5D Mark II
The 5D Mark II currently has an instant $500 rebate in Canada.
I do not recall ever seeing that big of a rebate on a camera body. The 800 f/5.6 which costs about 5 times more than a 5D Mark II has a $1000 rebate.
I've received some info about a new Hybrid camera for September that is a giant leap forward.
I'm not saying 5D Mark III, but that's a big rebate for an “affordable” camera.
D700 replacement imminent?
60D
Various reports of reps saying a 60D is on the near horizon.
A lot more stores reporting a dried up inventory of 50D's and inability to get more.
100-400 Replacement
More reports of a 100-400 replacement.
I'm going to say it isn't coming based on past experience ordering products that are about to be replaced. The 100-400 is still very easy to get from Canon Canada.
I'll monitor this closely.
One thing that may suggest it's coming is Nikon is preparing a replacement of the 80-400 I'm told. If we go by the 70-200 f/2.8 replacements, we could expect Canon to upgrade theirs as well.
I will note the 100-400 is a massive seller for Canon as it sits.
500 f/5.6 or 600 f/5.6
I've heard a couple request for both of these lenses. With the ISO abilities of camera bodies now, why do we need to lug around f/4 supertelephotos?
A replacement of the 400 f/5.6L with a 500 f/5.6L IS makes a pile of sense. A lot of people take the 100-400 over the 400 prime. A 500 prime at f/5.6 could cost $3000-$4000 and sell very well.
A 600 f/5.6? A lot less likely. I'd expect to see a 600 DO first.
Canon G12
The next “G” will be CMOS equipped and shoot HD video. I'm told I can guarantee it. Not really a reach after seeing the SD4000. :)
Another suggestion is a form factor change and a better optical VF.
Gearing up for Rumor Season
A lot more little things are coming in now. Expect things to take off soon.
cr
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I own a 300 f/2.8 L and it works quite well as a 420 f/4 and 600 f/5.6 as well. But putting on and taking off TCs as I walk around Watkins Glen raceway is a pain.
So what I want is a 200/250-500 f/2.8-4 that takes a 1.4x TC extremely well. I might go as high as $10,000 for one from Canon. Given Sigma’s 120-300 and 300-800, I’m amazed that they haven’t introduced a 200-500 f/4 as well. I’ve certainly asked them enough times.
300mm f/2.8 with the 1.4x is virtually indistinguishable from the lens alone. Very good combination with pretty much no degradation visible without some heavy pixel peeping.
With the 2x. . . it gets a little iffy in my opinion. Manual focusing just doesn’t snap. Back in my newspaper days, I can remember pulling film off the reel and being able to tell exactly where I switched to the 2x because of a noticeable loss in contrast.
The last year I worked in news, I only used the 2x once: at a hostage situation where the police kept us back a full block away from the house. I got to where I would rather crop the neg than deal with the flat contrast.
I’m sick of waiting for the rumored 60D.
There was a price drop in the 5D MK II kit prices, and I think the body only price too of about 250€ from the German price lists available on canon.de
Not a rebate as a such but a drop in price – I still paid less than the lower list price after asking for a discount :) so I’m happy – at the same time the online prices checked via idealo.de seem to have stayed the same.
But there was a price drop.
On that note – they are possibly dropping the profit margin on the 5D MK II.
I don’t think these cameras were discontinued due to any particular shortcomings. Color rendition was slightly different shooting through the mirror, but nothing that’s not easily corrected in the scanning process.
The EOS RT was part of the EOS 620/630/650 series and, if I remember right, was announced as sort of a “limited edition.” However, the RT was fairly readily available the whole time this series was in production.
The 1NRS was a specialty camera and probably limited in production run. It was expensive (about $2000.00 when conventional pro SLR’s topped out at around $800.00) and specialized. There has been a pellix version of every Canon Pro film SLR (F-1, New F-1, and EOS 1).
I don’t think these cameras were so much discontinued as they were just part of camera lines that were superseded by other lines.