EF lens mount diameter, and the future

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i have run across a number of comments, mostly on photo.net in dire canon v. nikon battles, that suggest that the wider diameter lens mount of Canon EF lenses (as opposed to earlier Canon FD lenses and other modern lenses e.g. Nikon's) is good planning for future lens developments that can use electronic communication with bodies, or something like that. Is this silliness in desperate quest to find more camera features to argue about, or do people think that lenses will need bigger mount diameters for some reason in the future?

-- peter bg (pbg333@hotmail.com), August 20, 2001

Answers

Use film, Peter. We'll talk later.

Seriously. Unless you are a Canon or Nikon engineer, there is no use in thinking about it at all. The EOS system will last as long as it does. That said, those who own it will do well to use it and get images a plenty!

-- Chris Gillis (chris@photogenica.net), August 20, 2001.


Some Canon lenses already make use of that large mount. Canon's 50mm f/1 and 85mm f/1.2 wouldn't be possible with a smaller mount given today's lens design technology. Maybe someday Nikon will be able to build these lenses to fit their mount, but not today.

But I agree with Chris, it's a moot point for most of us. Since I can't afford these lenses anyway.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), August 21, 2001.


It is not silliness. Canon did not change their lens mount lightly, and they made a lot of FD owners angry when they did it. It was done for the long-benefit of making it possible to design lenses that would have otherwise been impossible to build. By doing this, they were able to get a jump on Nikon in the auto-focus race, and can build some lenses that the competition still cannot. But don't quiz me on the details! I don't necessarily know exactly which lenses they are!

As for the famous mis-information that the Nikon mount has not changed, try using a 1960s manual focus lens on an N80. It will physically mount on the camera, but otherwise it's useless. If you want the features that come with every garden-variety USM lens on a Canon EOS, you'll have to spring for the very latest and most expensive Nikkors.

-- Dave Jenkins (djphoto@vol.com), August 24, 2001.


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