Canon Permanently Drops Price On Most ‘L’ Glass,

[Donald]

PetaPixel's blog is carrying the following. Some folks may already have seen it here or elsewhere.

http://petapixel.com/2014/09/01/cano...-up-to-33-off/

"It looks like Canon is looking to move some inventory — or at the very least score some brownie points with its users — because over the weekend, Canon announced a new permanent price drop on a vast selection of lenses, with discounts ranging from 5% to 33% off. ...."

[pnodrog]

I do not have any money at the moment (unfortunately this is not a particularly unusual state) but when (if) I do I hope Nikon will have followed suit...

[chauncey]

I realize that Canon's profit margin doesn't come from the upper-end gear users but, I do wish that
they would release an upper end body or two.

[HaseebM]

From what I read they were offering discounts to professional Canon users and they have classified 'pro users'. Requirements like must own 1D and four L lenses which should be registered through their site, are the one's qualified.

[DanK]

From what I read they were offering discounts to professional Canon users and they have classified 'pro users'. Requirements like must own 1D and four L lenses which should be registered through their site, are the one's qualified.

I haven't seen any sign of this in the US. The new prices appear to be available to everyone. Check the links in the article Donald posted--they take you directly to the BH Photo website, where the new prices are listed.

Canon does offer service discounts to professionals (CPS), and eligibility for the various CPS levels requires owning a fair amount of professional equipment.

[HaseebM]

Thanks DanK, I will check again but I feel bad having already bought two of their L lenses before this.

[JR1]

Typically no such luck with Nikon

[inkista]

Here's the Canon USA page with the full listing and prices:

http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/s...ay/lens_prices

(found on dpreview).

The biggest substantial price drop on a lens you might actually buy is probably the 24-70/4L IS USM which dropped $500 from $1499 to $999.

[Mike Buckley]

Would now be a good time for we Nikon users to suggest that if ya can't compete on quality, ya better compete on price?

Seriously, can you imagine how someone felt spending $1500 on a lens a month ago that they could have gotten today for only $1000? Conversely, imagine someone putting off selling their glass for the last few months to realize how much the value of it has suddenly dropped.

[Glenn NK]

I bought an EF 70-200 f/2.8 Mark II two weeks ago at my local brick and mortar store. The competing store of similar size sells this lens for the same price.

My price at the local dealer was $2,200 CAD

The new price is $2,299 US

The current exchange rate is 1.09 CAD = 1.00 US, so if I'd bought online it would have cost me $2,506 CAD, plus a brokerage fee plus a trip across the city to pick it up (couriers only come when I'm not at home).

This is why I don't shop online for camera gear - it's too expensive.

On another forum, someone was complaining that our prices in Canada were higher than in the US - Seriously?

As the old song goes, "my Momma said you better shop around".

http://www.metrolyrics.com/shop-arou...-robinson.html

Glenn

PS -for you other Canucks, where I deal will sell online and ship it to you from Victoria BC.

[NorthernFocus]

Look out for next gen lenses being announced in the next few months. They'll get a sales kick from this then get another boost when the new gear comes out and nobody wants the old stuff at retail prices.

The next big thing (already arrived) in big prime lenses appears to be the lighter weight glass. I believe Canon is already ahead of Nikon in deploying that. I wonder if they're getting ready to announce that they will be updating the "L" models to the new glass?

[Glenn NK]

Look out for next gen lenses being announced in the next few months.
The next big thing (already arrived) in big prime lenses appears to be the lighter weight glass. I believe Canon is already ahead of Nikon in deploying that. I wonder if they're getting ready to announce that they will be updating the "L" models to the new glass?

Well Dan, it's possible that they could update a number of lenses; there is some L glass that has been recently updated: 70-200 f/28 Mark II (mine), 24-70 f/2.8 Mark II. I doubt that the 24TSE will be included as it's already in a class by itself. OTOH, the other TSE's have been out for quite awhile and aren't quite up to snuff (by comparison).

Lenses like the 24-105 (which I use a lot), the 100-400 (the push-pull zoom) which is a very popular lens and getting a bit dated, come to mind immediately.

And as you say, lighter lenses may well be on the list - the f/2.8 70-200 could use some lighter glass.

Some of the lenses with IS are a couple of IS generation old and need some improvement.

Now if they could get the really good ones down to my price range:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._4L_EF_IS.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...m_f_4l_is.html

In terms of weight, are you referring to fluorite lenses? I didn't know that the refractive index varies very little with wavelength vs regular optical glass. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorite

Glenn

[NorthernFocus]

...In terms of weight, are you referring to fluorite lenses? I didn't know that the refractive index varies very little with wavelength vs regular optical glass...

Yes. Nikon recently released an upgrade to the 400mm f2.8 and it is a couple of pounds lighter than the old version. Per my understanding dur primarily to the different glass.

[Glenn NK]

Yes. Nikon recently released an upgrade to the 400mm f2.8 and it is a couple of pounds lighter than the old version. Per my understanding dur primarily to the different glass.

Thanks for all the information - you've added considerably to my knowledge. I'd heard of fluorite glass lenses a few years ago but didn't know about those two important properties (weight and near constant refractive index).

I'd assume (guessing?) that fluorite glass is more expensive or the improved qualities for lenses would have weighed very heavily in favour of the fluorite far sooner.

Glenn

[NorthernFocus]

Thanks for all the information - you've added considerably to my knowledge. I'd heard of fluorite glass lenses a few years ago but didn't know about those two important properties...

Everything that I know about glass plus three dollars will get you a cup of coffee

From what I understand they are using the fluoride glass for the two or three heaviest elements in the lens to gain the most benefit. The Nikon 400mm price increased by about 25 percent. So I guess it is expensive glass...

[Glenn NK]

Dan:

I almost forgot - we're in the same time zone - everybody has gone to bed.

Where can I get the coffee?

Glenn

[Glenn NK]

PS - I just read your profile - engineer? what kind? I'm a civil engineer, but practice solely in the structural field and mostly in seismic restraint (of mechanical and electrical equipment).

G

[NorthernFocus]

...engineer? what kind?..

I'm not sure how to answer that. Mechanical by education. Early career worked mostly on rotating machinery (turbines etc.) as a reliability engineer. Then instruments and process controls(DCS, PLC, etc.) also reliability related. Then crossed the dark side into operations management. Now leading a team of PhDs on a research project for arctic operations(risk management/flow assurance). So I guess I'm best described as a process industry operations engineer. Hopefully soon to be described as an ex-engineer

[Glenn NK]

Interesting - I'm quite well beyond the "retirement age" whatever that is, but I enjoy the technical aspects so I still do design work and of course on site reviews of seismic restraint systems. I don't think I'll ever stop being an engineer - it's too much a part of me and how I think (largely based on applied math and physics).

It's the properties of the fluorite glass that interests me and how it translates into better lenses.

G

[NorthernFocus]

..I don't think I'll ever stop being an engineer - it's too much a part of me and how I think...

Unfortunate isn't it? Just think, with a different personality you could have been one of the vast majority who just complain about it when the wheels stop turning instead of trying to make them go again. It would be awfully nice to speak with authority on any given topic without having to know anything about it Why, oh why didn't my parents push the arts more instead of teaching me how to fix/build things? It's a darned nuisance feeling compelled to learn how things work