Mark this date: April 18, 2023 – The day when we came to know that Canon has opened their RF lens mount for third-party lens makers. Today, Meike (third-party lens maker) has announced the first “APPROVED” Meike AF 85mm f/1.4 THIRD PARTY AF Lens for the Canon RF Mount.
WOW, that’s a clear indication that Sigma and Tamron are coming next with their lenses. Just Imaging using Tamron 17-70mm Lens for Canon R10 and Samyang 35-150 F2-2.8 lens for Canon R8.
Let’s Take a look at the details we have for the Meike Upcoming Lens
Meike AF 85mm f/1.4 for Canon RF Mount
- Suggested retail price: Unknown
- Focal length: 85mm
- Format: Full-frame
- Filter: 77mm
- Lens construction: 8 elements in 13 groups
- Aperture: f/1.4-f/16
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.98m
- Aperture blades: 12
- Mount: E/Z/L/RF
- AF/MF Switch
- Custom Buttons
Pricing and availability aren’t known at press time. Meike currently has this lens on display at NABShow 2023 in Las Vegas.
We have already covered the news a while ago that Canon is now in the mood to open RF Lens mount for third-party lens makers.
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I wonder if the current stance is to only grant permission to manufacturers whose lens quality is below their own lenses. Perhaps they are concerned that granting permission to Sigma could pose a risk to their own lens sales. I also wonder if it’s still challenging to consider alternatives other than genuine lenses.
Does it mean that Tamron and Sigma pose a high risk of competing with genuine lenses? In addition to the development of the RF mount, Canon has been releasing RF lenses at a rapid pace, and while they may generate profits with genuine lenses for as long as possible, it may not be feasible to eliminate third-party lenses permanently. I am aware that gradual releases may be the approach. Interestingly, the first official license for the Nikon Z mount was granted to Cosina. This is my personal prediction, but in a few years, Tamron and Sigma may have lens lineups for Canon, Nikon, and Sony, which could shift the focus towards the quality of genuine lenses.
When I see Sigma and Tamron releasing 35/50/85 f/1.4, 135 f/1.8, 150-600 f/5-6.3 etc, then I’ll be happy. If it’s just cheap Chinese lenses, then nothing has really changed.