<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri;"]Rocco
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri;"]
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri;"]The technology used in manufacturing this lens is very old. If you just look at the glass alone, how many of the existing lenses would use these processes, not many I would suspect. When it comes to Prime lenses, if I remember correctly there was new optics for both the IS and IS II lens lines, which means these optics are 3 generations old. If you look at the electronics, sourcing parts this old would be a nightmare and using new parts is a big change.<o></o>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"]<o><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]</o>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri;"]As I understand it when Canon make a change to the optics they give the lens a new designation like &ldquo;II&rdquo; to show that it&rsquo;s been revised. When they make a change to the electronics etc they give it a designation like &ldquo;A&rdquo;, again to signify a change. As there has not been a change to the designation on this lens I would assume that there has not been a change.<o></o>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"]<o><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]</o>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri;"]While I don&rsquo;t doubt that this is an excellent lens the design is at least 18 years old and if they reduce the price to less than $1,000, I would seriously consider buying one.<o></o>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"]<o><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"]</o>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]<span style="font-family: Calibri;"]PS: I would be interested to see what date stamp is on the lenses currently being sold.<o></o>