Patent: Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS & Others

Canon Rumors

Who Dey
Canon Rumors Premium
Jul 20, 2010
12,628
5,441
279,596
Canada
www.canonrumors.com
HTML:
<p>A patent for a new EF 300mm f/4L IS has appeared. Other optical formulas appearing in the patent are 24mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.3 with variable diffractive index elements which help correct some aberrations <em>(thanks Keith)</em>.</p>
<p><strong>Patent Publication No. 2015-28551</strong> (Google Translated)</p>
<ul>
<li>Published 2015.2.12</li>
<li>Filing date 2013.7.30</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Example</strong></p>
<table summary="embodiment" frame="box" rules="all">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Example</th>
<th>Focal distance</th>
<th>Fno.</th>
<th>Half angle</th>
<th>Image height</th>
<th>Overall length of the lens</th>
<th>BF</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>One</td>
<td>294.00</td>
<td>4.14</td>
<td>4.21</td>
<td>21.64</td>
<td>239.07</td>
<td>83.42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Two</td>
<td>24.48</td>
<td>2.86</td>
<td>41.47</td>
<td>21.64</td>
<td>92.00</td>
<td>38.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Three</td>
<td>51.70</td>
<td>1.30</td>
<td>22.71</td>
<td>21.64</td>
<td>94.01</td>
<td>37.50</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Four</td>
<td>294.00</td>
<td>4.14</td>
<td>4.21</td>
<td>21.64</td>
<td>240.00</td>
<td>82.95</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Five</td>
<td>6.15 20.45 71.28</td>
<td>2.88 3.71 3.69</td>
<td>30.34 9.98 2.89</td>
<td>3.60</td>
<td>84.11 86.12 90.41</td>
<td>11.74 15.68 8.50</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Six</td>
<td>293.97</td>
<td>4.14</td>
<td>4.21</td>
<td>21.64</td>
<td>239.98</td>
<td>85.34</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: [<a href="http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2015-02-18" target="_blank">Egami</a>]</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
<div id="adkengage_ssp_div"></div>
<script
    type="text/javascript"
    src="http://adkengage.com/pshandler.js?aid=11563&v=Rzv9QQ%2BeQKSVnAaEOwTXfA%3D%3D&dpid=6638&ru=http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-admin/post.php"
>
</script>
 
Re: Patent: Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS & Others

The 28 and 50 are big lenses - the 50 is about the size of Sigma's Art and the 28 isn't much smaller.

6-70 zoom! But that's for a tiny sensor (35-420 full frame equivalent, if I've worked that out right).
 
Upvote 0
Re: Patent: Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS & Others

Haydn1971 said:
The zoom is clearly a lens for a compact camera or such, the 50mm f1.3 could well be the fabled 50mm f1.4 and labeled as such

Maybe but I think if it was f/1.3 they would call it that and not rob themselves of the credit or the bragging/marketing value of being brighter than the competition. ;)

Either way I agree they should have led with that rumor as the subject!
 
Upvote 0
Re: Patent: Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS & Others

50mm f1.4 not in the title? Boohoo, that's not what the title said!! The amount of crying on here for the most trivial of things is simply mind-boggling. I hope those who did are teenagers and not adults, which would be slightly less disappointing and more expected.

On another note, to answer the question as to why there are three 300mm f4s, it's likely differing optical formulas that result in the same lens, so to speak. Many lenses have 10, 15, or even more elements. There are many ways you could arrange different elements to result in a 300mm f4 lens (or any other lens, for that matter). They are likely experimenting/researching with a few to find the best candidate.
 
Upvote 0
Re: Patent: Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS & Others

Haydn1971 said:
The zoom is clearly a lens for a compact camera or such, the 50mm f1.3 could well be the fabled 50mm f1.4 and labeled as such
Hi Haydn!

Until now I've never seen a patent with a bigger aperture than later labeled on the lens.
That means I'd believe in a 50 mm f/1.2 that is a f/1.3 in reality. So this could be a successor to the 50 L.
And that's reasonable because Canon would first release a L lens before a non-L with better IQ would follow.
So still some time to wait...
 
Upvote 0
Re: Patent: Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS & Others

whothafunk said:
what are 4 and 6, if 1 is already 300mm f4? I mean, all three numbers show 300mm f4, but why exactly?
They've got multiple designs for 300/4 lenses in the pipeline, and while its highly unlikely three of them will make it into production (possibly none will), for whatever reason they felt the need to patent three.
 
Upvote 0
Re: Patent: Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS & Others

It would be nice to have a new 300 f/4L IS, as the current design is very old. I have one now and it's great but just picked up a 70-300 L several months ago and the zoom is actually slightly better with center sharpness at 300mm, but the prime is clearly better at the corners. Also, the "300mm" on the zoom is clearly shorter than the 300mm on the prime.

I hope a new prime makes it out of the patent stage, but I'm not holding my breath. The 400mm f/5.6 is even older and hasn't gotten an update (or IS). Also, if they made a really good 300 f/4L IS, then the appeal for the f/2.8 IS II might go down (outside of the hardcore sports shooters).
 
Upvote 0
Re: ** Notes on examples miss the key aspects of this patent **

keithcooper said:
Please re-read the actual translated text. The essence of this patent is the use of variable diffractive index elements, not the list of examples.

Hi Keith, great site, visit it daily - I'm up the road in Sheffield ;-)

Could you explain your comment to us mere mortals ?
 
Upvote 0
Re: Patent: Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS & Others

Nothing wrong with a well-executed double Gauss design on crop or for a budget fast prime or a lightweight compact fast prime. For all we know, the 50 mm may be for a Nifty Fifty replacement.
 
Upvote 0
Re: Patent: Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS & Others

Is there even an event in 2015 where it'd make sense for canon to announce this 50mm lens? What's beyond NAB? Or do they even need an official event to show everyone their new lenses?

Btw.: this topic belongs into the lens section. I was looking for it in the wrong section until i recognized it's stored in "eos-bodys".
 
Upvote 0
Re: ** Notes on examples miss the key aspects of this patent **

Haydn1971 said:
keithcooper said:
Please re-read the actual translated text. The essence of this patent is the use of variable diffractive index elements, not the list of examples.

Hi Keith, great site, visit it daily - I'm up the road in Sheffield ;-)

Could you explain your comment to us mere mortals ?

Thanks ;-)

It's about lens elements that vary the diffractive index in different areas. The example given is of an element where the diffractive index varies radially. Unfortunately there is little detail in the egami article, particularly if reading via Google xlt.

It's another potential lens technology like diffractive optics, or this new flat 'lens'
http://petapixel.com/2015/02/20/this-new-flat-lens-captures-perfect-colors-without-chromatic-aberration/

Yes, I think we have some interesting lenses coming up :-)
 
Upvote 0
Re: Patent: Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS & Others

NancyP said:
Nothing wrong with a well-executed double Gauss design on crop or for a budget fast prime or a lightweight compact fast prime. For all we know, the 50 mm may be for a Nifty Fifty replacement.

That patent is for a 50mm F/1.3 lens, which doesn't sound like a nifty fifty, but somewhere between the current thrifty fifty and the 50L. Yes, Canon could stick with double gauss design and make a new version of their 50 F/1.4 with more robust AF, or a 50L II without the focus shift at min focus distance. But why would they? Would it generate any additional sales over the existing lineup like their 100-400 L II? I doubt it.

I think keithcooper has the key to the answer: this patent is not about individual lens designs, but about a new design concept using DO, and the 50/1.3 in that patent is only one example how to put that concept to use.
 
Upvote 0