Canon Has Not Started Bundling Hoods and Cases with Non-L Glass

Lens hoods and protective cases are nice accessories to have, but they’re generally only bundled with professional L glass when it comes to Canon lenses. Canon USA almost never includes them with lenses that don’t carry that distinctive red ring (or a green ring). Last week, Bryan Carnathan over at The Digital Picture recently noticed that the pre-order pages for the new Canon 35mm f/2 IS over on B&H and Adorama listed a hood and case as part of what’s included. The news surely got many a Canonite wondering, “will bundled hoods and cases be included with non-L lenses now?”

Unfortunately, the answer is no — at least for photographers in the US.

Screenshots of the “what’s included” sections on B&H and Adorama

We asked Canon’s Chuck Westfall about the bundled accessories listed on the pre-order pages. Here’s what he tells us:

EF35mm f/2 IS USM lenses imported by Canon USA will not be supplied with lens hood or pouch, as confirmed by our sales group. If the dealers in question are offering the lens with these accessories in the box, it would most likely be a gray market item.

So if you buy a 35mm lens that comes with a hood and pouch, you’re actually getting a gray market item that isn’t covered by a Canon factory warranty. It seems that the pre-order pages on many online retailers are simply listing the product info for non-US regions — you might not be getting those accessories after all.

If you’re a photographer outside the US, you might have seen ordinary non-L lenses sold with a hood and a case. Apparently not including those items is a decision that Canon USA made based on what photographers in the US are willing (and not willing) to pay for — a decision that isn’t changing with the new $849 non-L 35mm lens.

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