I'm just wondering why the availbility of the lensless XL2...

1) ...did not coincide with the launch of the XL2 equipped with the 20x lens. Was this also the case with the XL1 and XL1s?

2) ...has been delayed for an extended period of time. Unless I misunderstood, this package which was supposed to initially come out in Octobre will now only be available in November.

Is this just because Canon want to force their new 20x lens onto the market? Or could it be that they are planing the simultaneous launch of a new manual lens? Does this make sense to anybody based on Canon's past release history (which I'm not familiar with)?

This is just speculation, but I was wondering if it would be possible at all. Because I would be so angry if I bought the body only XL2 with a 16x servo zoom lens only to see Canon announce a brand new manual lens a few weeks later that could possibly fit my needs better (wider focal range most notably).

Cameras are in short supply and both Canon and the dealer make a better profit on the kits. Orders for the kit are also far out numbering the camera only orders (supply and demand).

I also believe it's about $$$$$$$

Most people who buy the XL2 with the 20X lens will end up purchasing a 3X lens as well. Probably sooner than anyone who purchased a camera with a 16X lens simply due to the fact that the 20X has no wide angle or w/a adapter available for it.