Old lenses Canon will phase out

[dolina]

Back 4 years ago I made a list of old lenses Canon will phase out and since then a lot of things have changed making an update needed.

End of Life
1987 EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye
1987 EF 28mm f/2.8
1987 EF 135mm f/2.8 with Softfocus
1988 EF 24mm f/2.8
1990 EF 35mm f/2
1990 EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM
1998 EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
1999 EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM
1999 EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III
2001 EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM

Series II, L upgrades & IS version
2010 EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM
2011 EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM
2012 EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM
2012 EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM
2012 EF 35mm f/2 IS USM
2014 EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM
2014 EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Nearing end of life. Expect any of these lenses to be superseded in 2015

Zoom
1998 EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
2004 EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

Prime
1987 EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro
1990 EF 50mm f/1.8 II
1991 EF 100mm f/2 USM
1991 TS-E 45mm f/2.8
1991 TS-E 90mm f/2.8
1992 EF 20mm f/2.8 USM
1992 EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
1993 EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
1995 EF 28mm f/1.8 USM
1999 MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo

L lenses. Year cut off is 2002.
1993 EF 400mm f/5.6L USM
1995 EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM
1996 EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM
1996 EF 135mm f/2L USM
1997 EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
1998 EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
1999 EF 70-200mm f/4L USM

Personally I'd like to see a EF 135mm f/2L USM replacement come out with IS and a faster f-number like say 1.8 or 1.4.

As to pricing hopefully Sigma, Tamron and Tokina continuous to help in reining in Canon's MSRP.

 

[Derrel]

So are you saying that 36 Canon lenses are old and outdated? Or are you saying that 26 Canon lenses are old and outdated? Or, are you saying that a mere 19 Canon lenses are old and outdated? Your post is not really clear. As for the 400mm f/4 Diffractive Optics lens, a new version of that lens was announced at photokina 2014.

 

[dolina]

I am saying that these are "end of life" lenses. Here are the replacements of the "end of life lenses" which includes the L upgrades, IS version and Series II like the EF 400mm f/4 DO II USM.

Next half, in the list below are lenses that may be made "end of life" in 2015 & following years. This may be a concern for some who do not like their purchase made "obsolete" too soon or who are concerned that their purchase cannot be serviced past 10 years.

Going back to topic.

Some surprise upgrades that weren't part of the forecast.

2012 EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
2012 EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM
2014 EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM

The lens they were supposed to replace are still being sold. Excess stock, perhaps?

2002 EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
2003 EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
2005 EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

 

[bratkinson]

Just because a lens was designed 10 or 20 years ago does not mean it stops doing a great job. Unlike cars, lenses don't generally fail under normal use - ie, not dropped, banged into a wall, immersed in water, etc. My used when I bought it, Canon 80-200 f2.8L from 1993 still works exceptionally well and produces fantastic images.

The other side of the coin is that neither Canon, Nikon, or any other lens maker has an implied 'duty' to replace a lens with something newer and presumably better. OK, computers have advanced significantly in their ability to calculate the best designs for a given lens. But does not, in any way mean they MUST come up with a new lens every x years.

The other side of the coin is a business decision. Unless you have the upper management of Canon, for example, on your speed-dial, neither you nor anyone else outside of the 'inner circles' of management know what or why or when a new lens may be coming. Look at the thoroughly beat, re-beat, and beat ad-infinitum for YEARS of people expecting an upgrade for the Canon 7D. How long did THAT one take?

Business must drive all manufacturing decisions. Just because a group of individuals 'want' some new lens, say, a 10-80mm f2.8 zoom, unless it can be determined that there is a sufficient market for such a lens (think 500,000 or more, maybe 2-4 million!) that can recover all the anticipated R&D costs as well as re-tooling, testing, marketing, shipping, and you-name-it in an age of currency fluctuations, wars and rumors of wars, etc, -and make a profit- the lens is not going to be produced.

In short, if it can't be proven it will be a money-maker for the company, it will not be produced. That's the way of all business decisions. If it's not done that way, the company will soon be gone.

 

[dolina]

The list was created for those photogs who want to avoid buyer's remorse.

Buyer's remorse, specifically, that within 12 or so months the lens they bought was replaced with a lens that is either lighter, smaller, faster focusing, added IS, more stops of IS, IS mode 3, shorter minimum focusing distance & new paint color.

I agree no gear becomes disabled once a newer model comes out like cars. And just like cars there will come a point after its end of life that Canon will not service it anymore as there are no more spare parts being manufactured.

Now, if you do not fall into this criteria then just ignore this thread.

For those who love their gear/toys then lets have a gear discussion.

As for your 80-200 give Canon a call I faintly remember reading a thread some months back that Canon USA does not service it anymore like the 200/1.8 because of lack of parts.

I was told by Canon some years back that the EOS 10D cannot be serviced any more because of lack of parts.