Maybe it's just me, but I think time passes faster here than it does in Taiwan. When I was in Taiwan, I could get up, go for a morning walk with my father down to the market, buy some food which we could then use to make lunch or dinner and then have the rest of the day to do whatever it was that needed to get done. Here in California, I can't see walking anywhere as a time-effective solution to getting things done.
Earlier this evening, Canon China posted online some specs on the Canon 400D 10.1 megapixel camera, a new upgrade to the Canon 350D/Rebel XT line. Lenses that were mentioned were two new lenses -- the 50mm f/1.2 L and the 70-200 f/4L IS USM. The page announcing this info has been removed, as it was an unintentional error since official announcements of new cameras and lenses are due on August 24th.
If the info posted is correct, both lenses fill gaps that presently exist in the Canon's L-lens lineup. While the 50mm f/1.4 is well-constructed lens, Canon hasn't made an 50mm L since their 50mm f/1.0 (a lens that retailed at $3000 in 1989, and can now be found on eBay for $6000+). The problem was that at f/1.0, the 50mm f/1.0 was soft, and had a very narrow depth of field to work with. Now it seems, 15 years later, they'll make another go at introducing a 50mm L lens. Since I already own the f/1.4, it's an unlikely purchase for me, as the rumored price of the 50mm f/1.2 L is in the ballpark of $1600 USD!
The new 70-200 f/4L IS USM I am less excited about because the addition of IS (Image Stabilization) to an already excellent lens (the 70-200 f/4L) will likely add a couple hundred dollars to the price, and a couple more ounces (for the IS element), without much enhancement to the lens quality.
--------
Leave a comment