Silence from the usual suspects on Canon's 'bad' news

photobunny

So a few weeks ago there was quite a tissy about Nikon possibly discontinuing the 500 PF and perhaps other F lenses and this was further sign that Nikon are about to go belly up. Yet we have a whole load of Canon lenses, including very popular models that are officially discontinued and due to be discontinued.

A wee bit petty I am sure, but where is the bad press and Canon are going belly up news?

Newly discontinued Lenses:

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM
Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM Macro
Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 IS STM Macro
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM
Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro

Lenses to be discontinued sometime in 2021:

Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM II
Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM II
Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM II

mhedges

This will be an unpopular opinion with some people here but I think the discontinuation of all DSLR product is a lot closer than folks think. Between the reduced demand and problems sourcing parts, its going to be a real struggle to justify continued production.

photobunny

@mhedges I agree fully that all DSLR's except perhaps save for a longer run D6 will just drop off. For starters you can see online shops putting the mirrorless stuff front and centre and reducing the DSLR lenses they sell.

One of the pro's for new consumers is less confusion and the choices all being new lenses. For a new customer to Canon or Nikon you can get overwhelmed with lenses and some of them are decades old being and still being sold.

The Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro is a good example, it is a very old, slow, and not particularly amazing lens. Yet Canon users have to frequently steer new users off to the 100mm macro.

WestEndFoto

photobunny said:

@mhedges I agree fully that all DSLR's except perhaps save for a longer run D6 will just drop off. For starters you can see online shops putting the mirrorless stuff front and centre and reducing the DSLR lenses they sell.

One of the pro's for new consumers is less confusion and the choices all being new lenses. For a new customer to Canon or Nikon you can get overwhelmed with lenses and some of them are decades old being and still being sold.

The Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro is a good example, it is a very old, slow, and not particularly amazing lens. Yet Canon users have to frequently steer new users off to the 100mm macro.

I would consider the 180 based purely on its focal length unless it was optically inferior by a wide margin. The current Nikon is a good example. I have the 200 f/4.0 macro. Is the 105 2.8 Macro a little better optically? Yes, but the focal length is a deal breaker.

snakebunk

@photobunny, I have a guess: Unlike Nikon, Canon has been clear that they will focus 100% on mirorrless. Maybe that is why people are not surprised and don't make a fuss out of discontinued DSLR products.

PB_PM

Canon did announce last year that they would be cutting back on DSLR products, so it’s not a surprise. Likely all low volume items now days.

photobunny

snakebunk said:

@photobunny, I have a guess: Unlike Nikon, Canon has been clear that they will focus 100% on mirorrless. Maybe that is why people are not surprised and don't make a fuss out of discontinued DSLR products.

Nikon made a similar announcement not so long ago and backed it up with the announcement of the Z9.

snakebunk

@photobunny: Ok, I don't follow the photo news very well. But I do remember at some point Canon being very clear that mirrorless is the future while Nikon insisted that they would continue to support DSLRs. Anyhow, I am happy if Nikon is also more clear on the direction now.

Capt_Spaulding

I can't help but think that the phenomenon stems not from their product line, but from the existence of a lot of Nikon haters in the photographic community. Nikon was for decades the "prestige" marque among Japanese 35mm SLR makers. I couldn't afford one and got diverted to Minolta. I found my SR-T and X body Minoltas to be quite good cameras, but I always thought the guys parading around with their motor drive Nikons were pretentious snobs.

I think a number of folks out there may just be looking for a signal that the king is mortal and celebrating when they can find something that supports their prejudices.

MrFotoFool

I was reading CanonRumors the last few days and some are saying Nikon is Canon's main rival for DSLR while Sony is Nikon's main rival for mirrorless (as things stand right now). However they were also saying they hope Nikon (and Sony) continue to produce mirrorless offerings because competition is good for consumers and will result in better Canon products for them.

One thing is clear: 2021 is the year both Canon and Nikon are going all in on mirrorless and starting to cut the cord on DSLR.

snakebunk

I think Nikon should sell F mount stuff as long as it causes no problems and they make a profit out of it, but I really hope they spend zero r&d hours on it. I want to see a mirrorless war .

photobunny

@snakebunk there is a benefit to dropping F lenses completely. Mostly in reducing spare parts, training, and customer confusion. Some of those lenses Canon just dropped are quite new and popular like the 24-70 f/4

mhedges

snakebunk said:

@photobunny: Ok, I don't follow the photo news very well. But I do remember at some point Canon being very clear that mirrorless is the future while Nikon insisted that they would continue to support DSLRs. Anyhow, I am happy if Nikon is also more clear on the direction now.

There was a fairly recent rumor that stated there would be two F mount bodies (presumably the D850 replacement + one more) and "several" F mount lenses released in 2021. I think there will be a D850 update but as for the rest - I'll believe it when I see it.

But they do seem to be supporting DSLR at least to some extent; more than Canon is anyway.

PB_PM

snakebunk said:

I want to see a mirrorless war .

It started years ago, get with the times.

snakebunk

@PB_PM: You are correct. But I am looking forward to the first battle between the pro models, Nikon Z9, Canon R3 and Sony A1. This is when there are no excuses no more.

mhedges

Anyone see the "RF" 400 2.8 or 600 F4? They sure as heck look like the EF versions with a built in adapter on the end.

photobunny

mhedges said:

Anyone see the "RF" 400 2.8 or 600 F4? They sure as heck look like the EF versions with a built in adapter on the end.

I did see them. Now the EF versions are brand new and light weight, but it is a little disappointing they are basically just replacing shoving in a built in adapter. Though I am very interested in the rumoured 200-500mm f/4.0 and hope that Nikon takes a page out of Canon's book and makes a 180-500 instead of a 180-400 for the Z mount.

mhedges

photobunny said:

mhedges said:

Anyone see the "RF" 400 2.8 or 600 F4? They sure as heck look like the EF versions with a built in adapter on the end.

I did see them. Now the EF versions are brand new and light weight, but it is a little disappointing they are basically just replacing shoving in a built in adapter. Though I am very interested in the rumoured 200-500mm f/4.0 and hope that Nikon takes a page out of Canon's book and makes a 180-500 instead of a 180-400 for the Z mount.

I'm struggling with why anyone would by the RF version over the EF, given that they are basically the same and the EF can of course be used on Canon's DSLR's as well. Which presumably a potential buyer of one of those lenses would have. I don't see the adapter really being that big of an issue since these lenses typically aren't handheld and even when they are they aren't held by the camera body.

photobunny

mhedges said:

photobunny said:

mhedges said:

Anyone see the "RF" 400 2.8 or 600 F4? They sure as heck look like the EF versions with a built in adapter on the end.

I did see them. Now the EF versions are brand new and light weight, but it is a little disappointing they are basically just replacing shoving in a built in adapter. Though I am very interested in the rumoured 200-500mm f/4.0 and hope that Nikon takes a page out of Canon's book and makes a 180-500 instead of a 180-400 for the Z mount.

I'm struggling with why anyone would by the RF version over the EF, given that they are basically the same and the EF can of course be used on Canon's DSLR's as well. Which presumably a potential buyer of one of those lenses would have. I don't see the adapter really being that big of an issue since these lenses typically aren't handheld and even when they are they aren't held by the camera body.

Personally and excluding my 500mm PF, I wouldn't buy a new EF or F lens today. It is less a issue on EF as their adapter doesn't have a stupid wart, but even then you would end up with four tele converters and it is a bother swapping lenses and adaptors(more an issue with events than super tele's).

The AF may also be markably different or otherwise optimised for mirrorless, perhaps optimised for 30 FPS instead of 20 FPS, or even that you are just left with a 'old' lens.

mhedges

photobunny said:

Personally and excluding my 500mm PF, I wouldn't buy a new EF or F lens today. It is less a issue on EF as their adapter doesn't have a stupid wart, but even then you would end up with four tele converters and it is a bother swapping lenses and adaptors(more an issue with events than super tele's).

The AF may also be markably different or otherwise optimised for mirrorless, perhaps optimised for 30 FPS instead of 20 FPS, or even that you are just left with a 'old' lens.

Fair enough. I didn't consider TC's. And sure there may be some internal changes. The RF versions don't have the focus distance window the EF lenses do - that makes me think they have been reworked for focus-by-wire like all the other RF lenses (and basically all first party mirrorless AF lenses).