As many as 7 new RF lenses coming in 2019 [CR2]

WRT the Sony RX10-IV, yes it has deficiencies. I only use the electronic viewfinder and find the contrast too low and hummingbirds flutter rather than fly, but the spin dial exposure adjustment is nice in this viewfinder as you can see the brightness change as you spin it.. I did purchase an extra battery and a separate battery charger. I set it to 30 fps on my first outing and had half a battery charge remaining after exposing 1800 images. Now I shoot at 10 fps and the battery is not as good as in the DSLRs. The resolution of the Zeiss lens is not as good as with the Sigma and Canon lenses I have used (but likely adequate for the 20 MP on a 1-inch sensor). However, when shooting wildlife the limiting factor is the subject, not the lens. Not studio photography. All the fancy gear in the world won't help if you can't find the subject being sought. And if the subject is unpredictable and "flighty", luck may supersede many camera features.

For example, last Summer I heard a certain bird, but to get close enough for photos, I had to negotiate a steep slope of loose dirt and gravel. I knew the heavy gear would be able to take better photos, but I took the Sony instead because of the terrain. I have taken razor sharp images of very speedy Kinglets with the Sony. The silent shutter helps. It has a 600-page manual just for an English-only version. You have to study and fiddle in order to get the most out of this camera. If the next version is as big of a jump in features as this one is over the III version, I know I'll buy it and find it even more of a substitute over the big, heavy gear.

I just think that Canon has foundered in recent times. I think the mirrorless camera bodies announced along with the suggested lenses will be competing with smartphones in the future and they will lose. Google's Night Sight, for example, may be better at shooting Owls than any current DSLR. However, a mirrorless upgrade of the 7D II will not be competing with smartphones. But I'd want lenses for such a body designed for it, not restricted by adapters.
 
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rom

EOS R
Feb 2, 2018
12
24
Denmark
It's not an upgrade over a 5DIV. The R is an upgrade from a 6DII.
Maybe not if you only read reviews. But selling my 5d Iv for the eos r was a really good decision. The eos r is a much more modern digital camera. Almost no leftover from old limitations. Like mirror and control dials and separate focus sensor. You get an integrated experience with one focus system and universal control dials. For me the eos r is so much better and more convenient to take with you. And canon did this in a beautiful design.
 
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An adapter isn't possible from RF to EF.
This isn’t entirely true, an adapter without optics isn’t possible, but the optics may be tough to squeeze in, and may need to be lens specific.

What we have not yet seen is third party lenses for R. And all the new ’Rs are looking like expensive,if good lenses.
 
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Most of these lenses are duplicates/variations of EF lenses. Right now, Canon appears to be creating a parallel universe for its RF system. Signs point to Canon positioning itself for success regardless of which way the market ultimately goes. The big hole in the system, however, remains the lack of an adapter that will allow customers to use RF lenses on EF mount cameras. Absent that, it will be very hard to convert many users to the new system.

absolutely not. so far the R lenses released have completely new design not a EF with spacer attached. infact this is what Sony did with GM lenses. take a look at 24-70 GM, 85 1.4 GM... all have complementary spacer welded at the back of the lens
 
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Aren't the new Canon 300mm f/2.8 III and the Canon 500mm f/2.8 III being released in 2019?

--

And while they're at it, Canon might as well release an RF-mount 800 mm and 1200 mm for the pro wildlife and special observation still photo markets! When you start spending $6000+ US for a lens you might as well go for the biggest L-series you can for those can't-get-any-other-way shots which will hopefully earn you that coveted Photograph-of-the-Year award in your specialty!

It's foregone conclusion that Canon will be releasing some SWEET L-series RF lenses first since THEY NEED to back them up later on with a true pro body which ABSOLUTELY WILL consist of a super-low-light sensitive 30 to 50 megapixel sensor in a Full Frame camera body! The other competitors are ALREADY on the way! Canon DOES NOT have much time on this!

Equivalent to Sony A7s2 and BETTER low light gathering ability in an RF-mount body with PRO stills and video features IS NOW UTTERLY REQUIRED of Canon!
It had BETTER BE 30 megapixels at least and 50 megapixels preferably WITH 60 fps 4k video and at least 30 fps 8K video!
.
 
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If you are referring to adapting RF lenses for existing Canon DSLRs, I am not an engineer. I would never presume to know how to design a particular adapter. But, I can certainly see the need for such an adapter and expect that Canon's design team would be working on one. I imagine some of the self-proclaimed experts on this forum may claim it is impossible. I will wait and see what Canon and third party manufacturers do.

I see the lack of complete interchangeability between Canon's two full-frame systems as a major disadvantage. On the other hand, not being an engineer, I also have no idea as to the relative cost of manufacturing two separate sets of full frame lenses. If the costs are marginal, we may see Canon producing parallel EF and RF lenses for decades. Possibly, they will even pull a "Sigma" and offer low cost mount conversions in the future.

I am certain that Canon understands the risks and downsides of having two separate full-frame mounts and is working feverishly to find a solution that will not alienate its customer base, as I have never considered them stupid.
Except in the case of mount conversions between EF and R it’s not just about the mount it’s also about the optics. So I doubt you will see simple mount conversions, by canon for these systems.
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,355
22,528
Maybe not if you only read reviews. But selling my 5d Iv for the eos r was a really good decision. The eos r is a much more modern digital camera. Almost no leftover from old limitations. Like mirror and control dials and separate focus sensor. You get an integrated experience with one focus system and universal control dials. For me the eos r is so much better and more convenient to take with you. And canon did this in a beautiful design.
It depends on what you shoot. If you are in to wild life and nature photography you need the higher specs of a camera that fires up instantaneously for opportunistic shots, you can use as a spotting scope with the viewfinder and have a decent frame rate. For me to get an R, it would be a downgrade. If you are into portraits, landscapes etc only, I can see it would not be. I’ll get a later generation R that upgrades the specs I need as the R series looks very promising. I believe Canon considers the R closer to the 6DII, but I may be wrong.
 
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Not what I find. A charger comes with the camera to use via the USB port, I get 300-400 shots per charge, and f/4 precisely matches the diffraction limit at 220mm (= 600mm equivalent) for the pixel size and gives the same equivalent for diffraction as f/6.3 with a 7DII or 5DSR. I don't use the LCD screen for wild-life shots, but use the viewfinder, and find all mirrorless cameras slow to power up. I use one to complement my 5DSR and 5DIV and have got many satisfying shots with it. It does have drawbacks as all cameras do but used correctly is a superb tool. Here is a recent shot shot (cropped), which matches the quality I get with a 100-400mm II on a 5DIV.
It seems that you have more experience with the RX10 IV camera and I appreciate your thoughts on it. I had it for less than a week and had no time to truly test its features. Because of no external charger provided, I had to charge one battery at a time in camera via USB. I had to leave the power on because of on/off time was quite long and it chewed through the battery quite fast. From my limited experience, diffraction at f/8 or even f/5.6 was giving me quite soft pictures. Your example birds seem to fly left to right and not towards you. Perhaps because of positioning, I could get only a handful of shots in focus when the creatures were coming towards me, because the AF was locked during zoom in/out. Focus speed was very good only when leaving it at a fixed focal length. At the end of the day, my wife with her M3 in green mode could get better shots and more of them in focus than me!
 
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lenspacker

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Sep 7, 2018
10
5
the most of these lenses are existing right now, or I can buy it by a third party lens producer (sigma 1,4 105...). So at the moment there is no need to switch to a system with only 1 (in words ONE) camerabody. And this body is not worth the money canon wants to have for it. I own a 1dx and a 5D 3 - as I wrote above: NO NEED TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM - I STILL STAY AT MY OLD GEAR FOR SURELY TWO MORE YEARS - I hope that canon can deliver an equivalent body like 5d4 or 1dx.....
 
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WRT the Sony RX10-IV, yes it has deficiencies. I only use the electronic viewfinder and find the contrast too low and hummingbirds flutter rather than fly, but the spin dial exposure adjustment is nice in this viewfinder as you can see the brightness change as you spin it.. I did purchase an extra battery and a separate battery charger. I set it to 30 fps on my first outing and had half a battery charge remaining after exposing 1800 images. Now I shoot at 10 fps and the battery is not as good as in the DSLRs. The resolution of the Zeiss lens is not as good as with the Sigma and Canon lenses I have used (but likely adequate for the 20 MP on a 1-inch sensor). However, when shooting wildlife the limiting factor is the subject, not the lens. Not studio photography. All the fancy gear in the world won't help if you can't find the subject being sought. And if the subject is unpredictable and "flighty", luck may supersede many camera features.

For example, last Summer I heard a certain bird, but to get close enough for photos, I had to negotiate a steep slope of loose dirt and gravel. I knew the heavy gear would be able to take better photos, but I took the Sony instead because of the terrain. I have taken razor sharp images of very speedy Kinglets with the Sony. The silent shutter helps. It has a 600-page manual just for an English-only version. You have to study and fiddle in order to get the most out of this camera. If the next version is as big of a jump in features as this one is over the III version, I know I'll buy it and find it even more of a substitute over the big, heavy gear.

I just think that Canon has foundered in recent times. I think the mirrorless camera bodies announced along with the suggested lenses will be competing with smartphones in the future and they will lose. Google's Night Sight, for example, may be better at shooting Owls than any current DSLR. However, a mirrorless upgrade of the 7D II will not be competing with smartphones. But I'd want lenses for such a body designed for it, not restricted by adapters.

It seems you favor weight and portability over image quality. Which is fine if that works for you...I just don't know any other wildlife photographers who shares a similar view. I think we all have a smartphone when we are in the field and we'll take plenty of environmental / habitat shots with animals in the foreground. But most of these are for social media, hardly anyone will use it commercially...Bottom line is no smartphone or digital fixed lens camera can ever replace big, fast glass and a dslr / mirrorless designed to capture action. If you value image fidelity that is.
 
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Tom W

EOS R5
Sep 5, 2012
360
357
The DSLR has quite some time left...certainly more than you are implying.

For Jan-Oct 2018, 62% of all ILCs shipped were DSLRs. Compared to the same period in 2017, DSLR sales dropped ~10%...and MILC sales were completely flat, no increase at all in MILC shipments year-over-year. For those claiming that MILCs are a growth market, that’s a real facepalm.

Mirrorless will grow when it becomes fully competitive with DLSR cameras in their own wheelhouse. When an "R" body can perform like the 1Dx II (or a 7D2, or 5D4), then the move will start. Notice that Canon made EF compatibility a priority with the R, to make the transition relatively painless when the time comes.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
168
126
This isn’t entirely true, an adapter without optics isn’t possible, but the optics may be tough to squeeze in, and may need to be lens specific.

What we have not yet seen is third party lenses for R. And all the new ’Rs are looking like expensive,if good lenses.
Fine, I shall rephrase: in terms of the lens working and performing as it does on the R, it's not possible to create any kind of practical adapter to make RF lenses work on EF bodies. RF lenses, for one thing, have different electronics in them than EF lenses, so bar RF lenses working just fine with EF signals, you'll be faced with the nightmare situation of making a lens that typically works a few millimeters from the senor to one that has to now make that image circle focus a few inches away from the sensor plane.

There's a reason APS-C lenses on full-frame bodies are useless. And before you go all "but they work on the RF..." Yeah, and you're still limited to the image circle the crop lens puts out. Which makes them only good for using the lens in a cropped mode. Kind of like using them on Nikon bodies.

tl;dr: Sure, if you want to make what amounts to being a lens for your lens that costs likely nearly as much as your lens, then perhaps there's some kind of possibility, but in terms of making a practical converter that allows the lens to function normally, it's likely impossible.
 
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sdz

CR Pro
Sep 13, 2016
262
209
Pittsburgh, PA
EOS R alone won't cope with all those lenses. Need a few more bodies before the lenses come out.
(emphasis added)

Ummm, how will the EOS fail to cope with many lenses. Users can mount only one lens at a time on any common camera. That's all the EOS R needs to accomplish to cope with the lenses coming out over the next year.
 
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sdz

CR Pro
Sep 13, 2016
262
209
Pittsburgh, PA
Most of these lenses are duplicates/variations of EF lenses. Right now, Canon appears to be creating a parallel universe for its RF system. Signs point to Canon positioning itself for success regardless of which way the market ultimately goes. The big hole in the system, however, remains the lack of an adapter that will allow customers to use RF lenses on EF mount cameras. Absent that, it will be very hard to convert many users to the new system.

It's not just that Canon will create a parallel lens set for its EOS R mount cameras. It's likely more appropriate to say that Canon will use its EF lens catalogue to build lenses for the new camera system. It will use it by create R lenses for most or all of its popular EF lenses. Useful and popular lenses will be the best bets for an early appearance. Less popular lenses may never make the cut.
 
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Jul 21, 2010
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...you'll be faced with the nightmare situation of making a lens that typically works a few millimeters from the senor to one that has to now make that image circle focus a few inches away from the sensor plane.
Yes, it's definitely a nightmare situation to take a lens designed to be a certain distance from the sensor, and put some sort of adapter behind it that allows the lens to be further away from the sensor and still focus on the sensor.

A really horrible nightmare situation.

One I'm forced to live through every time I use a teleconverter.
 
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(emphasis added)

Ummm, how will the EOS fail to cope with many lenses. Users can mount only one lens at a time on any common camera. That's all the EOS R needs to accomplish to cope with the lenses coming out over the next year.

EOS R won't cope in a sense that there will be more RF lenses than people are willing to buy. A lot of predicted lenses are pro L glass and pros will be holding off until Canon releases decent replacements for 5DMkIV, 5DSR etc.
Bottom line is, if Canon really plans to release this many RF lenses soon, they should also plan to release more R bodies.
 
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