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    Canon Patents Ludicrous Zooms

    By Updated:23 Comments1 Min Read Canon Patents
    Canon superzoom patent

    Keith over at Northlight Images points to a patent application that includes designs for superzooms so wide in range that they appear to be versions of the mythical lens that forum posters sometimes use as an example of unreasonable expectations.

    A 33mm f/4 to 600mm f/7.2 lens might have previously been used as a tongue-in-cheek reference to an impossible design. Today, it is just one “embodiment” of a real patent application that also includes:

    • 24-400mm f/4-6.5
    • 24-300mm f/4-5.6
    • 28-500mm f/4-7.2
    • 30-600mm f/8

    Another patent from a few days earlier shows a series of fixed aperture zooms:

    • 200-500mm f/4
    • 200-400mm f/4
    • 300-800 f/8

    Canon Patent Superzoom aberration 168x168 - Canon Patents Ludicrous Zooms

    Hopes for L-quality image quality should be kept in check, though, especially with the thinner aperture embodiments.

    The calculated aberration graphs included in the patents (example at left) show very significant distortion, and some detail-killing astigmatism and chromatic aberration.

    The new patents show Shunji Iwamoto as the Canon inventor. Iwamoto has been responsible for many of the firm's recent zoom lens patents, appearing to specialize in designs that involve moving elements.

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    23 comments

    3. Speaking of "strange" zoom: what about an RF TS E 14-24 ???
      It will nice to see movements encoded into EXIF data - I've been experimenting recently with an H6D 100C +28mm + HTS1.5 T/S adapter - the adapter adds movement EXIF.
      100MP is nice ...where is my R5s ;-) :-)

      By the way, for tilt/shift fans, I've agreed to do a free webinar (sponsored by BenQ) all about using tilt/shift lenses on the 22nd of Feb

    5. It will nice to see movements encoded into EXIF data - I've been experimenting recently with an H6D 100C +28mm + HTS1.5 T/S adapter - the adapter adds movement EXIF.
      100MP is nice ...where is my R5s ;-) :)

      By the way, for tilt/shift fans, I've agreed to do a free webinar (sponsored by BenQ) all about using tilt/shift lenses on the 22nd of Feb

      I forgot to say that I really liked your TS book! (y). I hadn't thought of using focus peaking to determine the effect of tilting.A real help.
    6. I forgot to say that I really liked your TS book! (y). I hadn't thought of using focus peaking to determine the effect of tilting.A real help.
      Agreed. Keith's tilt/shift book is easily the best reference I've seen out there. It made the whole enterprise of learning it fun. The real images made more sense than the graphics used in others.
    8. Canon previous sold the EF28-300mm F3.5-5.6L IS USM (currently on their discontinued list) ie a >10x L lens. Given Canon's confidence that they have the ability in SW on the wide end to correct for some distortion then it leads to the possibility of these lenses seeing the light of day (pun intended!)

      I never expected that the RF14-35mm would have a 77mm filter thread for instance.
    10. Agreed. Keith's tilt/shift book is easily the best reference I've seen out there. It made the whole enterprise of learning it fun. The real images made more sense than the graphics used in others.
      Yes if you have tilt shift lens it’s a great resource book. Well done Keith.
    11. Canon has been making ludricous zooms for a long time, so they have plenty of experience. The issue is that those zooms are not FF and cost a ton of money.

      You can get a 50-1000mm EF lens today. Its Super 35 format which is close to APS-C.

      www.usa.canon.com

      CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 EF

      Ultra Telephoto 50-1000mm (75-1500mm with Built-In 1.5x Extender)Amazingly High Zoom Ratio of 20x4K Optical Performance Throughout the 20x Zoom Range or Even When the 1.5x Extender is UsedDesigned for Super35mm Large-Format Single-Sensor Cameras (Dia. 31.4mm)Designed for Both Cinema Style and...
      www.usa.canon.com www.usa.canon.com

      If that's not enough, how about a18-1860 100X Broadcast lens for a 2/3 sensor.

      Broadcast Lenses - Lenses - Pro

      www.usa.canon.com www.usa.canon.com
    13. Continue reading...
      These ultra-zooms could find usage by videographers, but it's difficult to think of a situation where a stills photographer would benefit from having a 30-600mm zoom. Such a lens would be cumbersome, huge, heavy and very expensive. I think it would make more sense to simply cover the focal length range by having a 2 bodies, each fitted with a more practical optic.

      The 300-800mm however might probably prove very popular with wildlife photographers, and F8 is a good compromise aperture that would allow fast shutter speeds and reasonable ISO settings. If they made such a lens, as a member of the budget family (RF 600mm F11 etc) for under £3000, I'd certainly be interested.
    15. If this is true, it seems like it is Canon's strategy to entice everyone to move to mirrorless. To me, it is an aggressive push to phase out DSLR.
      More like a gradual push to cover all segments of the ILC market at different price points, while differentiating between DSLR and ML, and by size (bodies and lenses). DSLRs might be phased out over time, but only when the market says so. In the meantime, Canon will aggressively push to sell all their lines to as many people as possible.
    16. 24-400: "One lens to rule them all".

      If it's affordable, light and doesn't have too much compromises in image quality (due to the very likely necessity of a lot of correction "in software"): It will be definitely on my list!
    17. I could see Canon make a 24-300mm (L) because the EF version, in spite of never getting a successor, does have a lot of appeal as a travel zoom and does fairly well on the second hand-market.

      A 200-500mm f/4 is a "must-do" lense for Canon. I guess a lot of people are hoping for a 200-500mm F4 with a 1.4 built-in converter or a 2x converter. I personally hope it would be a 200-600mm lense.

      I'd love to see a 300-700mm F8-11 consumer lense (or something similiar like F6.3 - F8) as a light superzoom built like the RF600mm/ 800mm F11.
    18. 24-400: "One lens to rule them all".

      If it's affordable, light and doesn't have too much compromises in image quality (due to the very likely necessity of a lot of correction "in software"): It will be definitely on my list!
      There a lot of "if"´s in your sentence :) 24-400mm can't be light at light and will come with a lot comprises. The EF 28-300mm L came with a lot of comprises and was/ is quite heavy. And yes, I know it was released in the 90s, but the weight of the full frames have not really gone with RF lenses
    19. @keithcooper - I've been hearing great things about your book.

      How much is it in US dollars and is there a US sales site to purchase it?

      I'm trying to figure how much it would cost with shipping from wherever this book sales site is...but no conversions on that site and won't tell shipping till you enter all your personal info...

      Thanks in advance,

      cayenne

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