Canon shutting down third party lens manufacturers

Canon shutting down third party lenses for it new R camera line. Canon is using patent infringement to stop third party companies from producing lenses that could be used on their new cameras.

 

Canon has the right of course; it is their design and patents. This of course will provide only one source for lenses unless you use Canons adapter for the older style lenses. It will ensure Canon won’t have competition in the lens market for their R mount lenses.

 

Is it a good thing for Canon or will it deter photographers who are already feeling priced out of the new Canon Professional Mirrorless line from continuing with Canon when the time comes to give up the old 5D line? The new R5 and R3 are a bit pricey for some and the new high-end lenses are up there too.

 

Now of course there are a lot of photographers who have no problem with the higher prices attributing it to inflation, and to a point this is true, and Canon does make good gear.

 

For me, I am on my 7th Canon camera body, and I have purchased a good amount of Canon lenses though I will admit it has been nice to try other third-party lenses too. I have purchased a couple Sigma lenses, a Tamron and a Tokina. It’s nice trying different stuff and sometimes it is for something I don’t have a spare $2500 laying around to drop on a lens so a $1400 third party lens that has great image quality gives me a chance to play with a lens I may never play with otherwise.

 

I will admit, I am not Daddy War Bucks. So really, I may never have bought that Canon 85mm f/1.2 new for a long time, but the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 was about half the price and was comfortably within reach. This lens gives me beautiful images. It is a tool.

 

Now I have been dreaming of a new R5 as my next camera and maybe a couple new R lenses to start and of course I still have my old lenses. But it would be nice to know I would have the option to pick up a cool third-party lens if I so desired. Well, it looks like I wouldn’t have that option for a long time moving to the new Canon line.

 

Then I look at Nikon, they are actively helping third party lens manufacturer make lenses for their new line. And there is Sony...plenty of choices. If people make the move to another brand camera, will they ever come back, or how long till they would?

 

So, do you think this is a smart move for Canon? Is it a good move?

Not a smart move, but it may not matter in the general "collapse" of the equivalents of the old SLR. I'm not at all confident that photography as we knew it won't go the way the glass-plate cameras.

 

They'll have to pry my mirror-SLR from my cold, dead hands, or some sucho_O

 

I have used a huge variety of cameras from 4x5 graflexes to Nikon, Pentax, and Canon, not to mention Leica and Contax. Even the Kiev and FED. I love almost all of them although I still have reservations about the Kodak Signet 35!

Depends on the reason. Some sources suggest this is temporary. However, if it's not temporary, it tempt me to go elsewhere. I've owned Canon bodies since an FTb I bought 50 years ago, and I've owned 5 Canon DSLRs. Right now, all of my lenses are Canon, but I might not want that to be true in the future. Moreover, the lack of 3rd party lenses will allow Canon to keep the price of R-mount lenses very high. For example, the RF equivalent costs 20% more than my EF 70-200 f/4 L II, a superb and pricey lens.

 

In response to age, I've been looking at lighter alternatives to my FF Canon kit. I'd been considering the R7, even though it's bit of a disappointment because of its mediocre EVF and the complete lack of high quality RF-S lenses. This may be the end of the road for my considering that option.

Apparently, Nikon and Sony license third-party lens makers to make lenses for their cameras. Maybe Canon will do the same?

Canon Confirms It's Going After Lens Makers for Patent Infringement

Let's hope.

I thought a few 3rd party makers actually got some sort of licensing from Canon, that was used to explain why some of the unlicensed ("reverse engineered") lenses lost compatibility as new models were released. But what do I know. I have an EOS M5 and adapters for EF/EF-S and FD(!) and frankly, the R series I find a bit extravagant. So my poll answer said it could affect my decision, but that's a decision I'm realistically not too likely to be making.

I thought a few 3rd party makers actually got some sort of licensing from Canon, that was used to explain why some of the unlicensed ("reverse engineered") lenses lost compatibility as new models were released. But what do I know. I have an EOS M5 and adapters for EF/EF-S and FD(!) and frankly, the R series I find a bit extravagant. So my poll answer said it could affect my decision, but that's a decision I'm realistically not too likely to be making.

If that is the case and a company like Sigma was still in the game then than that would be reassuring to me.

They'll have to pry my mirror-SLR from my cold, dead hands, or some sucho_O

 

;):rolleyes: I will be bummed when my DSLR no longer works and becomes " not repairable."

When I was a kid, half of my (not many) lenses for my AE-1 were by Kiron; I didn't have the money for 'real Canon', and if there had not been Kiron (or Vivitar, Sigma, etc) lenses I simply wouldn't have had a 28mm lens. If that had been because Canon hadn't allowed it, I'd have read about that in Amateur Photographer, and bought a Nikon camera in the first place.

What I have now is an EOS M50, and again a small kit of lenses, including some of my old ones on adapters, like Dave_thomas. I love it, and don't see myself wanting a full-frame mirrorless in the future. I have never owned a DSLR (I spent those years using ever-older film cameras), and one of the things I dislike about them is how *big* they are, so the last thing I want is 'like this, but bigger'.

One of the lenses I have for the M50 is a 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2; it's manual-focus but native to the EOS-M mount. It's Chinese, and I try to avoid buying Chinese stuff, because of the abuses against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang; but I did buy this, and I love using it. Canon doesn't offer anything like it, and for what it cost me I could hardly have got a lens *case* from Canon.

With the prices for camera and comparable lenses I would rather go to Fuji GFX than Canon mirrorless.

With the prices for camera and comparable lenses I would rather go to Fuji GFX than Canon mirrorless.

Ah, the sky is the limit if one is starting from scratch, but I tend to be an incrementalist.** I bought the EOS M5 with the 18-150 zoom as a kit, and added the adapters to my accessories bag. I have an EOS 40D with which I used an original EF 24-70 f/2.8 L lens. That lens works on the M5 with an adapter -- even if the camera looks like some sort of oversize rear lens cap! :) I pretty frequently use the M5 with an adapted Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 on it.

 

I'll add that I haven't yet done much with it, but have acquired a 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 manual macro lens for the M5 collection -- original intent being to use it to do quick 24 megapixel scans of negatives.

 

** "Cheap!"

"Modern" equipment is becoming bloated , just like Computer software with "features" that are not wanted or needed.

The point is moot for me however , as good modern new camera's are priced way above my pay grade :D.

It a good move on Canon part. You will see Canon will benefit greatly because of this although they piss off some of their customers now but in the future they will gain customers because of this. It would take perhaps 10 years to see the effect.

It a good move on Canon part. You will see Canon will benefit greatly because of this although they piss off some of their customers now but in the future they will gain customers because of this. It would take perhaps 10 years to see the effect.

 

Why would not having 3rd party lenses encourage more people to buy Canon 10 years from now?

 

Combine this with the lack of any high-quality RF-S lenses, and Canon has just given people (including me) a very good reason not to buy an R7.

Why would not having 3rd party lenses encourage more people to buy Canon 10 years from now?

 

Combine this with the lack of any high-quality RF-S lenses, and Canon has just given people (including me) a very good reason not to buy an R7.

Don't buy if you think so. A lot of people were pissed off when Canon chose to abandon the FD lenses but that was the single decision that put Canon where it is today. Right now Canon is threatened by Sony in the mirrorless world and this decison to shut down third party lenses will be the single most important decision to keep Canon on top.

Just wait and see.

Looking at my Nikon DSLR camera bag, the majority of lenses for general photography are third party (initially exclusively Sigma, now Tamrons are in the majority). Equal or sometime even better performance than the Nikon offerings at often substantially lower prices. Or lenses Nikon doesn't even make - like the Tamron 35-150/2.8-4. Including the more specialized tele lenses, there's almost parity between Nikon and third party in my bags. Though a company that blocks third party lenses from being used on their cameras won't get my money; it's a deal breaker.

OMG what is Yongnuo going to do now !?

A lot of people were pissed off when Canon chose to abandon the FD lenses but that was the single decision that put Canon where it is today. Right now Canon is threatened by Sony in the mirrorless world and this decison to shut down third party lenses will be the single most important decision to keep Canon on top.

 

You didn't answer my question.

 

The shift from FD to EF is analogous to the shift from EF to RF and has nothing to do with allowing or not allowing third party lenses. Canon did allow 3rd party lenses when it used the EF mount.

 

I can see reasons for this if it's short term--one claim is that they are still tweaking the R interface--but if is going to be their policy long term, it can only help their competitors. With the release of Tamron's first Z mount lens recently, Canon has been left alone: all of the major competitors in the mirrorless market now allow third party lenses (Olympus, Panasonic, Fuji, Sony, and Nikon).

 

I am very reluctant to switch brands because I have a lot invested in lenses and peripherals for the Canon systems, and their ergonomics and menus are excellent and are second nature to me now. However, those are sunk costs, and this may be enough to stop me from investing further going forward.

Is Canon also changing lens mounts on the Cinema lines of cameras?

I can only say that if I were starting from scratch, I'd look elsewhere. Seriously stupid move by Canon.

A public school does not have deep pockets. So they have to be frugal in spending money.

The yearbook class had both Canon and Tamron/Sigma lenses. The Tamron/Sigma lenses helped to stretch their limited budget.

 

Until this is clarified I am waiting.

If Canon definitely will NOT allow 3rd party RF lenses, then I will NOT recommend Canon R cameras for schools.

Pity because 2 of the 3 photo groups at my school (yearbook and journalism) are Canon dSLR shops. Sports Leadership is a Nikon shop.

 

The problem for Canon is, if an organization jumps ship, from Canon dSLR to Nikon, Sony or Fuji mirrorless, it is very unlikely that they will later switch to Canon mirrorless.

That is the same reason why the yearbook class stayed with Canon and did not switch to Nikon, when I came on-board. Switching systems is painful. As much as I wanted to switch to Nikon, the best decision for the school, was to stay with Canon.

Canon has confirmed that its upcoming lens is developed, manufactured and sold under the license agreement with Nikon Corporation, leaving Canon as the only major manufacturer to not license its mirrorless mount.

Source: https://petapixel.com/2022/09/06/canon-confirms-its-going-after-lens-makers-for-patent-infringement/https://petapixel.com/2022/09/06/canon-confirms-its-going-after-lens-makers-for-patent-infringement/.

Assuming that if this going to be their policy going forward I can't see how this will do anything to help their bottom line. Most prosumer photographers will not like the inability to use other lenses.  It seems they are shooting themselves in the foot needlessly.  The ability to use 3rd party lenses seems to make mirrorless cameras more, not loess attractive.