What lenses are coming next for the Canon RF mount?

canonmike

EOS R6
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Jan 5, 2013
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I think they will use the RF mount to showcase lenses they don't have already or are due for update:

1. 180 or 200 mm macro; possibly f2.8 with IS.
2. 100 mm f1.4
3. 135 f1.8 or 2 IS
4. 20 mm f1.8 IS
5. 400 mm f5.6 IS
Would love to see your number 4 and 5 choices come to fruition, for sure. Bring them on.
 
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canonmike

EOS R6
CR Pro
Jan 5, 2013
494
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O great; glad to see Canon already EOL'd my what recently acquired EF 70-200 F4L IS II
This would be enough to get me to sell the whole damn lot at this point. Nikon Z doesn't look too bad.
Ok, but if you have been a Canon user for awhile, remember that, in switching to Nikon, you will have to get used to Nikon's counterintuitive, bassacwards lens mounting system, the primary reason I have never shot Nikon, a company that makes great products. I have never understood why they did this and just as surprised that there are not more complaints about it.
 
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canonmike

EOS R6
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Jan 5, 2013
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The interesting thing about the R series is pricing. If Canon (and Nikon) really want people to jump into this system pricing would be aggressive. That, of course, would anger people who recently bought new EF FF equipment. Still, think about it: B&H has the EF 50mm f1.2 at list price: US$1,449.00. The list price of the R 50mm F1.2 is $2,229. If Canon really wanted people to run to this system, price is one way to do it. Perhaps, as a new system, Canon doesn't want initially to be overwhelmed. Or, as I say, it doesn't want to anger EF owners. Still, it's interesting.
On the other hand, note that the list price of the new R camera is US$2,229. That's only $300 more than the list price of the 6D2. For that $300 you get more megapixels in the sensor and a huge number more AF points. On the other hand, it seems from the official brochure (https://store.canon.com.au/media/attachments/EOS_R_Camera_Brochure.pdf) you only get 3 frames per second in continuous servo mode. For me that's a big negative, and one I'll bet will be a deal-breaker for many.

UPDATE: I just checked with DPReview, which says the camera gets 5fps with AF tracking (which compares to 6.5 FPS on the 6D2) or 3 fps in the higher-precision 'tracking priority' mode.
I do hope this camera sells well. Echoing your frame rate or lack thereof, however, I don't see this gen one body appealing to any sports photographers. Hope that higher end model sees a much needed improvement in this area. Additionally, if Canon doesn't want to include IBIS, they better be thinking about including IS on every lens in RF mount to offset all the complaints. $3000.00 is a lot of money for a lens, no matter how fast, but without IS.
 
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canonmike

EOS R6
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Jan 5, 2013
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An EF update with IS would be fine too. But eventually Canon may release a long lens or two in RF mount to gradually encourage movement towards the new system. Since the current 400 5.6 is a fine lens, it could stay in the catalog after an RF IS version is released.
Have to agree and believe an RF version of this lens, especially with IS, would sell well.
 
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canonmike

EOS R6
CR Pro
Jan 5, 2013
494
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+1.

Don't forget Canon is a conservative brand, for lots of reasons, but one of them is that they serve as well a lot of working pros. Contrary to a popular belief, a lot of pros don't upgrade all the time with the latest and the best gimmicks all the time. They use what they have as far as it does the job, for money reasons, but also for ergonomics (muscle memory), habits and the fact that most of us need to know their equipment very well to make the best out of it and know its limits.

I just saw a 6 month old reportage where a fashion photographer was shooting a whole collection of swimsuits for a very fancy brand in St Barth, with a.... 5D3 and 24-70 f2.8 v1; that's the reality of pro equipment for a lot of people.

Lots of pros don't upgrade because they don't need to when their tools are good enough. So the TS-E line being part of the tools Canon designed for pros, I think it's unlikely they'll want to make them RF only any time soon, when EF TS-Es work exactly the same on both mounts. Yes we could see some optical improvements with short RF TS lenses (I guess we could call them TS-R), but what I am saying is that in real life for most pros, it will be more of a problem than a solution until the whole market has switched to mirroless.

The simple fact that I can finally use a convenient pol filter through the RS-EF adapter is a much bigger improvement than a slightly upgraded optical formula. Will my client notice a 10% increase in sharpness ? Absolutely not; but he will prefer 10 times that wood floor without glare and with better colors due to the pol filter.
I think Canon is very well aware of that, and I don't see a new TS-R lens range until the R mount has become the main standard. That is when RF mount cameras outsells EF mount cameras. It will happen, not just tomorrow. As there is no penalty in using an EF TS-E on an RF mount there is no real need.

Once again, I think the real strength of the RF system is it's seamless compatibility with the "old" EF system. With Canon everything works like native plus added features (extra ring control or rear filter). With Sony or Nikon (Nikon has a better compatibility though) you lose features when using old glass; with Canon your old glass works better than the same, it actually gains features.

IMO that is the very strength of the EOS system. Yes Canon is behind in sensors, but that lens compatibility is enough to guarantee success to the R system.

As a side note I wonder if Canon will ever go for IBIS anytime soon, since they might conservatively see it as a mechanical weakness, the same way they considered tilt/flip screens for a while.
Interesting observations about the TS lenses.
 
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RGF

How you relate to the issue, is the issue.
Jul 13, 2012
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Thanks for sharing your ideas CR .... In many parts I agree with you. Having a number of 'standard trinity' f/2.8 zooms makes sense. (Particularly as Canon has shown their cards, with the 28-70mm f/2 USM lens... it appears Canon is going 'definitely serious', lens wise).

Cheers,

PJ

I think that the F/2 is to show that with the new mount faster glass is possible. IMO this is more about bragging rights than a commercial product. I don't think we will see a lot of demand for F/2 zooms, especially at the $4000 price pt. Of course, I could be wrong ...
 
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pj1974

80D, M5, 7D, & lots of glass and accessories!
Oct 18, 2011
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I think that the F/2 is to show that with the new mount faster glass is possible. IMO this is more about bragging rights than a commercial product. I don't think we will see a lot of demand for F/2 zooms, especially at the $4000 price pt. Of course, I could be wrong ...

For sure, the new RF mount provides greater flexibility for faster glass than EF, though Canon has had some seriously fast EF glass too. The RF mount just translates to less optical (physical) constraints than EF. Canon would not produce a RF f/2 lens just for bragging rights. Businesses primarily exist to make money. They would not produce a lens to make a loss, unless their is evidence a loss in such a lens will produce enough interest for people to buy into the EOS R / RF Mount system, without actually buying that lens.

However I highly doubt that. The RF 28-70mm f/2 is definitely a commercial product. This is also evidenced by the face they have made it insanely sharp (from all initial accounts). Otherwise they would just make a mediocre, or a 'prototype' lens, and market the theory of it, with everything they can. (But Canon is not doing that... they have market data). There is demand for such a lens among certain photographic genres.

While the RF 28-70mm f/2 will be more of a niche product than say the new RF 24-105mm f/4, or a possible future RF 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses, there are people who will buy it. The RRP price is $2999 USD. The EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II's RRP is $1899. There will be many people who will justify that sort of $1100 price difference if the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 would be similar to the EF's price.

In the rest of my initial post (which you did not quote in your message above) - I indicated that the RF f/2.8 and also RF f/4 zoom lenses will very likely prove much more popular (i.e. generate more sales) than any RF f/2 zoom lenses. I believe it is a wise and strategic business decision of Canon's to come out with some quality fast glass this early into the EOS R / RF mount story! People could get tempted into a new system just for the potential of fast glass. (Additionally, other photographers may get hooked into renting certain lenses that may be out of their regular needs, but can justify an infrequent rental, especially for event / specific occasion photography).

PJ
 
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Dec 13, 2010
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My all time favorite focal length along the 35mm is 100mm. There is no option for that with Canon, the macro is no good for what I want, and it’s slow.

And now that both Nikon and Zeiss are doing 100 f1.4’s I would certainly hope Canon will do a RF 100 f1.4 L (IS) also. It would create a nicer difference between the 50 and 100 instead of 50 and 85.

I would be very happy with the EF 35 L, RF 50 L and RF 100 f1.4 L :cool:
 
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Top performing lenses are great, but also very big. It would be nice to have some smaller lenses too, like that 50mm 1.8, to have the option to take full advantage of the R's smaller size and weight. That is one of the whole points of mirrorless (although I realize not the only one). Sometimes I go with just a 35mm and a 50mm, and the adapter makes them too big for my liking. As it is, I might just stick with my Panasonic for when I need smaller and lighter than a 5D.
 
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Del Paso

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All I want from Canon is a 35mm TS-E, regardless of mount. I have the Contax but it has ceiling flare issues and generally flares too easily. Actually, I’d consider switching brand for that lens.
I' d suggest that you give the 24 TSE + 1,4X Extender combo a try.
I'm using it quite often, with excellent results!
 
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Top performing lenses are great, but also very big. It would be nice to have some smaller lenses too, like that 50mm 1.8, to have the option to take full advantage of the R's smaller size and weight. That is one of the whole points of mirrorless (although I realize not the only one).

Agreed - that 35 1.8 Macro looks like a perfect match for the R. The system also needs a 50mm and 85mm equivalent - a 50 1.8 and 85 1.8 would be awesome.
 
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