Canon to stop producing new EF designs.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Guest
Canon looks to be ending the EF lenses. Given they require electronic iris, they may actually lose value vs old FD glass? Or a market may emerge for converting ef to manual iris. Who knows.

But looks like EF is on the way out, officially.

https://petapixel.com/2020/01/08/canon-done-making-ef-lenses-unless-photographers-demand-more/

I was never a big supporter of EF glass. Even when i had Canon bodies, i had converted lenses.

But now that EF is such a ubiquitous mount, it is quite odd seeing it start making its way for the door.
 
I think there's a big difference between "We're going to stop designing new EF lens designs unless people demand them" and "Canon looks to be ending the EF lenses."

I believe they're going to continue to make EF lenses, but I can definitely see why they'd stop designing new EF lenses while they roll out their RF mount. EF is already massively mature in terms of the lens designs they already have and RF isn't, so it makes sense to focus your optics design on the newer mount.

The truth is, EF is so ubiquitous now that the value of EF glass isn't going to take much of a hit at all for some time. Especially with Canon dropping new bodies (C500-II and 1DX III) that have an EF mount.
 
jbregar said:
I think there's a big difference between "We're going to stop designing new EF lens designs unless people demand them" and "Canon looks to be ending the EF lenses."

I believe they're going to continue to make EF lenses, but I can definitely see why they'd stop designing new EF lenses while they roll out their RF mount. EF is already massively mature in terms of the lens designs they already have and RF isn't, so it makes sense to focus your optics design on the newer mount.

The truth is, EF is so ubiquitous now that the value of EF glass isn't going to take much of a hit at all for some time. Especially with Canon dropping new bodies (C500-II and 1DX III) that have an EF mount.
Click to expand...

Plus for RF you don't have to compete with a second hand market that has tonnes and tonnes of EF lenses.
 
Also, mirrorless lens designs are liberated by not needing such a long flange length. I think that it enables superior lens designs in some cases (wide angles, especially?) That may be why we are seeing RF lens designs that were never produced for EF. So, I think that the most demanding users may gravitate towards mirrorless lenses over time.

Plus, the users who most benefit from an OVF (sports & journalists) don't need as much resolution anyway, and are probably well-served by the options already available. Or maybe Canon is betting that OVFs will become a thing of the past as EVF technology advances.
 
jbregar said:
I think there's a big difference between "We're going to stop designing new EF lens designs unless people demand them" and "Canon looks to be ending the EF lenses."
Click to expand...
There is also a big difference between “Canon looks to be...” and “Canon is...”


I believe they're going to continue to make EF.
Click to expand...

You don’t have to believe, Canon will continue to make EF lenses.


But for how long, is the question. Making the way to the door, doesn’t mean you’ll end up leaving, but it is still quite a statement.
 
It's a bit premature to say EF is "on the way out" based on this (or the previous) announcement.

If you click through to the actual interview, his statement is quite a bit softer (as is the analysis from the publication).

“As you know, last year we launched the RF mount and EOS R system," said Richard Shepherd, pro product marketing senior manager at Canon Europe. "To date we’ve launched ten critically acclaimed lenses, and as it’s a new system we plan to continue this, launching more RF lenses while still fully supporting the EF lens system. And of course, should the market demand it, we are ready to create new EF lenses. But for now, our focus is on RF.”

Also, considering the size of the Canon EF lens lineup, there's not a lot left there to develop... especially versus the RF mount where there are TEN total lenses available. Makes total sense to spend your development time there if you want people to take it seriously.

The actual statement is a lot softer than those clickbait-y headlines would lead on. EF isn't going anywhere anytime soon, they're just going to let the (massive) lens lineup stagnate a little while they build up the RF lineup.

I'll be worried about EF when there's both a C-line camera and an actual professional model with an RF mount. Instead we got both the C500-II and 1DX III with EF mounts.
 
jbregar said:
It's a bit premature to say EF is "on the way out" based on this (or the previous) announcement.

If you click through to the actual interview, his statement is quite a bit softer (as is the analysis from the publication).

“As you know, last year we launched the RF mount and EOS R system," said Richard Shepherd, pro product marketing senior manager at Canon Europe. "To date we’ve launched ten critically acclaimed lenses, and as it’s a new system we plan to continue this, launching more RF lenses while still fully supporting the EF lens system. And of course, should the market demand it, we are ready to create new EF lenses. But for now, our focus is on RF.”

Also, considering the size of the Canon EF lens lineup, there's not a lot left there to develop... especially versus the RF mount where there are TEN total lenses available. Makes total sense to spend your development time there if you want people to take it seriously.

The actual statement is a lot softer than those clickbait-y headlines would lead on. EF isn't going anywhere anytime soon, they're just going to let the (massive) lens lineup stagnate a little while they build up the RF lineup.

I'll be worried about EF when there's both a C-line camera and an actual professional model with an RF mount. Instead we got both the C500-II and 1DX III with EF mounts.
Click to expand...

Right, sorry. You are correct. What are we talking about again?
 
James0b57 said:
Right, sorry. You are correct. What are we talking about again?
Click to expand...

That the DSLR's are on the way out, which means that Sony will cease making the A-mount (which they have already, despite saying a couple of years ago that they would not), Canon the EF mount and Nikon the F-mount lenses and cameras. And, considering that EF works fine with R and F with Z, the transition for a lens collector should be an easy one.

And the manufacturers are up the creek anyway.
 
DLD said:
That the DSLR's are on the way out, which means that Sony will cease making the A-mount (which they have already, despite saying a couple of years ago that they would not), Canon the EF mount and Nikon the F-mount lenses and cameras. And, considering that EF works fine with R and F with Z, the transition for a lens collector should be an easy one.

And the manufacturers are up the creek anyway.
Click to expand...
Thank you DLD.
 
James0b57 said:
Thank you DLD.
Click to expand...

Quoting the Nikon Rumors quoting CIPA.


DSLR Units -33%
DSLR Shipped Value -42%
Mirrorless Units -5%
Mirrorless Shipped Value +6%
Compact Units -21%
Compact Shipped Value -17%
Click to expand...

Read more: https://nikonrumors.com/2020/01/10/cipas-november-report-is-out.aspx/#ixzz6AhdRmpSq

That "-42%" number speaks for itself. Mind you, that's just total revenues. With the manufacturing costs fairly stable, the profits must be pretty close to going from black to red.

Rough math

Year XX1 - manufacturing cost $600, wholesale price $1,000, operating profit $400, fixed expenses/overhead/R&D $300, net profit $100.

Year XX2 - manufacturing costs $600, wholesale price $580, operating loss $20, fixed expenses/overhead/R&D $300, net loss $320.
 
The one note/question about your declining math year-after-year is that I think none of these companies are expecting the industry to bounce back, so it's like why do they keep making different cameras if they are losing so much money?
 
NorBro said:
The one note/question about your declining math year-after-year is that I think none of these companies are expecting the industry to bounce back, so it's like why do they keep making different cameras if they are losing so much money?
Click to expand...

I think they're going to consolidate either by merging or by dropping out of the industry altogether and, naturally, they will be cutting the overhead and slashing the payrolls. Sony will probably be the last brand standing because they are making the majority of sensors anyway and there'll be enough demand to keep, at least, couple of plants open.

I mentioned in some other, similar, thread that the upcoming generation of smartphones with their 48-64-108 megapixel main sensors and 5X optical zooms (with upscaling into 30X, though above 10-15X, they can look blocky) will be a big test. On purely technical performance, aka pixel peeping, the ILC's will still be superior but it won't matter to a casual user/Facebook/Instagram poster one bit. If the units shipped don't collapse, then there's still a future for the ILC enthusiasts. If they do, it'll be a pro market only, maybe medium format and full frame.

On the positive side, a medium format 200 MPX camera will be selling for $1,500 in three year time
 
Speed photographers won't be using phones anytime soon, but once phones get shallow DOF dialed in - real with modules or fake with software, doesn't matter - it's just about a wrap for everything else.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top