Patent: Ultra-wide zoom lenses for the RF mount, including an RF 9-24mm f/4

Canon Rumors Guy

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It's definitely real ;-) Read the actual patent application.
One of the features of it is the use of an aspherical element at the front and its part in the design.

There was another patent application I spotted as well which included
70-200 f/4 | 100-500 f/4.6-6.8 | 70-200 f/2.8 | 55-250 f/4.6-6.5 | 100-400 f/5.6-8 |100-390 f/5.6-8
Mostly RF full frame but the 55-250 is for a crop sensor
 
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Jan 29, 2011
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Because 11-24 is sufficient for you, or because you hate it?
I’d challenge anybody to show me images shot with a rectilinear 9mm lens on a ff camera that weren’t ridiculous projection distortions of reality.

I like the lens and it very much serves a purpose, but even using 11mm is a technical challenge that most honest people who own and use it will attest to. 9mm sounds more like a headline than a useful specification, a bit like 1,000,000 iso. Yes there will be a very few people who can and will use the feature but in truth it won’t be used effectively by most people.
 
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I’d challenge anybody to show me images shot with a rectilinear 9mm lens on a ff camera that weren’t ridiculous projection distortions of reality.

I like the lens and it very much serves a purpose, but even using 11mm is a technical challenge that most honest people who own and use it will attest to. 9mm sounds more like a headline than a useful specification, a bit like 1,000,000 iso. Yes there will be a very few people who can and will use the feature but in truth it won’t be used effectively by most people.
This would be a killer diving lens. It would completely change how we see things underwater. Close focus, large depth of field, and no fisheye distortion. It would also be welcomed in landscape and timelapse applications. It’ll be just as niche as the 11-24 is now, with an increase to the field of view. Yes, please!
 
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Jan 29, 2011
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This would be a killer diving lens. It would completely change how we see things underwater. Close focus, large depth of field, and no fisheye distortion. It would also be welcomed in landscape and timelapse applications. It’ll be just as niche as the 11-24 is now, with an increase to the field of view. Yes, please!
In my experience diving with ff cameras pretty much died in the 5D II era, m4/3 and crop cameras very much took over due to price, weight and size whilst giving virtually nothing away in image quality. I stand by my earlier comment regarding landscape and time lapse applications.

So yes, a 9-24mm would be a niche within a niche that would obviously be a statement lens few could afford and even fewer will get genuine use out of.

At least you can put filters in an adapter using the EF 11-24 on R cameras, they’d better have a drop in filter slot for that RF 9-24 design!
 
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Mar 26, 2014
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So yes, a 9-24mm would be a niche within a niche that would obviously be a statement lens few could afford and even fewer will get genuine use out of.
As an owner of an EF 11-24mm, I agree. I don't use the wide side of the lens enough to consider switching to a mount the Laowa 9mm f/5.6 is compatible with, much the less hold my breath for an RF 9-24mm.

And, as usual, one should consider the possibility the patent is just for IP protection, or for use in some other kind of lens. IIRC, it was mentioned in the past a patent for a 10mm prime became the 11-24mm, or maybe the TS-E 17mm.
At least you can put filters in an adapter using the EF 11-24 on R cameras, they’d better have a drop in filter slot for that RF 9-24 design!
True dat.
 
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briangus

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I’d challenge anybody to show me images shot with a rectilinear 9mm lens on a ff camera that weren’t ridiculous projection distortions of reality.

I like the lens and it very much serves a purpose, but even using 11mm is a technical challenge that most honest people who own and use it will attest to. 9mm sounds more like a headline than a useful specification, a bit like 1,000,000 iso. Yes there will be a very few people who can and will use the feature but in truth it won’t be used effectively by most people.
Having just purchased the aptly named Laowa 9mm Dreamer
I will politely decline your challlenge
 
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Canon RF 8-16mm f/4 sounds good, better than the other patents starting "only" at 9 or 10mm and will fill the "gap" for some extreme/insane UWA .
It should pair well in a kit with the existing Rf 15-35mm F2.8 or the future (is it confirmed?) RF 14-35mm F4 for "normal" UWA :)

If the Canon RF 1200mm F8 Canon is coming, an ultra wide angle starting at 8mm doesn't seems insane anymore, more extreme focal lengths need to be available for the RF mount, smartphones are already getting insanely wide lenses, 8mm rectilinear will put interchangeable lens cameras at the top again, Canon needs to make a number of lenses that no future smartphone camera in the next 10, 20 or even 30 years could challenge, any future customer of RF cameras will have a smartphone and if a good lens is already inside a smartphone less people will want to buy a mirrorless camera if there isn't a huge and evident advantage, the challenge is not (only) against Sony or Nikon anymore, but against Samsung or Apple smartphones, sure till now no smartphone camera is as good as any modern miorreless camera, Canon (Sony, Nikon, etc ...) need to push the boundaries to keep this advantage even with some insane lenses, just to mark the territory ;)

8mm is almost as impractical as 1200mm especially in a smartphone, but the few that want this kind of challenging focal lengths will love to use a proper camera to make this lenses useful for their creativity, this is the mindset that Canon engineers are probably using, also F1.2 lenses or F2 zoom are the sign of this trend, if a lens is too "extreme" to be available in a smartphone it's a good lens that will differentiate proper cameras from phone cameras.

Even if I could be happy with "just" a 15mm or 14mm wide lens and a 500mm or 600mm tele, I'll like to be able to rent or buy something much longer or extremely wider if i feel I need to expand my creativity.
 
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Rivermist

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I love my 11-24. It's sharp, nice color rendition,..
Would i be interested in wider? Not really... Most pics i took with it are in the 12-17 range.
I have the ef-rf adapter with filter, very useful
Second that. I would (maybe) consider replacing the 11-24 with a native RF lens of similar range and quality if there was a serious reduction in weight and size of the front element. I do use the 11-24 range, but for many outings I will take the 16-35 L IS just to save on weight and/or to reduce the "mug me" factor the 11-24 creates. Reality check: anything of L quality in RF in this range of rare and extreme focal lengths will most probably be so cost prohibitive I will be keeping the EF glass for a long time. May be worth getting the drop-in filter adapter....
 
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slclick

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As long as it’s not another F 7.1 lens then it’s good news. Don’t get all the 7.1 lately. I find 5.6 challenging at times.
come on canon do better.
We need a 200-600mm 5.6 or no darker than 6.3
Or even a RF 500mm 5.6. Most will be happy with.
Millions of us 'survived' in the 'F/8 and Be There' world. You'll get by.
 
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