Meike launches the AF 85mm f/1.4 autofocus lens for the RF mount

[entoman]

It doesn't necessarily imply that they are using EF protocols. According to patent law, you can patent a new lens mount but you cannot patent the complementary mount on the lens as that would inihibit competition. Further, it is perfectly legal to reverse engineer any communication protocol provided you don't illicitly get hold of Canon's own protocols and use them partly or in full.

Yes, written quickly and just poor phrasing on my part.
I should have said "It *could* imply they are using EF protocols".

 

[TonyG]

So after DR, overheating and 3rd party lenses, what do I need to tell the online mobs to agitate about to get that trolling money from Sony? Some of them have gotten rid of all their Canon gear like 10 times the past year!

Still waiting for a 35 1.2 lol

 

[TonyG]

I am curious if it is using the RF protocol or the EF. If I remember correctly, the Viltrox was using EF with an RF mount. I wonder if the "approval" is strictly communication through the RF mount or use of the actual protocol itself. Curious to see what comes next.

 

[entoman]

I am curious if it is using the RF protocol or the EF. If I remember correctly, the Viltrox was using EF with an RF mount. I wonder if the "approval" is strictly communication through the RF mount or use of the actual protocol itself. Curious to see what comes next.

What comes next is a very long wait and a lot of frustration from those who want Tamron and/or Sigma to follow suit. Don't expect anything to happen until Canon has filled out the few remaining gaps in the RF line up - probably another 2 years time. Meanwhile, Canon is selling their lenses faster than they can produce them. They're in no hurry while the money is rolling in. Best you can hope for is that minor manufacturers like Samyang will knock out a couple more AF lenses, but their track record shows that they only seem to be interested in covering a quite limited range of focal lengths.

 

[Del Paso]

Are you saying that the Meike is a rebadged Samyang?

Cannot imagine that.
Meike is PRC, Samyang South Korea.

 

[Del Paso]

So after DR, overheating and 3rd party lenses, what do I need to tell the online mobs to agitate about to get that trolling money from Sony? Some of them have gotten rid of all their Canon gear like 10 times the past year!

Trolls are so inventive, no reason to worry about them (or their income from soni). They'll find another shockingly missing feature, even if it's only the Sony brandname on a Canon body.

 

[Exact_Math]

Petapixel is actually at NAB and they said they got the information from both Canon and Meike themselves.

 

[LensFungus]

 

[entoman]

Petapixel is actually at NAB and they said they got the information from both Canon and Meike themselves.

Hint: If you click "quote" and then click "reply", you can type your reply in the same box as the quote.

 

[David - Sydney]

Wow...big news! Now quick - Someone hit me up with a 20mm lens for astro!

Hopefully this is the hole in the dam that starts the steady flow of 3rd party glass to the RF mount!

I suppose what Canon is doing makes sense. If you think you're going to be selling less cameras (know that, really) then you add revenue streams by getting a license fee from all the 3rd party folks. From a business perspective, could be interesting to see if this pays off better for Canon, and if Sony regrets not doing a similar structure back in the day. But at the time they needed lenses to drive body sales, so even that was a defensible decision given what the conditions were at the time.

-Brian

or wider! A 14mm/1.8 with controlled coma would be lush

 

[David - Sydney]

As I suspected. They just prevent companies from stealing their intellectual property. The world is very strange now. People that don’t want to be stolen from have become the bad guys whereas people that steal have excuses made for their behavior and entitlement justifications made for their choices.

Very true... but it would make sense for Canon to encrypt the RF protocol to remove the likelihood of reverse engineering. It would be strange for Canon not to learn from the EF lens compatibility from 3rd parties sharing their lens sales without approval.
Can we be sure that the previous 3rd party RF lenses with AF were not just using the EF protocol?

 

[David - Sydney]

I have a horrible feeling that with dpreview on its death bed, we'll find some of the trolls emigrating here...

A couple have created accounts and posted something which was quickly pounced on... good fun actually!
C'est simple... ask them to justify their statement and they crumble

 

[Exact_Math]

Hint: If you click "quote" and then click "reply", you can type your reply in the same box as the quote.

Thanks!

 

[Toglife_Anthony]

Petapixel is actually at NAB and they said they got the information from both Canon and Meike themselves.

Interesting. I literally asked three guys at the Meike booth about this lens and they literally looked at me like I wasn't supposed to know anything about it. I referenced this article and the guy said "no, we only have Sony E mount." I said "so y'all didn't announce an RF 85 lens?" and he said no. He said they're working on it but it isn't available yet. I walked around the entire booth and I didn't see any RF AF 85. In fact, the only RF lenses they had on display were all cine lens; same with the EF mount lenses. Maybe it was in a case somewhere that I missed, but either way, there seemed to be a disconnect between the "announcement" and the guys at the booth.

 

[EOS 4 Life]

If this lens is at NAB, it’s not at the Meike booth, or the gentlemen here are feeding me BS. They’re acting like the thing doesn’t even exist yet, let alone actually being here to see and hold.

 

[Chaitanya]

Yeah, all Canon gear is very expensive in India - Nikons seem to be cheaper and more popular in your country.

2-3 years back Canon gear was priced within 5% of US prices but still compared to Nikon quite a lot more expensive. In general though among birders Nikon is quite a lot more prevalent though Canon is quite a lot more present among herp photography group.

 

[EOS 4 Life]

He said they're working on it but it isn't available yet

That is true.
It has only been announced.
You can't order it yet.
I am surprised that they did not at least have a prototype for display.

 

[EOS 4 Life]

If I remember correctly, the Viltrox was using EF with an RF mount.

I have my doubts about that.
The lens kept breaking with every firmware update.
That did not happen with adapted third-party EF lenses.

 

[EricN]

Interesting. I literally asked three guys at the Meike booth about this lens and they literally looked at me like I wasn't supposed to know anything about it. I referenced this article and the guy said "no, we only have Sony E mount." I said "so y'all didn't announce an RF 85 lens?" and he said no. He said they're working on it but it isn't available yet. I walked around the entire booth and I didn't see any RF AF 85. In fact, the only RF lenses they had on display were all cine lens; same with the EF mount lenses. Maybe it was in a case somewhere that I missed, but either way, there seemed to be a disconnect between the "announcement" and the guys at the booth.

Don't companies sometimes have things they only show certain magazines or websites in a private room, so there can be an exclusive story?

 

[Toglife_Anthony]

Don't companies sometimes have things they only show certain magazines or websites in a private room, so there can be an exclusive story?

View attachment 208574

Perhaps, yes. I guess the confusion is this floating around...it seems the notion was that it was readily viewable at NAB. But in looking at this, it doesn't specifically say the new RF would be there, it's just included in the listing of mounts. They only mentioned the E mount lens being there for this particular lens.