A bit of history about Canon and catadioptric (mirror) lenses

Craig
1 Min Read

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There has been a lot of talk about Canon and catadioptric lenses (mirror) since a patent surfaced with new lens designs likely for the RF mount. It has been rumored for quite some time that Canon would be bringing an RF 1200mm f/8 lens for the EOS R system, which could actually be a mirror lens.

Canon does have a history with mirror lenses, including the behemoth Canon 5200mm f/14 along with an 800mm f/3.8 and a 2000mm f/11. A Canon Rumors reader sent me a brochure for these three lenses and I found it to be a fun read.

These lenses were developed in the mid-1960s and can still fetch a king's ransom on the used market. The 5200mm f/14 sold for about $50,000 a few years ago on ebay.

Check out the official Canon brochure:

Thanks a ton for the scans, Phil.

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Craig is the founder and editorial director for Canon Rumors. He has been writing about all things Canon for more than 17 years. When he's not writing, you can find him shooting professional basketball and travelling the world looking for the next wildlife adventure. The Canon EOS R1 is his camera of choice.
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