Canon has been impressing with their RF lenses, which offer fantastic image quality and push the boundaries of design to interesting and useful new heights. They look like they are showing no signs of stopping, with news of more new designs being readied for announcement popping up on the radar.
Canon Rumors is reporting that Canon is readying another two lenses for announcement, the RF 70-400mm f/5.6-7.1 IS USM and the RF 16mm f/2.8. Both these lenses will be non-L, which is definitely good news for a lot of shooters, as while the RF line has been highly impressive, most of its lenses have also been quite expensive, and third-party manufacturers have not created many options yet. While f/7.1 is a fairly narrow maximum aperture, the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM has been very well received, and with the advanced autofocus and high-ISO capabilities of modern bodies, such apertures are not as limiting as they might have been a decade ago. Recently, well-known and reliable rumors channel Nokishita reported a RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM in the pipeline soon, which will surely be a highly popular option, much like its EF counterpart. We'll see what the coming news brings!
The 70-400mm f7.1 is somewhat disappointing.
I have been hoping that Canon would introduce new lenses that emphasize large apertures, greater focal length range (zoom x factor), and longer focal lengths, hopefully making new versions of lenses even faster or a bit longer than they were previously.
In other words, put more awesomeness out there, even if it't at a higher price and heavier weight. Like, make the new 100-400mm equivalent be 80-420mm and f5.0 instead of 100-400mm and f5.6. And make it $3900 and 5 pounds instead of $2500 and 4 pounds.
Instead, Canon is doing the opposite - they are making lenses that have smaller apertures than their EF versions, at reduced weight and relatively lower prices.
Make a lens that is awesomest at taking photos in challenging conditions, and I will find a way to pay for it and a way to carry around the extra weight. Make a lens light and affordable, but that struggles to blow out messy backgrounds, and I will be left feeling horrible about the photos that are good, but could have been better.
I am far more interested in how much and how beautifully a background is blurred out than I am in how heavy a lens is, or how little it costs.
I just hope that after this outbreak of telephotos with small apertures for cheaper prices, that Canon eventually finds their way again and starts making lenses that are even awesomer than the long-time "standard lenses", even though they will be a lot bigger, heavier, and more expensive. The better image quality will be well worth it to some of us.
I don’t think incremental changes like you’re suggesting are worth a price increase of 50%. Canon will likely release two other lenses to round out a faster “Holy Trinity” of zoom lenses to compliment their awesome 28-70 f2, including something like a 70-180 f/2 and an ultrawide f/2 option.
You seem to have missed the RF 400/2.8 and RF 600/4 announcements. If you want fast long lens, stop looking at a 70-400/7.1 and go for those. Laws of physics and optics can't be changed. They can reduce the weight of some materials, revise the optical formulas somehow, but you're not going to get any crazy different lenses anymore.
No, I didn't miss those announcements at all. But those are 'standard' lenses that have been around for years and years and years.
I am talking about Canon releasing 'new' lenses in focal length / aperture combinations that we haven't had before. One can go two ways with such new lenses - shorter focal lengths or smaller apertures than we have always had, to reduce size, weight, and cost - OR - longer focal lengths and larger apertures, to maximize performance in challenging conditions (at the expense of greater size, weight, and cost).
I much prefer that Canon would go with the latter of those two directions, but of course MOST PEOPLE want economy over everything else. Either economy of dollars or economy of handling. Most people are willing to sacrifice a little bit of image quality or performance in order to have smaller, lighter, and more affordable lenses. And of course 'most people' will win out over me and the very small minority or customers that I represent.
Again, I am only talking about 'new' lens designs in focal length / aperture combinations that we have never seen before. OF COURSE we will always have the old standbys like the 70-200 f2.8, 100-400 f5.6, 300 f2.8, 400 f2.8, 500 f4, 600 f4, and 800mm f5.6
Don't be so sure about that. The RF mount size greatly opened up the possibilities of more unique lenses with bigger apertures.