When Does the Year of the Lens Start?

[Canon Rumors Guy]

<div name="googleone_share_1" style="position:relative;z-index:5;float: right; /*margin: 70px 0 0 0;*/ top:70px; right:120px; width:0;"><g:plusone size="tall" count="1" href="http://www.canonrumors.com/?p=16452"></g:plusone></div><div style="float: right; margin:0 0 70px 70px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="vertical" data-url="http://www.canonrumors.com/?p=16452">Tweet</a></div>
<p>We were told at the end of 2013 that this year would turn out to be the “year of the lens”. We’re 5 months in and nothing has come to fruition yet. We’re still being told that this is the case, but nothing is coming until the second half of 2014, which is nearly upon us.</p>
<p>I do not recall a time when things were this quiet in the rumor world for Canon and new products. We do know that PowerShot announcements are coming relatively soon, most likely in May to prepare for the spring and summer buying season. The replacement of the SX50 IS will be the top end camera announced, although we have heard that a G17 is coming as well.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">We get the odd bit of talk that the new EF 100-400 is being tested in Asia and it has also been suggested that this lens will be on testing stage for the World Cup in Brazil in June. Although, we’re hoping it’s announced and publicly tested on soccer’s (football’s) greatest stage. I would also assume that new bodies will be tested in Brazil, especially the follow-up to the EOS 7D. With Nikon announcing the replacement to the D300s some time soon with the new D9300, Canon will surely be doing the same thing in the prosumer APS-C segment.</span></p>
<p>For now, not much is being said and we’re hoping that changes very soon.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

 

[Don Haines]

Come on now! We have been through this before.... 2014 is the year of the LENS. Not the year of the lenses, the year of the lens.... singular!

Expect one lens release.

 

[candyman]

Thanks for the update.
Actually I am happy with what I have.
I just may buy some of the Sigma lenses : 35A or 50A or 85A(maybe photokina 2014)
Those really make you want to buy one - good quality for a reasonable price

 

[adhocphotographer]

Indeed it is sounding odd... a 100-400 replacement would be great... lets see how it goes!

Im trying NOT to buy a lens this year anyway, so I'm in no rush!

 

[Marauder]

Come on now! We have been through this before.... 2014 is the year of the LENS. Not the year of the lenses, the year of the lens.... singular!

Expect one lens release.

LOL Was thinking the same thing!

 

[davidcl0nel]

Indeed it is sounding odd... a 100-400 replacement would be great... lets see how it goes!

Would it be great, if they lighten it up 100gram, update the IS a little bit, use the normal rotating zoom and... and call for the usual 2-2.5x price of the old one - so 2999 USD? ;-)

 

[facedodge]

The industry is plateauing. The market is getting saturated. The competition is not pushing Canon as hard as many here tend to think.

The lifecycle of lenses and camera bodies are about to get a lot longer in my opinion. Sorry, CR, but I think this is the new normal.

 

[JorritJ]

If the 100-400 really is only going to be tested in June, then I doubt seeing it in real life before the end of the year. Which is a pity. I find post-summer releases to be much less interesting than pre-summer ones - while work does go on, most recreational shooting takes place in nice weather

 

[Woody]

Highly disappointing. Was hoping to purchase the replacements for the 17-40 f/4L and 50 f/1.4 before my big trip to Japan in July. Doesn't appear my hopes are going to be realized.

 

[scyrene]

A thought occurred when I saw the picture used for this article... that Canon already has an amazing range of lenses. Not perfect - nobody is - and no doubt some lenses could do with updating. But compared to some camera systems (judging by what I've seen others saying), we're hardly poorly served, not even counting the massive range of third party offerings. Surely for the vast majority of users, there are more lenses already than they could possibly afford or use on a regular basis?

But maybe I'm just more upbeat about these things.

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

A thought occurred when I saw the picture used for this article... that Canon already has an amazing range of lenses. Not perfect - nobody is - and no doubt some lenses could do with updating. But compared to some camera systems (judging by what I've seen others saying), we're hardly poorly served, not even counting the massive range of third party offerings. Surely for the vast majority of users, there are more lenses already than they could possibly afford or use on a regular basis?
But maybe I'm just more upbeat about these things.

I understand your statement. Canon has a very wide range of lenses like the Nikon. The fundamental difference is that Canon updates its bestseller (or more profitable) models. If we look at the current STM kit lens, we see that the lenses low cost reached a high level of performance, even on models with plastic bayonet. However, some older models will never be updated, it would not have space in the market. Nowadays there are much better options than the old 50mm macro ???(almost macro), or the terrible 75-300mm. :-X Canon will only launch new models until you can clear the shelves of old models.

 

[infared]

Well....it already started at Sigma!

 

[kennykodak]

so far it has been the year of the "Signa" lens.

 

[Axilrod]

14-24 por favor

 

[unfocused]

The industry is plateauing. The market is getting saturated. The competition is not pushing Canon as hard as many here tend to think.

The lifecycle of lenses and camera bodies are about to get a lot longer in my opinion. Sorry, CR, but I think this is the new normal.

Correct. Plus, in the case of camera bodies the technology has matured. There isn't a DSLR on the market today (crop or full frame) that doesn't produce images of excellent quality.

Cameras and lenses used to be a long-term investment (The F1 was introduced with the promise that it would not be replaced for a decade).

The "new" normal is really the old normal.

 

[tron]

If the 100-400 really is only going to be tested in June, then I doubt seeing it in real life before the end of the year. Which is a pity. I find post-summer releases to be much less interesting than pre-summer ones - while work does go on, most recreational shooting takes place in nice weather

Well a post-summer release is always a pre-summer one for the next year. Which for the 100-400 case is still ... optimistic ;D (judging from the rumors that appear repeatedly every year)

 

[JonAustin]

I thought the spate of recent lens updates (last 1-2 years) were all done in preparation for some high MP camera to come, in response to Nikon's D800. (Not that I'm personally interested in a high MP body; I usually shoot my 5DIII in 10MP mRAW mode.) So I expected the run of updates to continue for a while longer, particularly with all of this Year of the Lens buzz.

But at the rate they're going so far, maybe 4Q2014 will be the Quarter of the Lens.

I plan to buy a 35/2 IS during the current instant rebate period, and was hoping to see updates this year to the 50/1.4 and the 100-400. Unless / until that happens, I'll get by with my 50/2.5 CM and 70-200/2.8 IS + 1.4x II. I can always rent a longer lens when I need one.

 

[jebrady03]

Year of the lens huh? Maybe they were just referencing this...

http://www.canonrumors.com/2014/04/canon-ef-lens-production-surpasses-100-million-unit-mark/

Or maybe we just shouldn't put too much stock into rumors...

 

[wtlloyd]

Indeed, that was my thought. Who is to say what marketing-speak actually means?

 

[ahab1372]

Come on now! We have been through this before.... 2014 is the year of the LENS. Not the year of the lenses, the year of the lens.... singular!

Expect one lens release.

yes. And it will be THE lens, like in mother of all lenses