Canon Working on New Lens Technology

[Canon Rumors]

<p>Focus Numerique had the opportunity to interview Canon executives about all things lenses at the Utsunomiya L lens factory in Japan and gave us a little bit of information about new lens technology coming.</p>
<p><strong>From the interview: </strong></p>
<blockquote><p>French: Sans pouvoir vous en dire plus, nous sommes en train de développer une nouvelle technologie qui apportera une réelle valeur ajoutée et permettra de prendre un nouveau type de photo.</p>
<p>Translation: Without being permitted to tell you more, we are developing a new technology that will bring real added value and will allow to take a new type of photo.</p></blockquote>
<p>What new type of photography are they talking about? Hopefully it’s not some new kind of way to take selfies.</p>
<p><em>image credit // <a href="https://www.focus-numerique.com/news/entretien-avec-mm-okada-hayakawa-et-izuki-de-canon-19731.html">focus numerique</a></em></p>
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[keithcooper]

let the speculation begin...

For something that's been through numerous translations I look forward to seeing how far some of the more sensationalist 'rumour sites' manage to take it.

Well done CR for keeping it in context ;-)

 

[Mikehit]

'A new type of photo'....

Photojournalist lens that shows and aura when a politician is lying (or, for fewer photos, when they are telling the truth)
An 'X ray' lens to satisfy the fantasies of every pubescent lad
One that works out what you actually want to focus on

 

[Crosswind]

Could this becoming reality for the mass market? A liquid lens? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZGcKbf-8Yc

Wouldn't be surprised if Canon is the first in the global market with such a technology - or at least the first one who does it right. I'm just curious, because there's a patent regarding this: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/WO2012049989A1.html

Any thoughts on that?

 

[YuengLinger]

I'm sure the point of all this research is to produce a 50mm f/1.2 lens that can actually focus on its target.

: : :

 

[infared]

Perhaps night vision photography? 8)
Although, I did enjoy some of the fantasy guessing above! :

 

[Mistral75]

The "new type/kind of photo" is purposely vague. One can say that each and every new lens that goes beyond what was possible until then (lighter, brighter, with a larger zoom range, a more efficient stabilisation, a quicker autofocus, providing a better image quality, etc., all things being equal) will allow to take a new type/kind of photo.

Think of this new technology as something in line with the DO (Multi-layer Diffractive Optical Element, 2000) and BR (Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics, 2015) technologies.

For instance this new technology could be related to the Canon patent of a lens with a double apodization filter (one on each side of the aperture), see patent 2016-218444 requested on 20 May 2015 and granted on 22 December 2016.

There have been rumours, including here, of a new 135mm f/2 “unique” to the line-up that would not be a replacement for the classic Canon L prime.

Working examples in the patent referenced above include two 135mm f/2 with double apodization filter.

 

[mikekx102]

There have been a few technologies that Canon have introduced in the past. Some of the ones I can think of are:
- Diffractive Optics (Lighter, shorter Lenses)
- Sub Wavelength Coating (Better Flare Control and contrast)
- Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics (Corrects CA)

Based on the previous technologies I'm quite excited to see what they can come up with. I wonder when we'll see it. Hopefully in the next 50mm f1.0L (In 2018...)

 

[Don Haines]

A new series of lenses, shorter and lighter with DO and the new coatings. They will also be given a new colour so that they visibly stand out from all those black lenses and the white lenses, fluorescent pink! That way, if you drop your camera on a foggy day it will be easier to find!

 

[Sharlin]

I got this pie-in-the-sky idea of recording stereoscopic images with the Dual Pixel tech, but have no idea what sort of optics would be required to superimpose the two views onto a single sensor...

 

[Antono Refa]

I got this pie-in-the-sky idea of recording stereoscopic images with the Dual Pixel tech, but have no idea which sort of optics would be required to superimpose the two views onto a single sensor...

The optics would need to be half-pixel-sharp and somehow put one image on the left column and the other on the right. I highly doubt this is possible.

 

[pknight]

"A new type of photo." Hmm. I can see a lens making it possible to take better photos, or photos with less of this or that artifact, but a new type of photo? With the same sensors that we are using with our current lenses? My hyperbole alarm is going off.

 

[Mistral75]

"A new type of photo." Hmm. I can see a lens making it possible to take better photos, or photos with less of this or that artifact, but a new type of photo? With the same sensors that we are using with our current lenses? My hyperbole alarm is going off.

The French "un nouveau type de photo" can also be translated by "a new kind of photo", i.e. something you couldn't do until then. Think of a 135mm f/2 with apodization filter (as an example): it will give pictures that, strictly speaking, couldn't be done before.

 

[hne]

A Canon-branded FF mirrorless with 200Mpx plenoptic array-equipped sensor would be a dream. Kind of like the Lytro Illum, but with useful resolution (who want 4Mpx stills?), interchangeable lenses and from a company having a clue about photographic workflows.

No more almost nailing focus. No more almost getting the DoF right. No more almost getting the curved focus plane aligned with the flat brick wall, no more chromatic aberrations (lat or lon!), no more... OVF.

Canon already has all the base tech in place with their dualpixel stuff, and they have at least one patent for splitting the pixels in more parts.

 

[unfocused]

Please people, let's keep this in context.

These are Japanese executives interviewed by French writers and then the French language story is being translated into English. Don't expect nuanced interpretations.

About all you can gather from this is that Canon is working on undefined new lens technologies. The same thing they've been doing for...like...100 years now.

 

[digitalride]

plenoptic ... like the Lytro Illum

This was the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw "new type of photo" , I've slightly missed focus on too many shots.

 

[Mikehit]

Please people, let's keep this in context.

These are Japanese executives interviewed by French writers and then the French language story is being translated into English. Don't expect nuanced interpretations.

About all you can gather from this is that Canon is working on undefined new lens technologies. The same thing they've been doing for...like...100 years now.

Spoilsport

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The New Type of Photo is what caught my eye. That does not mean a sharper lens, or smaller, or any of that. What changes in a lens could let me take a new type of photo? One that can move focus so quickly that I could stack 25 images of a moving subject?

As some say, its a translation.

 

[cayenne]

Perhaps it can take a new type of picture such as:
1. Stuff behind your subject
2. Pictures of stuff around corners out of plain sight?

That would certainly be new...?


Hell, if they could get a lens that would help with composition, THAT would be a huge boon to the common photograper.

hell, it would help me out too....


cayenne

 

[PHOTOPROROCKIES]

I'm just looking forward to the day they make a new 600mm f4 L IS with built in 1.4x and 2.0x extenders.. That'll be the day I drop 16K on a single lens.