How long should a camera lens last, really? Canon is killing off five popular lenses. And the oldest one? It’s from 1996

Canon Japan has announced that they will be discontinuing repair support for several of their popular lenses, some of which are over 30 years old. The oldest lens to be affected is the Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM, introduced in 1996, before Canon's first digital SLR camera. Despite Canon no longer manufacturing these lenses, the company has been supporting their repair for decades, highlighting the durability of their optics.

This raises the question of how long photographers should expect their camera lenses to last. Traditionally, lenses have outlasted camera bodies, but as camera technology has evolved rapidly, lenses now need to keep up with higher resolutions. Even in the retro photography trend, older lenses are often adapted to modern mirrorless cameras, sometimes leading to a softer image but also iconic lens flare.