# Zoom Lens Speed Limit



## FatDaddyJones (Feb 22, 2011)

Do you think that Canon will ever break the zoom lens speed limit and come out with a faster than f/2.8 zoom lens, even if it was a short zoom?

I'm convinced the technology is there to develop lots of innovative lens types, but marketing keeps them from it. (If you make a blue ring "one-lens-does-it-all" (ultra compact 8-800mm f/1.2L DO IS III USM) lens, who's gonna buy all your other lenses? right? 

That's an exaggeration, of course, but there's got to be some innovations that Canon's got up their sleeve, but won't release until every penny is squeezed out of the current market lineup.


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## Admin US West (Feb 22, 2011)

FatDaddyJones said:


> Do you think that Canon will ever break the zoom lens speed limit and come out with a faster than f/2.8 zoom lens, even if it was a short zoom?
> 
> I'm convinced the technology is there to develop lots of innovative lens types, but marketing keeps them from it. (If you make a blue ring "one-lens-does-it-all" (ultra compact 8-800mm f/1.2L DO IS III USM) lens, who's gonna buy all your other lenses? right?
> 
> That's an exaggeration, of course, but there's got to be some innovations that Canon's got up their sleeve, but won't release until every penny is squeezed out of the current market lineup.



I suppose that you mean something like cars that run on water patents that the oil companies have bought up? Some people still actually believe that too.


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## FatDaddyJones (Feb 22, 2011)

No, something feasible, such as a f/2 or f/1.8 standard zoom, even if they had to shorten the zoom range, such as a 24-55mm f/2L USM. Is there really a technological brick wall at f/2.8? That's all I'm asking.


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## adamdoesmovies (Feb 22, 2011)

There are F/2 lenses out for SLR's, however I could not find one for Canon. Olympus/Zuiko, for instance, has one which is 35-100 at F/2. http://asia.olympus-imaging.com/products/dslr/lenses/35-100_20/

It is not uncommon (though it is expensive) to have lenses on broadcast studio cameras with absolutely ridiculous zoom ranges and low f-numbers. For instance, Canon offers a 2/3" lens called the DigiSuper 100 XS which can claim a 100x zoom range (9.3mm to 930mm) and yet has a maximum aperture of 1.7. therefore, it is possible to achieve such specifications. 

This superlens, of course, costs 90,000 dollars. I'm sure this design could theoretically be scaled up, and an APS-C or even full-frame sensor could be mounted to resolve an image, but the contraption would be the size of a small airplane, weigh at least as much as a piano, and cost millions of dollars to produce each unit. EOS mount, by virtue of optical physics, may be unusable as the flange distance is too high, but then again, if you're paying that kind of money for a lens, you should expect that they damn well better throw in a compatible camera body for free!


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## FatDaddyJones (Feb 22, 2011)

That's an awesome piece of equipment. F/1.7 from 9.3mm to 296mm then increasing to 4.7 at 930mm. It has IS too! Too bad no EF mount.


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