Is this all that Canon is announcing?

[geoff_foale]

In reply to Mark. I was rather hoping for something around 500mm to COMPETE with the Sigma lenses, by which I meant around $2000/$3000. Something which I could realistically dream about. As an alternative I would accept an update on the 400mm including the addition of IS. Or, Louie's suggestion.

 

Canon have a selection of excellent lenses in the short to medium range but have a bit of a gap at the larger affordable lens sizes. Sigma are trying to fill this gap but I think Canon could do it better.

 

On a UK wildlife site I see that some people are suggesting that the new Canon 450D is trying to cram in too many pixels and tends to give a noisy image above ISO 200. Any comments?

[rtrace]

"Yes, Jim, and the same case could be made for my 20d. Really, could anyone ever tell the difference in image quality from one to another?"

 

If shooting at ISO 800 and higher, absolutely.

[mark_chappell]

<I>In reply to Mark. I was rather hoping for something around 500mm to COMPETE with the

Sigma lenses</i><P>

 

Sigma makes a nice 500/4.5, which has good AF but is slightly slower than the Canon 500/4

and lacks stabilization. Its current B&H price is $4200, or about 25% less than the Canon

(which has better specs). I'd say that in this category, Brand C is HIGHLY competitive with

Brand S. I don't think you can realistically hope for a $2000-$3000 high-quality 500 mm

unless it's f5.6 or thereabouts. There's always the used market...

[anson_ko]

I think canon is redesigning their 5D2 to compete with Nikon D3 with high ISO. Therefore, they dont' announance the 5D2 this time. IMO

[25asa]

WHat I'd like to see are some improved wide angle primes to compete with Nikon's versions. Also I'd love to see a 50mm f2 lens that is designed to be the sharpest lens period, but also with 8 to 10 aperture leaves to give the kind of boque Leica gives. Then they can dump the 50 f1.8 lens.

[jason_hall4]

Scott, I agree, I think there should be a much better mid range 50mm offered. The 8 or 10 leaf aperture sounds great, but I am not holding my breath. But I do not think most folks want to see the fantastic plastic(50mm f1.8) go away.

 

Jason

[shuo_zhao]

>>"Also I'd love to see a 50mm f2 lens that is designed to be the sharpest lens period, but also with 8 to 10 aperture leaves to give the kind of boque Leica gives. Then they can dump the 50 f1.8 lens."

 

They can dump the 50 f/1.8 if the 50 f/2 is cheap enough, otherwise they should keep the nifty fifty as a cheap option.

[dogbert]

How about a high quality 28 f1.8 or a 35 f2 with USM? To me it is unforgivable that all of Canon's wide angle primes are substantially compromised either with middling optics or lack of USM (with the exception of the unaffordable Ls).

 

You never hear a bad word about the 85/1.8, 100/2, 100/2.8 yet Canon can't or won't build equivalent wide lenses. Even the 50/1.4 gets mixed opinions. This is even more annoying with the proliferation of 1.6 cameras such that decent "wide" primes are even more needed.

 

Why couldn't we have gotten ring USM in the new 70-300 IS?

 

Every time Canon announces lenses like the 200 f2 or the 800 f5.6 I feel like Canon is giving me the bird.

[anthony_hicks]

I couldn't agree more Geoff.

[anson_ko]

Did Nikon announce any new product in this PMA?

[thomas_sullivan]

I too feel that Canon had planned on announcing the 5D2, but got caught off guard with Nikon's D300 and D3...different animals in different price ranges, but I don't think Canon was expecting it. and they probably wanted a killer machine to compete with the Nikon arrivals. Good choice....if that's what they did.....My opinion, of course, and I really have no idea how accurate my summation could be.....but, I did buy my 5D finally. It was more the price they got down to receently than anything Canon or Nikon did with their new camera line up.

 

The full frame is really nice. More than anything else, I am enjoying the narrow DOF again. Didn't realize how much I actually missed it, until I saw f/2 and f/1.4 captures with my 35mm and 50mm......so sweet.

[john_r._fulton_jr.]

What Nikon announced that is stunning aren't cameras. It's the 14-24mm f2.8 (full frame)

lens. THAT is a stunning piece of equipment. THAT is what Canon needs, in addition to a

20mm f1.4, but that's another story.

[conraderb]

I think that people really need to chill out. Now that Nikon and Canon are actually competing again (with Nikon's D3 and D300 - both very impressive), it will take a while for Canon to strike back. Product development takes YEARS. It's not like you can just retool everything in 6 months...

 

Sure, I want a 1D Mark One Million right now, but last time I checked, my 20D bodies work just as well today as the day I bought them.