Have several questions.. How often has Canon come out with a new
lens or updated lens? When was the last time Canon introduced a new
or updated version of a lens. Is there a chance that other large
FL Primes in the DO format are in the making? What does everyone
expect in the way of Canon lenses to be released this September?
Cheers, Jerry
Canon has averaged, since 2000, about 5 new or updated lenses per year, depending on what you call a "new" lens. For example in 2004 they released two version of the EF-S 18-55mm lens, one with USM and one without. The next year they released Mk II versions of each of them.
For the first few years after conversion to the EF mount from the FD mount Canon was really busy, with 13 lenses the first year and 8 the next, and 35 lenses in the first 4 years with the new mount.
The following list lumps new and updated lenses together, sometimes there is a real question of if the lens is a new design or just an update.
1987: 2 L, 11 non-L
1988: 3 L, 5 non-L
1989: 5 L, 0 non-L
1990: 0 L, 9 non-L
1991: 5 L, 6 non-L
1992: 1 L, 7 non-L
1993: 4 L, 4 non-L
1994: No new lenses
1995: 1 L, 8 non-L, of note 5 non-L lenses this year are Mk II and Mk III versions of existing lenses.
1996: 5 L, 3 non-L
1997: 2 L, 0 non-L
1998: 2 L, 3 non-L
1999: 5 L, 5 non-L, this was the big year of IS being added to the long L primes, and 4 of the non-Ls are just updates.
2000: 0 L, 6 non-L
2001: 2 L, 1 non-L, the only non-L this year is the 400mm f4 DO, definitely not a consumer lens.
2002: 1 L, 3 non-L
2003: 1 L, 3 non-L
2004: 1 L, 6 non-L, this was the year of introduction for the EF-S mount, 4 of the 6 non-Ls are EF-S and 1 other is the 70-300 DO IS
2005: 1 L, 4 non-L, 3 of the 4 non-Ls are EF-S and two of those are just Mk IIs
Already for 2006: 1 L, 1 non-L (EF-S)
Loosely basing any projections for the rest of the year on the above, I would say we will not see any more Ls this year. We may see a couple more lenses, but they will be non-L.
Of course, there is the other way of looking at it, Canon has not made any major contributions to the L line in almost 10 years, so maybe this would be the year for kicking out all those L updates....but I don't think so. I would, however, be glad to be wrong.
T!
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