Patent: What the Digital Display on the Upcoming EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS II Might Look Like

[Canon Rumors]

The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II is expected to be announced some time in 2016, and<a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/more-talk-about-the-canon-ef-70-300mm-f4-5-6-is-ii-cr2/"> we first reported that it would be the first Canon lens to have a digital display</a>.</p>
<p>Below are some images from a patent for the technology that likely shows what will be displayed on the lens’ digital display.</p>
<p>By the images below, it seems the lens will be able to show distance meter, as well as lens shake on various axis’. I imagine you’ll be able to cycle through the desired displays with the press of a button on the lens.</p>
<p> </p>

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[ahsanford]

1) For range, that's clinging to the past, isn't it? See the Sony Batis lenses (below) for how a display could be gloriously simplified into [range to target] + [front/back limits of field] based on the fact that now the lens is reporting camera information. Why stick with the old / somewhat confusing line setup when technology can put your current settings' impact in plain view?

2) For shake, who is looking down at his/her lens while they are framing a shot? Folks on tripods who don't see shake at all? I must be missing something. Why would you want this?

- A

 

[kphoto99]

2) For shake, who is looking down at his/her lens while they are framing a shot? Folks on tripods who don't see shake at all? I must be missing something. Why would you want this?

- A

Cable release on a tripod that is not rock solid, like most travel tripods. yes, a limited scenario, but still useful.
Useful on macro lenses, having the same information on all lenses for consistency is not a bad idea.

 

[Loswr]

I must be missing something. Why would you want this?

Same reason to climb Mt. Everest?

 

[grainier]

Unless you can lock the dislplay info by half-pressing the shutter I homestly do not see the point of this.

 

[Sharlin]

2) For shake, who is looking down at his/her lens while they are framing a shot? Folks on tripods who don't see shake at all? I must be missing something. Why would you want this?

I'd say wind, groud vibrations, etc. At 300mm small things matter. You can use LV 10x magnification to gauge camera shake but it's a bit clumsy, especially as the zoom resets after every shot...

 

[weixing]

Hi,
If the lens can record and show the user the lens shake it detected during the shot, it'll be a very good tool in learning and perfecting the handheld shot or long lens technique.

Have a nice day.

 

[Loswr]

2) For shake, who is looking down at his/her lens while they are framing a shot? Folks on tripods who don't see shake at all? I must be missing something. Why would you want this?

I'd say wind, groud vibrations, etc. At 300mm small things matter. You can use LV 10x magnification to gauge camera shake but it's a bit clumsy, especially as the zoom resets after every shot...

If the IS system is going to correct those vibrations, who cares? Now...if it's showing the amount of uncorrectable vibration, that's a different story. But would Canon want to show that?

 

[Sharlin]

2) For shake, who is looking down at his/her lens while they are framing a shot? Folks on tripods who don't see shake at all? I must be missing something. Why would you want this?

I'd say wind, groud vibrations, etc. At 300mm small things matter. You can use LV 10x magnification to gauge camera shake but it's a bit clumsy, especially as the zoom resets after every shot...

If the IS system is going to correct those vibrations, who cares? Now...if it's showing the amount of uncorrectable vibration, that's a different story. But would Canon want to show that?

This is actually something I've been wondering about. The traditional advice is to disable IS when using a tripod to prevent spurious readings causing positive feedback loops. It is also said that modern IS implementations can sense when the camera is on a tripod and turn themselves off. But both of these mean that IS is not going to help when the camera shakes even when on a tripod, and more traditional methods must be used to counteract vibrations - a remote shutter, a sturdier tripod, a damper to hang from the center column... But are there IS systems that are actually useful when using a tripod as well?

 

[KeithBreazeal]

There must be more to the story.
Maybe just add one of the truck type backup alarms for shake that can't be corrected.
Give me a display that shows the predicted DOF!

 

[Loswr]

But are there IS systems that are actually useful when using a tripod as well?

Yes, in at least a few cases. The IS system of the Canon supertele lenses has a tripod-sensing mode that, rather than disabling IS, compensates for mirror slap and shutter vibration at shutter speeds between 1/30 s and 1 s (IS is disabled for exposures longer than 1 s).

 

[AvTvM]

I don't want it. Just another electronic, hardware, firmware, settings thingie that can and will eventually fail. And where in the olden day the glass of that lens window broke, you will now have to replace an entire LCD + electronic compound ... will make repairs even more costly and difficult or even impossible. And it will suck precious battery power all the time.

Actually I want my lenses without any windows or information on them. I do not look at the camera or lens, when framing a shot. I look at the scene. Through a viewfinder or on the main LCD. All parameters I need and want to know should be presented in the viewfinder or on the main LCD (in LiveView). Not in a lens window and not in a shoulder LCD on cameras. I laughed at that stupid lens LCD when i first saw it on those Batis lenses. Now Canon has to copy it ... just leave it out and sell me the lens / camera a bit cheaper.

 

[mnclayshooter]

2) For shake, who is looking down at his/her lens while they are framing a shot? Folks on tripods who don't see shake at all? I must be missing something. Why would you want this?

I'd say wind, groud vibrations, etc. At 300mm small things matter. You can use LV 10x magnification to gauge camera shake but it's a bit clumsy, especially as the zoom resets after every shot...

If the IS system is going to correct those vibrations, who cares? Now...if it's showing the amount of uncorrectable vibration, that's a different story. But would Canon want to show that?

I had a similar initial reaction, but then wondered if firmware/camera/lens communcation will allow us to have a customizable IS beyond just the 3 (or 4) preset modes. I can't quite come up with a scenario why I'd want this... but the bar graph-type "gauges" they are showing makes me wonder if you could make the vertical IS sensitivity stronger than horizontal etc... or add a little bit of lag/responsiveness to the reactivity of the IS. I'm thinking more on the lines of video use rather than stills... to allow a smother IS transition when panning, for example?

I'm in way over my head here, admittedly.

 

[wsmith96]

Maybe it's not for shake but for a lens based leveling system?

 

[asl]

I don't want it. Just another electronic, hardware, firmware, settings thingie that can and will eventually fail. And where in the olden day the glass of that lens window broke, you will now have to replace an entire LCD + electronic compound ... will make repairs even more costly and difficult or even impossible. And it will suck precious battery power all the time.

Actually I want my lenses without any windows or information on them. I do not look at the camera or lens, when framing a shot. I look at the scene. Through a viewfinder or on the main LCD. All parameters I need and want to know should be presented in the viewfinder or on the main LCD (in LiveView). Not in a lens window and not in a shoulder LCD on cameras. I laughed at that stupid lens LCD when i first saw it on those Batis lenses. Now Canon has to copy it ... just leave it out and sell me the lens / camera a bit cheaper.

Exactly. The Batis looks good, but the viewfinder or camera screen seems a more useful place for such information.

 

[Loswr]

A thought – it's likely the LCD version of the distance window has a lower production cost than the mechanical version. Certainly, not having one at all is even cheaper, but the LCD version on a mid-range non-L lens makes sense in that context.

 

[Chaitanya]

Like the Zeiss, I hope the display is an oled display as it would be helpful in dark situations. Compared to conventional focus window these oled displays are far more helpful.

 

[RayValdez360]

I don't want it. Just another electronic, hardware, firmware, settings thingie that can and will eventually fail. And where in the olden day the glass of that lens window broke, you will now have to replace an entire LCD + electronic compound ... will make repairs even more costly and difficult or even impossible. And it will suck precious battery power all the time.

Actually I want my lenses without any windows or information on them. I do not look at the camera or lens, when framing a shot. I look at the scene. Through a viewfinder or on the main LCD. All parameters I need and want to know should be presented in the viewfinder or on the main LCD (in LiveView). Not in a lens window and not in a shoulder LCD on cameras. I laughed at that stupid lens LCD when i first saw it on those Batis lenses. Now Canon has to copy it ... just leave it out and sell me the lens / camera a bit cheaper.

blah blah blah, you sound like an old man. the worst that might happen is the lcd screen could die but how often to simple lcd screens die today. Everytime someone makes a new advancement to make life easier someone is a whiner.

 

[RayValdez360]

A thought – it's likely the LCD version of the distance window has a lower production cost than the mechanical version. Certainly, not having one at all is even cheaper, but the LCD version on a mid-range non-L lens makes sense in that context.

That too. Less mechanics. just a chip, screen, and electricity.

 

[AvTvM]

blah blah blah, you sound like an old man. the worst that might happen is the lcd screen could die but how often to simple lcd screens die today. Everytime someone makes a new advancement to make life easier someone is a whiner.
[/quote]

in what way would an LCD on a lens be "an advancement to make life easier"?

Solid state: all for it. I actually want AF-only lenses without any rings and mechanics. Plus an electronically transmissive variable round aperture instead of an iris. No focus ring, no focus gear, no zoom ring. Operation by wire via camera body. Lens just a well-sealed cylinder. That's what I would call "an advancement" ...