There are 4 wide-angle L prime lenses coming in the next 12 months [CR2]

[neuroanatomist]

You may be right, but I think they will show up eventually.
There is too big of a gap between L and non L lenses.

If Canon fills that 'gap in the middle', I doubt it will be with L-series lenses. But they may not ever fill it, at least not completely. A lot of the lenses that fit that description in the EF lineup (50/1.4, 85/1.8, 100/2, 135/2.8 SF) were allowed to age into relative obsolescence. But others, like the 28/2.8 and 35/2, were updated with IS and USM motors.

 

[dolina]

If there was not a supply shortage in the middle then I would tend to agree with you.
It is really hard to predict anything right now.

Supply chain disruption would impact stock availability but that has no stopped Canon from making announcements 1-2 year before actual shipments.

 

[dolina]

I am just wondering why they are using slow STM motors in consumer lenses when they have the super-fast, quiet and tiny nano-USM.
They even used that motor in some cheaper lenses (EF 70-300) then decided to go with the worse STM. What is that if not market segmentation?

Some do it to induce users to upgrade to the next best thing

There are Android smartphone selling under $429 with AMOLED displays. Apple still sells that price point iPhone with an LCD.

 

[fiendstudios]

I would love the 12/1.8 since I shoot a lot of Aurora and sometimes 14mm is not enough. I would still want to have a faster than 1.8 lens which is wider than the 24mm.
I use Sigma 20/1.4 and Sigma 14/1.8 right now. Would be nice to have a 20/1.2 and a 14/1.4..

 

[davidcl0nel]

Canon also try to reduce the cost to reuse similar case for two different lenses. The 50 1.8 and the 16 2.8. The 35 1.8 and 24 1.8 seems to be also similar (I don't see it next to eachother to confirm).

Do you think Canon would do that for L lenses too, if they bring up a whole set of wide angles?

 

[neuroanatomist]

I am just wondering why they are using slow STM motors in consumer lenses when they have the super-fast, quiet and tiny nano-USM.
They even used that motor in some cheaper lenses (EF 70-300) then decided to go with the worse STM. What is that if not market segmentation?

Certainly seems to be market segmentation. Assuming STM motors are cheaper to produce (I don’t know that that’s the case but it seems likely), using them also reduces production costs which increases profit.

At the risk of flogging a deceased equine, Canon is a business, and those actions are logical business decisions.

 

[MartinVLC]

I agree...

Same old story, ridiculously wide maximum aperture exotica at what will be equally ridiculous prices

... or super-cheap lenses with slow-focus STM motors.

***SCREAM for INBETWEEN***

Although I understand that some Pros are desperately waiting for a better and faster alternative to the 35mm 1.8 STM.

If I were willing to spend way beyond 2000 $/€ for a 35mm - well I´d still prefer the Sigma Art or the Tamron 35mm 1.4 and spend the rest on a good bottle of wine ;-). But wait - no 3rd party on RF mount :-( (don´t bother explainig that I could adapt the EF-lenses).

What´s really missing IMO is a fast affordable standard zoom. On the E-mount you get about 5 different 24/28-70/75mm f/2.8 for less than 1200 $/€. The fastest zoom in this price range on the RF-mount is f 6.3 at the long end. :-(

 

[Otara]

Certainly seems to be market segmentation. Assuming STM motors are cheaper to produce (I don’t know that that’s the case but it seems likely), using them also reduces production costs which increases profit.

At the risk of flogging a deceased equine, Canon is a business, and those actions are logical business decisions.

Could it also be about video as a higher priority nowadays as well?

 

[swkitt]

I'm afraid the extra 2mm is a trick to sell it double the price of the Sony one...

 

[entoman]

You may be right, but I think they will show up eventually.
There is too big of a gap between L and non L lenses.

One lens that is "missing" from the middle-range, is a replacement for the EF 70-300mm L.

Sure, we have the RF 100-500mm (which I own) but that's quite a lump to carry around and heavy on the arms when held for more than a couple of minutes in the shooting position. Then there is the RF 100-400mm which is basically a fixed F8 lens due to the need to stop down one stop for sharpness, and the fact that at F11 or beyond it becomes quite soft due to diffraction. It also lacks the build quality associated with L glass, and in common with the RF 100-500mm, it doesn't go wide enough at the short end, for a lot of scenarios.

Canon could improve dramatically on the EF 70-300mm L, by making an RF version with a fixed F4 aperture, close-focusing down to 1:3 or even better 1:2, and nano-USM AF motors.

 

[roby17269]

Oh I can't wait for the 35 and 135 fast primes! Not sure where I will be able to hide them from the swmbo but I will indeed get them as soon as available.

As for the others... I would really love to see Canon's RF TS roadmap, if there's one (I mean a confidential one, I know there isn't a public one), to decide. I do want at least one ultra wide prime, but I've grown accustomed to the excellent 24 and 17 TS-E and I do not see me keeping 2 24s... That 12 sounds fun tho

 

[dlee13]

I think that Canon is doing the right thing by catering to the extremes.
People who want the middle can adapt EF.

Always a great option to adapt older, heavier and optically weaker lenses in a dead mount rather than offer modern first or third party options in the current mount!

 

[UlfricStormcloak]

35 f1.2.... I hope it will be small. Please, let it be small. Why else do you need to have that giant hole in center of a camera?

 

[BBarn]

There doesn't appear to be anything of interest in this rumor for me, but it's good to see Canon apparently preparing to release more RF lenses.

 

[m4ndr4ke]

I would love to see that 28mm. Unfortunately it will be too expensive for me, but since that focal length never got much love from Canon, I’d say this means progress.
I bet its pricetag will be around €2000, and that’s over twice the salary of the average Joe in my country. I guess I’ll have to stick to my Sigma Art that I, in fact, just recently bought.

 

[jdavidse]

I am glad to see that Canon is finally releasing wide-angle L lenses for the RF mount. At first I was most interested in the 35 mm f1.2, but the 28 mm f1.4 also has my attention.

I am glad to see it. I love the 35 focal length but if its going to be a $2500 1.2 monster, then I would take a reasonably sized $2000 1.4 28mm.

 

[Del Paso]

RF 12mm f1,8: I feel like a hungry labrador looking at a huge steak (or, since it's a labrador, at just anything edible).

 

[fred]

• Canon RF 28mm f/1.4L USM

Could be very interesting if it's not too long and heavy. Probably $1500+ though. Quality 28mm mirrorless lenses are extremely rare unfortunately (except Fujifilm: XF 18mm F1.4). Sigma might release a 28mm F1.4 DG DN Art or 28mm F2 DG DN Contemporary I series at some point (not for Canon RF however)...

 

[scyrene]

I agree with all of that neuro, but it still frustrates me that there are very few mid-range, mid-price L-quality lenses with modest apertures that would result in smaller, lighter lenses.

It's difficult to gauge how much demand there is for such optics, but I honestly believe they would sell in high enough numbers to make it worthwhile to Canon, and I also believe that the "policy of extremes" is alienating a lot of existing customers, and discouraging new customers.

Presumably they intend to release lenses in the order they feel is most likely to maximise sales/revenue/positive copy? I'm sure other factors are at play of course.

Given how high the prices of the non-L lenses are, I wouldn't be able to afford an intermediate level anyhow.

 

[entoman]

Presumably they intend to release lenses in the order they feel is most likely to maximise sales/revenue/positive copy? I'm sure other factors are at play of course.

Given how high the prices of the non-L lenses are, I wouldn't be able to afford an intermediate level anyhow.

Yes, I'd assume that's correct, so I'm surprised they haven't already launched a RF 70-300mm, which I would have thought was a popular in-demand zoom.

I've already spent WAY too much on lenses and other stuff this year, so I won't be buying anything else myself for a while either, but if a compact RF 70-300mm L had been available, it would have been one of the first I'd buy. I remain hopeful that Canon will launch such a lens in 2023, although that's probably just wishful thinking!