slclick said:
So with the exceptional 12 year old optical formula, what other than weight and improved IS can be done?
In the last 12 years, there have been great advances in coatings, so it is a given that the new lens will benefit there....
This was one of the early IS systems, and particularly famous for the noise it made..... It is a safe bet that the new lens will have a better and quiter IS.
the quality of machining has gone up, and as a result, the alignment and consistancy of lenses has gone up.
the software simulation of new lens designs is constantly improving, and as a result, we can expect minor tweaking to the optical design....
Remember the 100-400F5.6? The version 2 was a significant improvement.... All those version 1 supertelephotos andthe better version 2's....
As to weight, I really doubt that we will see a change of more than a few grams, and who knows, it could even be a few grams heavier... the 100-400 grew by 190 grams.... it could happen again.....
It is a safe bet that it will be better, but the question is, by how much?