When Does the Year of the Lens Start?

[Sabaki]

We in South Africa are a expecting the 5th increase in Canon prices since November.

This has all but stopped the average amateur from buying 1st party lenses and I'm seeing more and more Canonites with Tamrons and Sigmas on their cameras.

Folks who started saving a few months ago to buy say a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 ii are now very seriously considering other options.

I'm not sure what Canon's strategy is going forward but I can't help but feel the economy isn't conducive to a very aggressive market strategy.

 

[Eldar]

I think this may very well be the year of the Lens, but for us consumers and maybe not Canon.

I´ve been told it´s very difficult to predict, especially about the future, but it´s fun to speculate.

In all businesses The Brand change over time. Canon has maintained their position longer than most. And to be fair, it is well deserved. I´ve been a happy Canon shooter since the mid seventies (God I´m getting old ...). Olympus, Ricoh, Pentax, Nikon, Sony ... there are lots of companies who tried to beat them. Unsuccessfully so far. But I think we may have a game changer now.

I think Sigma has started on a trail that will be a lot more threatening to Canon than a Nikon 800E or a Sony A7r. They are going straight to the heart of Canon supremacy and offer top notch lenses at half price.

Let´s speculate a bit. What if the announced 24/1.4Art is as good as the 50/1.4Art? What if that is followed by an equally good (and fast focus) 85/1.4Art or a 135/1.8Art and that is followed by a 24-70/2.8Art OS and a 70-200/2.8Art OS? And all of them at price points comparing equally to the competition as the 35 and 50 did? AND it turns out that the USB dock solution for continuous firmware updates work and they finally get rid of their bad AF reputation?

Canon will still have the bodies, but they make a lot more money on lenses than bodies (my speculation). I think they Must react and come up with both exceptional performance and best in class L-packaging, at very competitive prices. The red ring, past performance, guaranteed compatibility and Canon weather sealing will still be worth paying for, but how much more?

 

[photonius]

As Eldar points out, the year has started.

We have:

Tamron 150-600 for Canon
Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art for Canon

more to come...

 

[Marsu42]

This has all but stopped the average amateur from buying 1st party lenses and I'm seeing more and more Canonites with Tamrons and Sigmas on their cameras.

Point is: If you're using 3rd party lenses, why use Canon at all? Yes, they've got the excellent 600rt flash system, but also at a high price. Yes, they've got ts lenses if you can afford them, 200-400L and whatnot.

For me, Magic Lantern and my ability to code for my own camera and make it do what *I* want is the key to my Canon system. If it wasn't for that and I'd be using the stock 6d fw, I'd gone crazy by now or switched to Nikon.

 

[unfocused]

I think Sigma has started on a trail that will be a lot more threatening to Canon than a Nikon 800E or a Sony A7r. They are going straight to the heart of Canon supremacy and offer top notch lenses at half price.

I sort of agree and sort of disagree.

I agree that third party manufacturers are a bigger threat than competing camera makers. But, I think the price of Sigma's "art" series raises real questions about how effective they can be in undercutting Canon.

They may be offering top notch lenses, but not really at half price. (Although they are discounted significantly from Canon).

This really comes down to the perceived value of the Canon brand. I wish Sigma well because I think it benefits all of us as consumers. But I wonder if they are pricing their products too high. What is the price premium that people are willing to pay for the reliability, durability and predictability of the manufacturer's brand over a third party?

Clearly the "art" series is going after consumers with a high amount of discretionary dollars and I wonder how many of those consumers are price-sensitive. I think it is a gamble and I wish them well, but I don't think there is any guarantee that their products will find a market.

Tamron's strategy, I believe, is more sound – Offer good quality lenses at very competitive prices and exploit available niches. In addition to the 150-600 zoom (which could well be the best selling lens introduced this year), they produce a reasonably priced 70-300 that vastly outperforms any of Canon's consumer grade 300mm zooms. And, their superzooms fill a niche that Canon doesn't even attempt to compete in.

Actually, if I were Sigma I would be very worried about Tamron and Tokina, which generally produce better quality at less cost. Indeed, that may be why Sigma seems to be going "all in" on the Art series.

 

[mkabi]

What if it is the "Year of the Lenses" (plural)... here me out.

Canon never officially said anything, and it is CR getting info. from various sources (valid/invalid).

But, so far, it has been the "year of the lenses" by everyone supporting Canon, except Canon themselves.

Now, I don't know how Canon profits from this... but may be they have a share in companies like Sigma, Tamron, Samyang... private owners without having their name pasted all over them?

Or may be they (as in Canon) told the other companies to build high quality glass to support their next generation bodies???

In either case, Canon keeps their old customers as long as they are buying second party glass and not buying second party bodies?

 

[JonAustin]

I realize that you can't report on something that isn't happening, but I also note the high percentage of recycled rumors and the frequency that this site gets scooped by Photorumors when there is Canon-related news.

Oh great, another rumor website / time hole for me to sink my disposable time into ...

 

[Eldar]

I think Sigma has started on a trail that will be a lot more threatening to Canon than a Nikon 800E or a Sony A7r. They are going straight to the heart of Canon supremacy and offer top notch lenses at half price.

I sort of agree and sort of disagree.

I agree that third party manufacturers are a bigger threat than competing camera makers. But, I think the price of Sigma's "art" series raises real questions about how effective they can be in undercutting Canon.

They may be offering top notch lenses, but not really at half price. (Although they are discounted significantly from Canon).

This really comes down to the perceived value of the Canon brand. I wish Sigma well because I think it benefits all of us as consumers. But I wonder if they are pricing their products too high. What is the price premium that people are willing to pay for the reliability, durability and predictability of the manufacturer's brand over a third party?

Clearly the "art" series is going after consumers with a high amount of discretionary dollars and I wonder how many of those consumers are price-sensitive. I think it is a gamble and I wish them well, but I don't think there is any guarantee that their products will find a market.

Tamron's strategy, I believe, is more sound – Offer good quality lenses at very competitive prices and exploit available niches. In addition to the 150-600 zoom (which could well be the best selling lens introduced this year), they produce a reasonably priced 70-300 that vastly outperforms any of Canon's consumer grade 300mm zooms. And, their superzooms fill a niche that Canon doesn't even attempt to compete in.

Actually, if I were Sigma I would be very worried about Tamron and Tokina, which generally produce better quality at less cost. Indeed, that may be why Sigma seems to be going "all in" on the Art series.

I think Sigma is doing the only thing they can do, at this stage. They have a reputation of supplying low cost, half good lenses, with unreliable AF. If you could find a good copy, they showed that their designs were OK, but that was a gamble.

With the Art series, they are trying to change that perception. And to do so they have to improve quality and they have to play in the World Series. A World Series team comes with a price. In the world of cars we have plenty of examples. Audi is probably the best, but you also have Lexus, Infinity and the rest of them. But instead of inventing a new brand, Sigma has called it Art.

Unless they get very high volumes of both the 35 and the 50 Arts (which I believe they will), I don´t believe they make much money. If they do (at lower volumes), I believe it´s because they have too wide tolerances in their production line and they will fail.

But if we assume that Art is a genuine high quality product, they can introduce lower quality product lines later, at volume consumer price levels and people will feel they buy quality, just like Canon does. Their lack of licensed AF from Canon (and Nikon as far as I know), may well be compensated for by the smart USB dock.

 

[ahsanford]

I think Sigma has started on a trail that will be a lot more threatening to Canon than a Nikon 800E or a Sony A7r. They are going straight to the heart of Canon supremacy and offer top notch lenses at half price.

I sort of agree and sort of disagree.

...

Clearly the "art" series is going after consumers with a high amount of discretionary dollars and I wonder how many of those consumers are price-sensitive. I think it is a gamble and I wish them well, but I don't think there is any guarantee that their products will find a market.

...

Actually, if I were Sigma I would be very worried about Tamron and Tokina, which generally produce better quality at less cost. Indeed, that may be why Sigma seems to be going "all in" on the Art series.

And I have to disagree with you. Name me one Tamron lens that has even a quarter of the rapturous praise and accolades that the Sigma Art lenses have amassed. Personally, I've heard of their 24-70 F/2.8 IS and the 150-600, as well as their superzooms for APS-C, but none of those have people shaking their heads in disbelief like the two Sigma Art primes have done.

Sigma is not going after high discretionary dollars shooters with their Art glass -- the Art lenses are not for enthusiasts only. They are going after pros and non-pros who want the best possible (autofocusing) lenses for their bodies. The relative value of those Art lenses -- the performance to their price -- is flat-out spectacular.

I see Tamron very differently, as a competent but ultimately 2nd-tier lens designer that is getting by solely on price and the odd portfolio gap. That's what Sigma was doing for years, and I give them credit for bravely attempting to evolve out of that position. Sigma has reinvented their image as not only punching their weight against L glass but (in some instances) significantly outperforming it.

Keep in mind I only own Canon glass. But those two Sigma primes have me considering their products now. I challenge Tamron to similarly show me something that will have me hold them in equal regard -- I haven't seen it yet.

- A

 

[Canon 14-24]

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.

Incorrect. If that was the case of saturation why is Canon still pushing out a bunch of powershots, rebels, and kit lens improvements with STM? While Nikon, Sony, and Sigma for example have been releasing new pro-consumer lenses and products?

 

[ahsanford]

Unless they get very high volumes of both the 35 and the 50 Arts (which I believe they will), I don´t believe they make much money. If they do (at lower volumes), I believe it´s because they have too wide tolerances in their production line and they will fail.

Wow. I guess I am in a minority when I think that Sigma will make a great deal of money both directly and indirectly from the 50 Art. Other than a few folks who want to debate some of the more subjective attributes (draw/color/bokeh) of a lens, that lens is perceived by many as a non-trivial upgrade over both the 50L and the venerable Canon 50 1.4. Reviews are nearly universally positive about this lens.

I don't see that lens as a last attempt to succeed at all. I see that lens as a huge opportunity for them to make money, get the industry's attention and then deliver with a product that matches the hype, and in so doing, build trust with photographers.

- A

 

[ahsanford]

I realize that you can't report on something that isn't happening, but I also note the high percentage of recycled rumors and the frequency that this site gets scooped by Photorumors when there is Canon-related news.

Oh great, another rumor website / time hole for me to sink my disposable time into ...

Unfocused isn't wrong. CR is not the only show in town, and Photo Rumors often scoops them for first word of Canon developments.

To save time, though I only use this forum for discussion, I do use a news aggregator to read all of the rumors sites as one convenient 'gear newspaper'. Between PR, CR, Canon Watch, SLR Lounge, PetaPixel, Canon Price Watch, LensRentals Blog, PhotoZone, Lens Tip, etc. it's easy to stay on top of announcements, rumors, reviews and new test data with a few clicks.

#geardiscussionsyndromeisthenewgearacquisitionsyndrome

- A

 

[IsaacImage]

14-24 por favor

One more for that one pls !

 

[Eldar]

Unless they get very high volumes of both the 35 and the 50 Arts (which I believe they will), I don´t believe they make much money. If they do (at lower volumes), I believe it´s because they have too wide tolerances in their production line and they will fail.

Wow. I guess I am in a minority when I think that Sigma will make a great deal of money both directly and indirectly from the 50 Art. Other than a few folks who want to debate some of the more subjective attributes (draw/color/bokeh) of a lens, that lens is perceived by many as a non-trivial upgrade over both the 50L and the venerable Canon 50 1.4. Reviews are nearly universally positive about this lens.

I don't see that lens as a last attempt to succeed at all. I see that lens as a huge opportunity for them to make money, get the industry's attention and then deliver with a product that matches the hype, and in so doing, build trust with photographers.

- A

Well, we can speculate about how profitable each of their lenses are, but we will never know.

One thing they have to do to win me over is to deliver the lenses I listed (or something similar), deliver consistent quality And add weather sealing. It is unthinkable for me to sell my L-glass for anything without weather sealing. The current Sigma lenses I have now are bought more from curiosity than need.

 

[dufflover]

I like the picture used in this rumour lol

And yes I'd say Sigma (and lesser extent Tamron) has been the one making this the "Year of the Lens" (regardless of who/where/how that rumour came to be).

It is a pity Sigma may never really get the recognition the lenses deserve because of the long-standard "Canon" and "Nikon" brand.

 

[Marsu42]

Between PR, CR, Canon Watch, SLR Lounge, PetaPixel, Canon Price Watch, LensRentals Blog, PhotoZone, Lens Tip, etc.

Do you feel this makes a difference? 9x zero is still zero if Canon is very secretive and doesn't "leak" products as a marketing instrument, and their manufacturing process also doesn't seem to be so special that new products can be predicted by parts. Sometimes I really feel sorry for CR's main site, nice forum, but nothing really unique to post except "7d2 might be in the queue".

 

[LSV]

No doubt the source must have said "Fiscal Year of the Lens," but CR guy got too excited and only heard Year of the Lens.

 

[ewg963]

14-24 por favor

2nd that

 

[slclick]

EF mount 'Year of the Lens'

There, I corrected it for everyone

 

[Lee Jay]

The lifecycle of lenses and camera bodies are about to get a lot longer in my opinion.

About to? I haven't upgraded a body since 2005!