there is no need for a new 800mm F5,6

Please Canon build a 600mm F4,0 plus 1,4 Extender build in = 840mm F5,6

Or even better, a 600/4 DO 1.4x. The last big white you'll ever need to buy.

 

[Vern]

there is no need for a new 800mm F5,6

Please Canon build a 600mm F4,0 plus 1,4 Extender build in = 840mm F5,6

I love the 200-400mm + Ext it is perfect !! Please follow this way with integrated Extender.

+1, an integral extender is enough innovation to encourage me to upgrade. I was especially interested in the rumor (patent reported here?) for the 400 2.8 DO + 1.4 and 1.7 integral TC's. Yes, it would still be big, heavy and expensive, but it would provide an amazing wildlife (non-avian) lens. A 600 4.0 DO w similar extenders would cover the avian space.

I could see a 600 f5.6 DO being a great option for avian pics on cropped sensors too. That would be light enough to differentiate from the f4.0.

 

[Chaitanya]

I would like to see 500 f/5.6 & 400 f/4 IS L being added to lineup replacing the 300 f/4 IS L and 400 f/5.6 L. Both those lenses still sell like hot cakes and are in need of replacement soon.

There is a 400/4 IS already:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-400mm-f-4.0-DO-IS-II-USM-Lens.aspx

Thats a DO lens, and its too expensive for its performance and at the price you are better off with 300mm f/2.8 + 1.4x TC. Since the advent of the 150-600mm lenses from Sigma and Tamron , that 400mm f/5.6L is the most dumped lens on used market and it can be found for around 45000Rs(~660$). I just hope we get update to those two old L lenses sooner.

 

[Maiaibing]

I just got my 200 F2 IS about 8 months ago. IQ it's top notch... but compared to the 300 2.8 II the 200 F2 could improve "slightly" in the corners. It already has a 4 stop IS but adding a mode 3 could help. THEN I bet the most they could improve is about .4lbs lighter.

Yes, it is slight, but there is room for improvement. I have been ssooooo close to buying this lens so many times but always held back at the end. Maybe because I could never get over that the old 200mm f/1.8 just had a little better IQ (which I believe is due to its lead-based elements).

In the end it'll be another $6,000 lens and I paid 4k for mine and there is nothing wrong with it. I will not upgrade my 200 any time soon.

I'd be very surprised if a newbie is worth the upgrade price. I took the 200mm f/2.0 for a run this December with the 5DIV and the results were simply great. Handling is also much better than the old model.

 

[NancyP]

400 f/5.6L no-IS is a specialty lens, still useful for hand-held bird-in-flight freehand panning photos. At 1.1 kg it is light and easy to hold, but one does need a lot of practice to get consistently good BIF photos. I can hand-hold it for 1/500 and faster photos, 1/100 with monopod or convenient improvised support, given burst mode on an APS-C camera.

I have had a lot of fun with this lens, for not much money.

 

[haggie]

Hi NancyP, good to read that you get great results with the EF 400mm f/5.6L without IS.

But as you write, it requires a lot of practice to achieve repeatable results. I understand that weight is a deciding factor for panning with BIF, in particular the smaller birds (as I know from many failures).

But would the addition of the IS really add so much weight to the existing 400mm f/5.6L?

Having some feeling for Canon's pricing strategy, I expect it would probably increase the price a lot. And thus make it less achievable for many 'mortals'. But purely from the point of useability of the lens I think IS would hardly increase the wight but massively increase the number of keepers.
What do you think?

 

[KiagiJ]

I don't think the 200 f2 can be improved much right now. My baby! is 9lbs and after a few minutes it's getting a lil tiring Even if they take 1lb off guess what, it'll be 8lbs and still tiring. The image is amazing, the stabilization is amazing at 5 stops to 1/8th second handheld for me, that can't be bettered right now so

 

[RGF]

The 600/4 DO is surely a go and there are plenty of other patents suggesting others as well (like 500/4 500/5.6 800/5.6 etc.) who knows which will make it into production.

A 600 DO with builtin 1.4 or between yet 1.2 and 1.4 which could be independently selected or selected together to give 1.7 would be a winner (as long as IQ similar to the current 300 DO II)

 

[Talley]

I don't think the 200 f2 can be improved much right now. My baby! is 9lbs and after a few minutes it's getting a lil tiring Even if they take 1lb off guess what, it'll be 8lbs and still tiring. The image is amazing, the stabilization is amazing at 5 stops to 1/8th second handheld for me, that can't be bettered right now so

aww... I have twins... big baby and a little baby

 

[KiagiJ]