Canon Shows off Interesting RF 55mm & RF 85mm F1.8 Designs

[Canon Rumors]

Canon's latest round of patent applications has been published. JPO 2026-059152 shows off some interesting consumer RF mount prime lens optical designs. The most noteable thing about these designs is that they're compact and don't have any stretching to cover the full image height of full frame sensors. The optical designs aren't as complex as […]

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[Kiton]

I have the 85 f2 and would dump it in a second for the 85 1.8 stm as a walk around lens!

The 55 is not a terrible idea at all.
I have both the 50 stm and the 1.2 and the stm is my walk around lens.

 

[Exploreshootshare]

45mm, 50mm and then 55mm sounds like quite the line-up I honestly don't believe Canon will release another 50ish mm lens, but I could imagine a replacement. How many versions of the original nifty-fifty were made? Three if I´m correct. So, thats definitely in the books.

A refresh for the 85mm F2 would be quite welcome if Canon improves the Af motor. I own the 85mm f2 and I loved it very much until I picked up the 50mm F1.4 L VCM. Now, I rarely use the 85mm F2 because in comparison it is reaaaaaaaly slow. The optics are reasonable good-very good, but it doesn't work well with (fast) moving objects. I currently only use it for "macro" (actually fake macro at 0,5 magnification) but I´m probably going to sell it and help fund a true macro lens like the RF 100mm F2.8. I can make use of it as a portrait lens as well.

 

[Del Paso]

45mm, 50mm and then 55mm sounds like quite the line-up I honestly don't believe Canon will release another 50ish mm lens, but I could imagine a replacement. How many versions of the original nifty-fifty were made? Three if I´m correct. So, thats definitely in the books.

A refresh for the 85mm F2 would be quite welcome if Canon improves the Af motor. I own the 85mm f2 and I loved it very much until I picked up the 50mm F1.4 L VCM. Now, I rarely use the 85mm F2 because in comparison it is reaaaaaaaly slow. The optics are reasonable good-very good, but it doesn't work well with (fast) moving objects. I currently only use it for "macro" (actually fake macro at 0,5 magnification) but I´m probably going to sell it and help fund a true macro lens like the RF 100mm F2.8. I can make use of it as a portrait lens as well.

Different use for the 85mm f/2 here!
Only for longer walks, mostly in the mountains, where focusing speed doesn't matter at all (for me!), but sharpness and close-ups do!.
Should the f/1,8 be optically even better, not much heavier, and offer 0,5 magnification: Why not!
Yet, I am presently more than satisfied with the f/2, my children are adults now, so, I don't care about AF speed for this particular lens!
But the 55mm, if really light, compact and sharp, and (!!!) close-up able, a sure buy. Sadly, the f/1,4 VCM has an inappropriate short focusing distance, and my Zeiss Classic 50mm f/2 lacks sharpness at longer distances.

 

[m4ndr4ke]

I'm good with the RF 45, but I'm sure some would appreciate a higher end 50/55mm f/1.8 lens, similar to Sony's 55mm f/1.8 ZA, with better optics and build quality. Such lens would definitely find its place with those who expected higher and modern optical performance on a lens sitting between the 50mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.4 L VCM.

As for the 85mm f/1.8, I could consider such lens if it dropped the macro b******* and featured internal focusing, like the 45.
I don't quite know how to read patents, but it seems to me like the focusing groups are at the rear, so I guess that's promising.

 

[Maximilian]

I don't believe in a 50/55 mm lens replacing the 50 STM. It's a cheap and compact entry level lens.
And what I see here, seems to be bigger and more complex (no. of elements) and therefore more expensive.

I would welcome a 85/1.8 if IQ and AF performance was better than the 85/2 STM offers today.
Will it come? I don't think so.

I suppose, @Craig is correct that both designs are longshots and likely will not make it to market.

 

[Exploreshootshare]

Different use for the 85mm f/2 here!
Only for longer walks, mostly in the mountains, where focusing speed doesn't matter at all (for me!), but sharpness and close-ups do!

I use to have the same use case as well. Great lens for hiking, low light, close ups (e.g. cherry blossoms) and then of course portraits (mainly of my wife). Now, enter my nearly four month old son: although he can't even crawl yet, he already moves so quickly in his chair, the 85mm misses a growing number of shots. The VCM lens does not... therefore, the vcm gets the call every single time now... Thats why I´m considering the 100mm macro (better close-ups, use case for portraits as well) and selling the 85mm F2. A second VCM lens is not in the books right now and if it was, I´d love to get the 20mm, not the 85mm.

Sadly, the f/1,4 VCM has an inappropriate short focusing distance

That´s true, the mfd is not suited for close-ups. But then again, I don't believe Canon designed the lens for it and it really excels at all other things.

 

[mangobutter]

Hopeful. I always thought the RF 50 STM and 85 F2 IS were awkward and out of place -- not in line with other manufacturers offerings that are quiet, silent, and modern/non extending. The RF 50 was just lazy and i always hated that it was merely a reshuffled EF 50 STM which itself was just a re-dressed design going back decades. I'm sure the 50 STM will still sell along side any more higher priced sibling, but there should be a quiet internally focusing higher quality lens in the 50 1.8 arena than what is currently being offered. In terms of the 85 macro.. really i could do without the macro feature. the decades old EF 85 1.8 seems way more polished in operation and materials.

Essentially nearly none of the RF lenses in the "normal" focal length range make me proud to own, hold, touch, and operate them. they all seem like cheap lenses on their outsides with optics that are sharp yet make lots of distortion, with many of them with cheap feeling and looking extending barrels (and yes i get the physics/optical compromises/packaging considerations etc)

Give me back the look, feel, and operation of the old EF lenses that look and feel good to the touch, focus internally quickly and quietly. Loved the big front elements of yesteryear too.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Essentially nearly none of the RF lenses in the "normal" focal length range make me proud to own, hold, touch, and operate them. they all seem like cheap lenses on their outsides with optics that are sharp yet make lots of distortion, with many of them with cheap feeling and looking extending barrels (and yes i get the physics/optical compromises/packaging considerations etc)

You might feel differently if you owned one or more of these...

Loved the big front elements of yesteryear too.

Oh, they're still around.



And even though the front element of my RF 85/1.2L DS is a bit smaller than that of my RF 28-70/2, the RF prime's front element is larger than that of the EF 85/1.2L II that I owned years ago.

 

[m4ndr4ke]

You might feel differently if you owned one or more of these...

That's higher end, I think he meant the old gold rings, and the best modern silver rings, like the EF 35mm f/2 IS USM, and EF 24 and 28mm f/2.8 IS USM.
IIRC, only the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM was on the lower side of things, with external focusing.

In my experience, for now, the only lens that is comparable is the RF 45mm. The RF 85mm f/2 could be another one, if it didn't focus externally.

I somewhat agree, these RF STM primes are the only lenses I've consistently been wishing to replace.
I ditched the RF 24 1.8, 35 1.8, the next possibly will be the 50 1.8 (I'm considering keeping it for the size, but...), and the two other lenses I always look forward to replace are the RF 28 and RF 16, even though I consider these two to be a little more pleasant to use.

I don't need red rings on all my gear, but I would have paid an 100 or 200 extra bucks for the same lenses with a more refined experience.
Internal (front or rear, whatever, I don't care), quiet and smooth autofocus, dedicated lens hoods threads, and dedicated clicked control rings for consistency.

I don't think that's a lot to ask.

 

[riker]

Finally these just might be stuff I have been praying for, especially the 55/1.8.
The 50/1.8 is is cheap crap, and although I bought the 45/1.2 which is much better quality, it's size and weight is more than what would be ideal in scenarios when it matters.
I'd be happy with a 55/1.8 around 250g.

Also, a 85/1.8 with better AF but not more weight would be a welcomed upgrade to the 85/2.
I'd pre-order both.

 

[AJ]

I can't really see 85/1.8 non-IS being an upgrade over 85/2 IS. I'd pick IS over an extra third of a stop, anytime.
What the 85/2 really needs is a different focusing motor, rather than a different opical formula.