There might have been a zero too much...:t:
Anyway, just extrapolating price (by focal length) from the current 400/4 DO ($7.5k) brings you to $11k. With additional weight savings, I would not even be surprised if initial price would hit the $15k mark for a 600/4 @ 2-2.5kg.
Haha
. You would think with less weight and therfore less material cost the price would be less, but you can pretty much guarantee that won't happen. It's a bit like paying more for a stripped out Porsche clubsport. :eek!:
I think Canon would (rightly) like the big (refractive) whites to be viewed as their flagship lenses. The DO's though would have to be priced highly enough not to cannibalize sales.
This patent looks interesting because it is so long - I wonder if it is designed specifically for the 'R' mount, or whether Canon has just decided that this is a better way to go? :cat:
[EDIT]
Honestly, there has been more patents for this lens than you can poke a stick at ! It started out very short with lots of front elements, some using the BLUE SPECTRUM REFRACTIVE OPTICS design to eliminate CA. Now it seems to be a much longer physical length design (around about the same as the ~ refractive 600/f4 IS III), and it seems the heavily populated objective group has been replaced by a solitary aspherical element (perhaps made out of fluorite or synthetic equivalent). The DO element seems to be ensconced much further back in the lens (which should be good for controlling the glare/flare), and I am unable to translate what has become of the BR design elements, whether there are any in there, or where they are?
Still, this latest design patent looks to be about a foot and a half long, and even with rearward weight bias and sub 2.7kg weight (I am wondering how they are going to get much below that with what is essentially very similar to the 3.06kg 600/f4 IS III). I am counting 18 elements in 9 groups for the DO vs 17 elements in 13 groups for the III. It looks to be the same length with a built in spacer for the Mirrorless 'R' mount at the end.
I am then left wondering how hand holdable and pointable this thing is really going to be. Support braced by the elbow jammed into the chest would be much easier with a length of ~350mm or less ........ :cat:
Maybe
Vespo's initial suggestion that this is the next generation (IV) big 600 f4 designed natively for Mirrorless that will combine refractive and diffractive optics way down the track is correct ?? Just seems odd to me that if you are going to take ~25mm out of the system by eliminating the mirrorbox that you wouldn't purposely clean sheet design a more compact lens, rather than just bodgie an existing lens body by extending it and making it unnecessarily long hence heavy :h?:
Q? Is there anyone here actually using the new 600 f4L IS III who can comment on how it handles and points ??????
Maybe there is still hope for a DSLR mount compact lightweight 600 f4 DO towards the end of the year after all ........ ?
Chosun :gh:
