21Dec Canon 35mm f2 IS Lens, why?
The Canon 35mm f2 IS lens makes me scratch my head with wonder, as in I wonder what they were thinking. The original Canon 35mm f2 lens wasn’t great with it’s ugly looking bokeh and very soft corners even on a crop body, but the price was around $300 or less making it’s short comings more then acceptable. Or for an extra $100 you could always go with the Sigma 30mm f1.4 lens (for crop sensor bodies).
On the other hand, the upgraded Canon 35mm f2 IS lens is around $850. Sure you get better corner sharpness, better looking bokeh, and image stabilization, but it’s $850. That’s only a stone throw away form the price of L glass and you don’t even get a metal body or the red ring.
With lenses like the new Sigma 35mm f1.4 and it’s better overall performance, not to mention matching price tag, what would cause someone to choose Canon’s new 35mm f2 IS lens? I don’t think image stabilization is valuable enough at 35mm to really justify a $550 price increase, but I guess Canon does. To me f1.4 is much more desirable and the Sigma 35mm f1.4 presents a much more attractive offering at the same price point. Maybe I’m missing something here, what do you guys think?
December 21st, 2012 at 10:26 am
I’ve already ordered this lens, for me it will be the best allround video lens Canon ever made: It’s very small, light and the best of all: It has IMAGE STABILIZATION, eleminating the need for a rig or tripod when filming. I can’ twait to get this amazing allround lens. 35mm is the best allround focal length on a 5D Mark II/III.
February 22nd, 2013 at 6:39 am
Would be great to find out how you got along with the new 35mm f2.0 lens for video.
February 22nd, 2013 at 8:42 am
Haven’t been very interested in the 35mm f2.0, with offerings like the sigma 35mm f1.4 or even the canon 35mm f1.4, it seems like IS is the only real benefit.
December 21st, 2012 at 11:02 am
Non-IS lenses will be phased out completely. In-camera IS systems will no longer claim an advantage. All EF lenses will eventually become L.
December 21st, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Yeah, I agree with you. I’d rather have a faster lens than IS. The extra stop is more useful. But a 1.4 lens with IS would be even more amazing.
December 21st, 2012 at 1:51 pm
That´s a good news for Sigma sales
December 21st, 2012 at 2:20 pm
How important is IS at 35mm for video anyway? Depends on how much you have had to drink I guess.