Predicting What Canon Will Launch in 2026

Canon Rumors

Who Dey
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Jul 20, 2010
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Canon had a interesting 2025 when it came to cameras and lenses. We got some new non-L lenses that have been requested by a lot of shooters for the RF mount along with a lot of cool and relatively affordable cameras for videographers and social media contact creators. How did the 2025 Predictions Go? Our predictions for 2025 were laughably wrong. I hope to do much better for 2026; I think I have learned from previous predictions that they weren't well thought out and more of a wishlist. We'll see if that's true for 2026. I am going to consider […]

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My predictions would be:
The I think they're a "given" category:
1.) R7mkii
2.) Retro camera
3.) A "v" designated camera... either R8V or R10V
4.) R10mkii

The I have serious doubt about it:
4.) R3mkii

the very long shot:
5.) R8mkii in Q4

Lenses:
given:
1.) RF 70-180mm F2.8 STM
2.) RF 300-600mm L

possible and wished by many category:
3.) RF 35mm F1.2 L VCM or RF 28mm F1.4 VCM --> Canon won´t release both in one year
4.) RF-S 22mm F2 (along with the R10ii or R10V)
5.) RF 24-70mm F2 L --> yeah, they can't just copy Sony for the mkii... they gotta go up and beyond
6.) RF 70-150mm F2 L --> a double headed annoucement? In this case 28-70mm F2 would be ok.
7.) RF 14mm F1.8 VCM

The I wildly guessing category:
8.) RF-S 30-80mm PZ (or something similar) zoom lenses to complement the RF-s 14-30mm/ R10V
9.) a consumer RF lenses nobody had on their radar...
10.) retrodesigned RF prime lenses (35mm F1.8?)

My personal wishlist concerning new lenses:
1.) RF 24-70mm F2 L --> yeah, they can't just copy Sony for the mkii... they gotta go up and beyond
2.) RF 70-150mm F2 L
--> I would start saving for either one of these lenses.
3.) RF 24-70mm F4 L in a very compact and light way or a RF24-130mm F4 L as a successor to the 24-105mm L
 
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I consulted with an AI assistant and here is its forecast for Canon full frame lenses ín 2026:

highly probable
24-70mm f/2.8L Z
35mm f/1.2L
14mm f/2L or 16mm f/1.8L
400mm f/2.8L
300-600mm f/4-5.6L
20-50mm f/4 PZ

possible
600mm f/4L
200-500mm f/4L
15-35mm f/2.8L Z
300mm f/2.8L
28mm f/1.4L
TS-R 14mm f/4L
TS-R 24mm f/3.5L
80mm f/1.2 STM
24-70mm f/4L
70-150mm f/2.8

very unlikely
500mm f/4L
800mm f/5.6L
180mm f/3.5L macro
200mm f/2L or f/1.8L
70-150mm f/2L and 24-70 f/2L
20-135mm travel zoom
105mm f/1.8L VCM

You may pick 5-6 models from the first and second category and give up hope for the "very unlikely" lenses in 2026.

My take is 5 lenses from group 1 and hopefully one more lens from group 2.
 
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Why Canon hates CanonRumors.com?
Anyways, I wish for a new version of the 24-105 f/4 L (smaller lighter maybe a bit sharper) but there is no sign and probably no need for Canon to update it (the current one still sells well), and I know, there is the 28-70 f/2.8 but that's just doesn't work for me.

Also, is an RF 24-70 f/4 L coming? Not that I want it but I expected that and I'm sure they can make it very small now.

Else, as always: give me a small fish-eye lens (size of RF 16mm).
 
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No progress along the lines of the R50 V??? No compact milc whatsoever? That's a very dark future.

It's hard not to be an **** and start dropping whishlists, but whatever...

- The predicted 300-600/5.6 sounds great, I'm in.

- 70-300/4L (80-300 or whatever) optimized for travel (weight and size). The 100-500 is a brilliant lens and a great upgrade after the EF 100-400 II (which was already great), but still too heavy. The 70-200/4 is also brilliant but 200mm is often not enough. The 70-200/2.8 does not accept 1.4X.

- _Great_, non-L 28mm and 50mm lens. (No, the 45/1.2 does not qualify, having the usual STM motor...and I'd also choose 55mm instead of 45mm if not 50mm)

- The predicted 28-70/2 mk2. I'm in! Just make it lighter and better balanced.

- Actually, a non-L 28-70/2 (or 28-55/2 or actually anything between 28-70/2 and 30-50/2) would kick ass. For me at least.

- An awesome macro lens. Let's say 150/2 with 1.5x max magnification.

- An awesome tele zoom to match the (hopefully mk2) 28-70 and to answer Sony's 50-150/2.

- Fullframe compact milc. Come ooooon!

*In general, better AF for non-L lenses. Make that STM better or invent something new, or introduce mid-tier lenses which are non-L but incorporate nano-USM. Just do something :)

I promise to buy each and every piece of the above, should Canon come up with any of them. :)
 
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Love dreaming like this

From a camera body standpoint, I would love to see the "retro" AE-1 camera as my fun travel camera. I sold nearly all my Fujifilm gear to get a Nikon Zf and it's really nice...but I sorely miss Canon cameras just all around being better at basically everything - menus, AF, colors, lenses, ergonomics, etc.

An R7II is on my radar and so it an R3 if it's a global shutter, which I believe is incredibly unlikely. With the R7II, I hope we get a true 7D replacement we've been clamoring for that shares ergonomics more with the R6/R5 bodies. The R3...if they went global shutter then I would jump all over it. I shoot several gun events a year and have captured some very cool photos of frozen bullets with the R1, but there is still distortion in some of the images with higher muzzle velocities. We're renting an A9III to see how well it does. I imagine it will do a magnificent job without distortions. The R3 body is still my favorite camera body of all time, so I hope they wouldn't deviate too much from that like the R1 did.

Lenses: let's please finish the "Affordable Trinity" and get us a 70-180 or 70-200 that's smaller/lighter and cheaper than the current options. I would also like a nice lens that would compliment the 100-300, so the 300-600 sound interesting indeed. Finally, an ultra-wide Z lens is an instant purchase for me. The Z lenses have totally reshaped my kit and how I work. I think they're totally brilliant and the 24-105 is the most important professional lens Canon makes - in my opinion.
 
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I’m hoping to see a new 400mm f/2.8 with a 1.4× TC, along with a new, lighter 28–70mm f/2 and a 50–150mm f/2.
It’s also about time for 24mm and 35mm f/1.2 lenses, as well as new 50mm f/1.2 and 85mm f/1.2 versions.

If all of these come out, it’ll be a crazy expensive but awesome year.
If none of them—or maybe just one—gets released (which is also totally realistic), it might end up being the cheapest Canon year in a long time.
 
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My prediction (and probably its in vain) that Canon realizes that they need a standard RF-S zoom for the R7 Mark II.

ANYTHING that starts with 24mm equivalent, I hate the 28-150 focal length

a RF-S 15-85mm F2.8 would be ideal but i'll take anything starting with 15mm instead of 18mm. A F4 lens would be ok too!
 
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