Canon Files a Patent for a Bunch of Lenses.

[dilbert]

Often a patent is announced just as a new product comes to market.

I'm suspecting that the new Canon EF video lenses use this patent.  Canon has not published a lot of detail about the new lenses, I assumed that they were repackaging the existing EF lenses with a 11 blade aperture and geared focus ring, but now I think this is whats inside.

We'll probably see the upgrades this year, starting with the 50mm f/1.2, 85mm f/1.2 and 24mm f/1.4 just as the video lenses did.

The 24mm f/1.4? That got updated in 2008. The 35mm f/1.4 is what really needs a refresh.

35/1.4 needs a refresh? What about the venerable 35/2?

Or the 28/1.8? Or..

[feureau]

>Both the image height is 21.64mm (full size)

Wait, are these,.. APS-C (EF-S) Lenses? Or cinema lens?

[DJL329]

Often a patent is announced just as a new product comes to market.

I'm suspecting that the new Canon EF video lenses use this patent.  Canon has not published a lot of detail about the new lenses, I assumed that they were repackaging the existing EF lenses with a 11 blade aperture and geared focus ring, but now I think this is whats inside.

We'll probably see the upgrades this year, starting with the 50mm f/1.2, 85mm f/1.2 and 24mm f/1.4 just as the video lenses did.

The 24mm f/1.4? That got updated in 2008. The 35mm f/1.4 is what really needs a refresh.

35/1.4 needs a refresh? What about the venerable 35/2?

Or the 28/1.8? Or..

Well, the only non-L EF prime that Canon has ever refreshed is the 50mm f/1.8 -- and they simply made it all plastic! 

I am really hoping these are EF lenses, as I want a 50mm f/1.4 II with Ring USM.  A shorter MFD would be nice, too. 

[Edwin Herdman]

Hey, some good stuff in there.  I don't have too much cash tied up in the 50mm f/1.4 and the 135mm f/2L so I'll just hold onto those - plus, the 135mm f/2L would likely cost me more than the proceeds from selling both the other lenses combined, and that's without considering any potential for a price drop from the introduction of a new lens or the likely fact of these lenses being available only a ways into the future, if ever.

Often a patent is announced just as a new product comes to market.

The last few patents announced at CR haven't turned into selling products yet.

EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM
Nine elements in 7 groups

Handy list, but the patent example is for a 200mm f/2, not an f/2.8.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I'd like the 11 blade aperture like the cine lenses have, but its not part of the patent, and Canon has to throw in something for the $$$$ price of those lenses.

[pj1974]

Thanks to those who answered my questions about patents and possible timing of any new lens releases.  "Applauds all round"   

Hopefully we'll see some good new Canon primes in 2012, particularly those for which photographers have been waiting for worthy updates!

After all,  buying lenses will help the global economy, right! 

Regards

Paul

[KyleSTL]

EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM
Nine elements in 7 groups

Handy list, but the patent example is for a 200mm f/2, not an f/2.8.

Good call, guess I didn't read it closely enough.  I can't imagine what can be improved with the 200mm f/2, the current lens is quite possibly the most optically perfect lens made, and has all the latest technologies that Canon offers (4-stop IS, Ring USM, Flourite, UD).  Unless they improved the barrel design with new materials like the 300, 400, 500, and 600mm lenses to make them lighter, I can't imagine what could be made better (especially since the current one was released in 2008).  The current 200mm f2 is heavier than the 300mm f2.8 IS II (5.56 lbs and 5.19 lbs, respectively), but slightly lighter than the 300mm f2.8 IS (5.63 lbs).

[neuroanatomist]

>Both the image height is 21.64mm (full size)

Wait, are these,.. APS-C (EF-S) Lenses? Or cinema lens?

They are EF lenses (for full frame).  The 'image height' value is a radius, so 21.64 mm x 2 = 43.28 mm, the diameter of the FF image circle.

[scottsdaleriots]

oh no...

6 more lenses where people can ask if they should buy the old ones or wait for the new ones.

prepare yourself...

Haha I was just about 100% certain that I would buy the 50mm 1.4 but now they've released the patent I'm not so sure now

Anyone know when they'll roughly release the 50mm 1.4 and the 85's? Like a rough estimate? Early next year or late 2012? I'm studying photography next year and will be doing A LOT of studio work (so far all I know it's going to be food photography and portraits [high key and low key] and my kit lens is limited when it comes to low light shooting situations and my 70-200 2.8 IS II is heavy as). I need an alternative

Stop milking it Canon and hurry up and release the 5dmkIII and the updated primes already! Not fair

[Arkarch]

I have not reviewed the patents or compared them to the existing lens, but,

I have to wonder if several of these recent patents are simply efforts to refresh patent IP coming up on 17-year expirations?   Yeah, I checked and EF has been around since 1987; but I dont know the timeline on each lens or if the "new" inventions are actually new or just updates.

[neuroanatomist]

Anyone know when they'll roughly release the 50mm 1.4 and the 85's? Like a rough estimate? Early next year or late 2012?

These are patents, not products.  Canon has close to 2500 patents published per year, so obviously, only a small percentage ever see the light of day as products (and many are not intended to, but rather to constrain the competition). 

The 85/1.2 II is relatively recent, and Canon hasn't updated any non-L EF primes except the 50/1.8 II, and that was to make it cheaper to produce, and was before dSLRs were a consumer product.  Today's 'typical' consumer wants zoom lenses and/or cheap lenses (<$250), and uses an APS-C camera. So, I honestly doubt there is much of a market-driven need to update the non-L EF primes (except perhaps a 50/1.8 III for even lower production costs of that very popular lens).

[bycostello]

no 24-70 is L   

[tt]

Presumably we'd know if they were PL mount lenses for the C300 by March/April? There's already been a 85mm PL mount shown

[willrobb]

These are just patents, nothing to say they will ever see the light of day as products, but if they I would be interested to see what some of the suggested primes could do if they ever came into existence. Especially the 85L.

[ecka]

Anyone know when they'll roughly release the 50mm 1.4 and the 85's? Like a rough estimate? Early next year or late 2012?

These are patents, not products.  Canon has close to 2500 patents published per year, so obviously, only a small percentage ever see the light of day as products (and many are not intended to, but rather to constrain the competition). 

The 85/1.2 II is relatively recent, and Canon hasn't updated any non-L EF primes except the 50/1.8 II, and that was to make it cheaper to produce, and was before dSLRs were a consumer product.  Today's 'typical' consumer wants zoom lenses and/or cheap lenses (<$250), and uses an APS-C camera. So, I honestly doubt there is much of a market-driven need to update the non-L EF primes (except perhaps a 50/1.8 III for even lower production costs of that very popular lens).

Well, 85L II is 5 years old by now, but we can still call it a recent update. Then how about 10+ years? The original EF 50/1.8 is from the first (non-L, non-USM) "wave" of EF lenses and it was updated in 1990 (3 years later) just before the second (non-L) "wave". Nikon had recently updated their cheap 50/1.8 and it seems to be a great deal for the price. For just $220 you are getting a decent glass with a silent AF motor, 7 (rounded) aperture blades + (wow ) a lens hood and a pouch. Now, what lower production costs are we talking about? I don't think that we'll ever see the 50/1.8 III. What consumers really want/need is a fast normal prime for their crop bodies like EF-S 28mm (or 30mm), not another too long fifty. However, a new 50mm (?L) Macro would be nice.