This site is in French and covers several items (hence new thread)

http://eosseries.ifrance.com/eosseries/lenscanon/news.htm

1) Digital pro camera body will be announced in October. If my rusty French is not failing me it will capture full 24x36 mm images. (!)

2) 400mm f4 IS DO lens will be announced in October at same time.

3) There is a prototype 17-35 2.8 IS lens that may see production next year.

4) Performance spec charts copied from Canon Japan site are presented that compare the 70-200 IS and non-IS versions side by side. Interesting charts.

This site is not an official Canon site but does look somewhat credible. My apologies if my rusty French has faled me, and present the disclaimer that I have no idea if the info presented is accurate.

-- Rod Nygaard (rod.nygaard@boeing.com), August 24, 2001

Answers

Your French doesn't really seem so rusty after all. You got it quite right. Nice about the new pro digital SLR is also, that it uses the Booster PB-E2 and the charger, it comes with one actually (Booster that is). Good news for people like me, who still couldn't make up their mind to buy a Booster for the 1V or the 3. The new body will indeed cover 24*36 mm. There will also be a new battery pack (E3). Very nice is the supposed price for the 400/4,0 which will be around 2700 Euros = 2600 USD or so. Very affordable. Also beautiful will be the replacement of the D30 by the D3, which is supposed to be even cheaper.

-- Michael Schmidt (mschmidt@xolo.conabio.gob.mx), August 24, 2001.

That site seems to be on target mostly, and also now has an English one so you dont need to do the translating.

http://eosseries.ifrance.com/eosseries/lenscanon/news_en.htm

-- peter bg (pbg333@hotmail.com), August 24, 2001.

Has anyone seen images produced using the 400 f/4 DO IS yet? Or any critique of it's optical quality? The $2,600 USD projected price seems like it's coming in a bit high for a lens that was trouted as being less expensive to build with materials costing less.

I'm not too excited about image stabilization being put on a lens like the 17-35, but that new battery pack Michael mentioned sounds interesting...if it has (some) vertical controls. The PB-E2 is just too massive and heavy for me but I miss not having vertical controls on the BP-E1.

-- Gary Russell (gr_russell@earthlink.net), August 25, 2001.

Gary,

>Has anyone seen images produced using the 400 f/4 DO IS yet? Or any >critique of it's optical quality?

As the lens has reportedly been seen being used by professional photographers at sporting events (tennis, et al), we've undoubtedly seen photographs taken with the lens -- but haven't known it! No critique on optical quality, as no one has received a production lens to test (same as with the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM).

>The $2,600 USD projected price seems like it's coming in a bit high >for a lens that was touted as being less expensive to build with >materials costing less.

The $2600 MSRP is quite a substantial savings. You must first consider that this is a "first of" design, and as such it will more expensive than future generations. Then you must consider the other offerings out there and compare pricing. For example: the EF 300mm f/4L IS has an MSRP of $2250 (street price of $1400), the 300mm f/2.8L IS an MSRP of $8000 (street price of $4800) and the 400mm f/2.8L IS an MSRP of $12900 (street price of $7700). In that light, $2600 sounds great -- a 400mm lens for the same price as a 300mm lens of the same f/ speed? Also, lower production cost is only one of the advantages of the DO design. Shorter lens length for any particular focal length will make the lenses slightly more portable -- and possibly easier to hand-hold. Same goes for the lighter weight.

>I'm not too excited about image stabilization being put on a lens >like the 17-35

I would not turn down a lens with IS (and indeed, it looks like all of the L lenses will sport it), but I agree that it's not a big selling point at such short focal lengths!

Do you agree with me on the pricing of the 400mm DO, or do you still feel the price is too high? ;-)

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), August 26, 2001.

Hung:

That the "2700 Eros = 2600 USD" didn't make clear this was a MSRP figure, I am indeed encouraged about a better street-price. It may even be within budget parameters for us mortals as that is, I believe, about the same MSRP as the 100-400 IS I was able to swing (when it sold for $1,700 due to short supply). As an aside, and please excuse if this has already been discussed, would you happen to know the reason the DO lens will have a green band? Will that be the "DO" distinctive band color as is red for "L" lenses?

-- Gary Russell (gr_russell@earthlink.net), August 27, 2001.

Gary,

>As an aside, and please excuse if this has already been discussed, would you happen to know the reason the DO lens will have a green band? Will that be the "DO" distinctive band color as is red for "L" lenses?

There has been no official announcement (at least as far as I'm aware) about the DO L-series lenses getting green banding while non- DO L lenses stay with red banding, but that seems to be the prevailing assumption in the community. It makes sense, as Canon would want to differentiate the new DO lenses somehow, and it would be simpler to change color banding -- rather than abandoning the off- white L scheme. (They'd probably have to go with a shade of gray, as having a colored barrel would be too radical -- magenta, anyone?) :-)

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), August 27, 2001.

I did speak to a Canon rep a while back and he did confirm as Bob A. said, that the 400/f4 is not an "L" lens. It is a DO lens with accompaning green stripe. I have heard that the sharpness is very good, in respect to what, I do not know. Thats all Canon will say. But they supposedly did have quite a problem with flare, which was corrected(I wonder how well it was corrected). On price I'm guessing it will com in in the $2400 mark being the street price and MSRP will probably the same as the new 70-200 2.8 IS L. Canon would not comment to me on the IS or any of the other 6 or 7 questions I asked about this lens. I second the motion for the wonderful eos french site linked above!!! It is a great site.

-- Rob Olling (Robertolling@msn.com), August 27, 2001.

Dear all, I read again the french pages, looking for more news. Unfortunately nothing there and dealers in Germany can't tell me anything about market availability. Usually, Germany is a bit earlier in receiving new products then the US e.g.. I don't know why, but it has been so for the last 5-7 years (e.g. 1n, 1V, 3, 180 mac, 300/2,8 IS). I do not assume the 2600 Euros to be the recommended sales prices, that would be a bit cheap to my view. Nevertheless, as the page is french I will assume the guy is quoting french dealers or so. This would be good news as France is quite an expensive market, generally some 25-35% more expensive than Germany for example, Germany at the current exchange rate is the more or less the same level as the US. I also think that 2600 Euros is an excellent price. One mustn't forget what these lenses did cost 10-15 years ago, look at the Nikkor 400/4,0 a long time favorite of many animal photographers. Or compare with a 300/2,8 of today (4999 at B&H). Finally this is a super-tele and not necessarily a consumer lens, as much as I hate this expression (never have acyually seen anybody consume his 22-55 zoom). The battery pack I mentioned, or better which is mentioned for the new D3 is designed to fit in the PB-E2 and is not smaller. It is just another powerpack for the booster, doesn't change the size of the latter. cheers Michael

-- Michael Schmidt (mschmidt@xolo.conabio.gob.mx), August 29, 2001.

Rob,

Although I believe you when you say that the Canon rep you spoke with denies the DO's are L-series lenses -- I've got to wonder. The lens seems awfully high priced for a consumer lens. The size, speed & features sure seem to put it right up there with the lenses the pros are already using! Perhaps they have concerns about the lens, and so do not want to put it in the same category as their best lenses? It seems clear to me the lens is meant to address the needs of pro & serious photographers who can't quite afford the really big stuff, don't want the size & weight, but still want professional quality prints for submission or enlargements.

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), August 30, 2001.

Rather than start a new thread I'll just say it here: go to the eos site listed at the beginning of this thread (or the English version mentioned subsequently):

The latest scoop/rumor is not good: the 400 DO is to be premium-priced, and the new digital body will not have full-frame images. Maybe they were right the first time!

-- Rod (rod.nygaard@boeing.com), September 12, 2001.

Rod,

I guess it's not really surprising that the first generation DO lens will be very expensive... :-(

However, the use of less expensive materials in manufacturing will hopefully not be too terribly offset by the increase in design time and precision assembly -- so I think the technology still hold the promise of providing high quality optics for lower cost (eventually) :-)

Personally, I'd rather carry a heavier & faster L series lens, rather than a "prestige" lens, if it costs less!

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), September 12, 2001.

New post (19 SEP 2001) on EOS SERIES has quote for a street price of $4000 USD. This seems much too much of a premium for compactness and lighter weight, given the alterntives in the price range. It looks like this is being marketed as a specialty lens for well-funded pro pj's / sports photographers for whom weight is at a premium (and for whom flare is not much of an issue???) We'll see...

-- Rod (rod.nygaard@boeing.com), September 19, 2001.