Re: Images of the New EF 16-35 f/4L IS & EF-S 10-18 f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
I read the first few pages filled with the same negative comments about f/4 zooms and IS in UWA lenses and it was refreshing to see the cogent reasoning put forward by Viggo and ahsanford.
I wrote the following a few days before the CR2 rumor of the f/4 IS UWA was posted, so it was made out of commonsense, not hindsight. I think it explains the business motive behind such a lens:
I agree with a comment above saying a newer f/2.8 should have been released first (if at all) from Canon's perspective, because:
If they have an 16-35 f/2.8 III/14-24 f/2.8 for $ 3000 then they can raise their price point for the f/4 IS to >price of 16-35 f/2.8 II. Not so in the current scenario, because the 16-35 II will keep cannibalizing this new segment and prevent it from taking off.
This can mean one of two things:
1. Canon is not planning to bring out a newer f/2.8 zoom anytime soon- and this is more than likely. The Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 came out 7 years ago, and yet Canon hasn't produced anything to compete- so it could be that the market is insignificant, or Canon R&D hasn't produced anything equal that is cost-effective. So sharp, fast UWA lovers, it might be a longer wait.
2. Canon will introduce the 4-lens design that Nikon has, and price the f/4 IS below and the fast f/2.8 above the 16-25 f/2.8 which stays on. This will introduce a scenario similar to the 70-200 zooms, which will probably be followed by the discontinuation of the cheaper f/2.8 and people just spending $$$s for the amazing IQ as we also see in the 70-200 domain.
Fingers crossed. I won't be buying an UWA anytime soon, but maybe in 2015 when the price settles down a bit. Who knows?
I read the first few pages filled with the same negative comments about f/4 zooms and IS in UWA lenses and it was refreshing to see the cogent reasoning put forward by Viggo and ahsanford.
I wrote the following a few days before the CR2 rumor of the f/4 IS UWA was posted, so it was made out of commonsense, not hindsight. I think it explains the business motive behind such a lens:
sagittariansrock said:Let's look at the market-
A. Is there a room for UWA with IS?- yes- videography, high resolution of modern sensors (see wide angle IS primes). Also, corner resolution of the 17-40 could be improved and that will attract a lot of new customers.
B. Is there a room for a sharp, fast, ultrawide? - look at Nikon 14-24 sales. I don't have the numbers- but if it sells in large numbers, then that is an indication for Canon to approach that segment.
Let's look at competitors-
A. What other UWA with IS is available for canon- none.
B. Assuming, there is a market for a sharp, fast, ultrawide- is there any competition- only from some prime lenses, which are:
a) own product- 14mm II- not particularly sharp
b) Zeiss 15mm, 18mm (?) and 21mm- expensive, manual focus
c) own product- 17mm TS-E- manual focus, expensive
Take home:
A. For an ultrawide with IS- there is definitely an unmet demand. Historically, Nikon has high sales numbers for its 16-35 f/4 VR. So I think Canon can expect a large number of 16-35 II users to move to an IS lens for a low adoption cost. There will also be a small number of people upgrading from the 17-40 due to the IS and better IQ. This will include both people using it exclusively on FF, and people buying it for APS-C with an eye on potential upgrade path.
B. For a sharp, fast ultrawide- this one is less clear. Canon needs to look at the sales figures for the 14-24 and the 16-35 2.8. If there is a bigger number for the 14-24, that means lots of people are willing to pay the premium price and trade off the filter usability and range. OTOH, if the 17-35 2.8 sells better, Canon will be better off bringing out a version III of the lens, or more likely, just keep the 16-35 II around.
(by the way, the prices are off- the 17-35 2.8 costs around $1750, not $ 1950)
[p.s. I tried not to make any assumptions, including: those hankering on the CR forums for a sharp, fast UWA necessarily make up the majority of Canon's customers.]
I agree with a comment above saying a newer f/2.8 should have been released first (if at all) from Canon's perspective, because:
If they have an 16-35 f/2.8 III/14-24 f/2.8 for $ 3000 then they can raise their price point for the f/4 IS to >price of 16-35 f/2.8 II. Not so in the current scenario, because the 16-35 II will keep cannibalizing this new segment and prevent it from taking off.
This can mean one of two things:
1. Canon is not planning to bring out a newer f/2.8 zoom anytime soon- and this is more than likely. The Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 came out 7 years ago, and yet Canon hasn't produced anything to compete- so it could be that the market is insignificant, or Canon R&D hasn't produced anything equal that is cost-effective. So sharp, fast UWA lovers, it might be a longer wait.
2. Canon will introduce the 4-lens design that Nikon has, and price the f/4 IS below and the fast f/2.8 above the 16-25 f/2.8 which stays on. This will introduce a scenario similar to the 70-200 zooms, which will probably be followed by the discontinuation of the cheaper f/2.8 and people just spending $$$s for the amazing IQ as we also see in the 70-200 domain.
Fingers crossed. I won't be buying an UWA anytime soon, but maybe in 2015 when the price settles down a bit. Who knows?
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