The first RF mount super telephoto lens will be a DO lens [CR2]

Canon Rumors Guy

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A few weeks ago we mentioned that new DO lenses were on the way, but that they would be for the RF mount and not the EF mount.
We’re now receiving more information from other places suggesting that this is going to be the case. We’re told that the “first true super telephoto lens for the RF mount will be a diffractive optics lens”.
The same source also mentioned that an RF 300mm f/2.8L IS was currently in development, but not anywhere close to becoming a consumer product.
While we weren’t told what the focal length for the first RF mount DO lens would be, we’d wager on a 500mm lens is a good place to start for the EOS R system.
Currently, the lightest super telephoto lens for your Canon EOS R camera is the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II.
We are being flooded with a lot of RF mount lens “rumors” at the moment, so...

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I'll bet when all is said and done the reason a 20mm flange focal distance was chosen over a 18mm distance like the M series comes down to DO lens optics. The last lens in the existing DO lenses is a lens that straightens the light path back out to focus on the sensor 44 mm away. This lens may not be needed, alleviating the complexity in preceding lenses to account for it and/or potential image degradation issues for that straightening lens goes away. Keeping the wide throat helps a bunch too in these DO lenses. This might be something Sony can't easily duplicate either.

I'd also wager that the patents on the increased angles on light capture with the microlenses mounted on the sensor is to accommodate more severe light angles like a DO lens.

In short, this sort of lens cannot be made for EF mount. I suspect we will see more of these.
 
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Big white + DO + RF mount => it will cost a fortune ...

I don't know exactly what the Canon manufacturing plant looks like, but generally speaking, there are 2 lines, one for the big expensive glass and one for the cheaper, high volume consumer glass. I don't think that you will have to wait too long before Canon starts ramping up on the affordable R lenses. But I also do believe that Canon may also be managing it's inventory pipeline, so they may be waiting for some of the EF lens stock to reduce before releasing cheaper RF lenses.
 
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docsmith

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There are so many lenses to populate in the RF lineup, unless there is really a distinct advantage to these lenses for the RF mount, I would expect the superteles to be years away.

First, I would expect:
  • 2 or more UWA lenses (f/1.4 ;), f/2.8, and f/4)
  • f/2.8 and f/4 general purpose zooms
  • 70-200 f/2.8 and f/4 variants (I would love to see an f/2 version)
  • 70-300
  • Some core primes, say 14 (least likely, but I'd love to see a great astro lens), 24, 35, 85, and 135 mm.

So, that is 10-13 lenses. Let's just say I expect 15 other RF announcements before a RF supertele. Assuming ~5 announcements a year, that would be 3-4 years from now.

Of course, Canon may feel that supertele's drive the market and may get a few out there first. But the lightweight EF version III's make more sense...for now.
 
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Tom W

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Frankly, I can see the easy conversion of any of today's super-teles to the R mount, simply by extending the camera-end of the mount to fit the R camera. None have a problem with long backfocus - they all exhibit a long distance between the rearmost lens element and the sensor plane.

The R mount holds no advantage for super-telephoto lenses, or at least nothing significant compared to long-normal and wide angle lenses, where the reduced backfocus distance represents a huge design benefit.
 
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Big white + DO + RF mount => it will cost a fortune ...
We can also conclude that:
Big white + DO + RF mount => Professional R cameras are coming!!:)
From what I have seen, using the current EOS-R, a high megapixel and a high speed R should be very capable cameras.
 
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Ozarker

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I don't know exactly what the Canon manufacturing plant looks like, but generally speaking, there are 2 lines..

Where do you get this general idea? Only two lens manufacturing lines? I think not. I don't know what kind of factories you've been inside. Back in the 1980's when I worked for P&G, we had 7 lines just to make Pringles.
When I worked for SCA Tissue we had more than 2 dozen manufacturing lines under one roof to make napkins, paper towels, and toilet paper.
Canon cranks out an average of 4.5 million lenses a year (140,000,000+ lenses since 1987). That isn't accomplished with only two production lines.
 
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Where do you get this general idea? Only two lens manufacturing lines? I think not. I don't know what kind of factories you've been inside. Back in the 1980's when I worked for P&G, we had 7 lines just to make Pringles.
When I worked for SCA Tissue we had more than 2 dozen manufacturing lines under one roof to make napkins, paper towels, and toilet paper.
Canon cranks out an average of 4.5 million lenses a year (140,000,000+ lenses since 1987). That isn't accomplished with only two production lines.

"generally speaking"
"I don't know exactly what the Canon manufacturing plant looks like ..."
 
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I wouldn't look for any "major" announcements for "pro' bodies and long telephoto lenses before the lead time to the 2020 Olympics in Japan. Perhaps the new Panasonic full frame availability may jigger the time frame a bit - but only if Panasonic comes with formidable lenses. After all, it's less than 18 months until the Olympics and that's a pretty ambitious release schedule.
 
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What is currently the fastest DO lens?
It's the 400 f/4 DO II for Canon. Nikon on the other hand had the 300mm f/4 and just came out with their 500mmf/5.6 DO equivalent. The latter costs less than half the Canon 400 mm DO f/4 II. Let's hope Canon takes the pricing to heart for these DO lenses. The Pro's may not care about these, but the hobbyists will and hence the mid-price point for these in the sub-$5K range might be a sweet spot for Canon to consider. Have been patiently waiting for the 600 mm DO for a bit. Now with the action oriented MILC and this DO, I am hoping my wait will be over :)
Resurrect the APS-H please.
 
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