Canon rumors recently posed the question asking what lenses their readers would like to see, unfortunately their poll only lets you pick one lens and I just can’t seem to decide.

A 100-400 IS II is something I certainly could get behind. By sheer numbers of frames it’s my most used lens. It’s also the only lens I’ve had break on me–as opposed to broken by my own action (or stupidity as it may be). A new weather sealed 100-400 with a better IS system and improved image quality would be a real treat. I’ll keep the push pull design and a the relatively compact size thanks the 4.5-5.6 aperture, thanks.

A 14-24 f/2.8 is also an intriguing concept. My 10-22 is arguably my favorite, though not necessarily my most used, lens to shoot with when I’m not using the 100-400. Unfortunately on my preferred body, the EOS 1D, even the 16-35 ranks as a second rate ultra wide thanks the 1D’s idiotic 1.3 crop factor. A 14-24 would certainly help a little, but even then the angle of view is still not as wide as the lowly 10-22 on a APS-C body. Sigh! Not like it would be as good as Nikon’s 14-24 anyway.

Either way, what I’d really like to see isn’t a lens so much as a product road map. I think Pentax did this at one point recently and it’s a very standard thing in software development.

What it comes down to is this; my budget for glass and gear is limited (both in money and space), as such I plan my purchases based on projected needs. I tend to have a good idea what focal lengths and speeds I’m need coverage at, I spend a lot of time looking at the reviews and tests, and make a decision based on what I project I’ll need in the future. That’s not to say that the projections can be wrong, however, every unanticipated release throws a money wrench into that plan.

Unfortunately, a road map is more of a dream than a cheap 1Ds Mark 4 is.