Back in September of 2020, I published a patent found by Canon News for what looks to be the upcoming Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L VR lens.

This is obviously a niche market lens, but it shows Canon is thinking outside of the box and coming up with new ideas for the RF mount.

Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L VR Lens

  • Focal length: 5.57mm
  • F-number: 2.80
  • Half angle of view: 90.00°
  • Image height: 8.75mm
  • Total lens length: 96.00mm
  • BF: 13.50mm

From Japan Patent 2019-033296

In the lens device, since the angle of view of the optical system is relatively narrow and the distance (baseline length) between the optical axes of the two optical systems is short, the realism of the obtained stereoscopic image is not sufficient.  On the other hand, in the imaging apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when the two optical systems to try to increase the base length with a wide-angle of view, lens apparatus is enlarged. In this case, when the lens device is attached to the main body of the imaging device, the grip performance (easiness to hold) may be affected. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lens device that enables stereoscopic photography and does not impair ease of holding.

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31 comments

  1. I have no qualms admitting that I have no idea how this lens is going to perform. I do have one question though: Is this why we haven't seen any really dedicated (MILC) video bodies in quite some time?
  2. It would be interesting, if will be made well. But what about a 3D screen to view the results? Kind of film era, when you can't see the result right in the field :)
    And, remembering how performs the 3D screen on my old 3D Fuji... better not! :LOL:
  3. Looking at the diagram of the optics it with two forward-facing front elements, and the prisms to bend the light around into the sensor, it looks like a pair of binoculars that attach to the front of the camera.

    From the description, I'm assuming this means It's not a 360-degree VR lens, it's a stereoscopic lens, producing an image, much like what you see out of a stereo microscope, and with our own two eyes.
  4. Looking at the diagram of the optics it with two forward-facing front elements, and the prisms to bend the light around into the sensor, it looks like a pair of binoculars that attach to the front of the camera.

    From the description, I'm assuming this means It's not a 360-degree VR lens, it's a stereoscopic lens, producing an image, much like what you see out of a stereo microscope, and with our own two eyes.
    I’d say that it produces an image much like you see out of your eyes. Without a microscope.
  5. I’d say that it produces an image much like you see out of your eyes. Without a microscope.
    Yes, my mistake for not being very clear! I did state its like what we see with our own eyes, and that's precisely what it does.

    The only similarity with a stereo microscope, is that it has two separate optical paths, but that's where the similarity ends. It works almost the opposite way to a stereo microscope, because two two lenses projecting an image across a single sensor area. Thanks for the correction. :)
  6. It would be interesting, if will be made well. But what about a 3D screen to view the results? Kind of film era, when you can't see the result right in the field :)
    And, remembering how performs the 3D screen on my old 3D Fuji... better not! :LOL:
    It wouldn’t be a 3D lens but a stereoscopic lens. Each half of the sensor would have a slightly different perspective. On a screen, each half would display a 2D image. Inside of a VR display you wear, each eye would see each perspective making the image appear “real”. It would be used for VR broadcast or content, not so much 3D that covers a full screen.
  7. It wouldn’t be a 3D lens but a stereoscopic lens. Each half of the sensor would have a slightly different perspective. On a screen, each half would display a 2D image. Inside of a VR display you wear, each eye would see each perspective making the image appear “real”. It would be used for VR broadcast or content, not so much 3D that covers a full screen.
    I wonder if the depth map derived from the dual-pixel AF could get used get a better 3D reconstruction than with just the 2 perspectives.
  8. I wonder if the depth map derived from the dual-pixel AF could get used get a better 3D reconstruction than with just the 2 perspectives.
    With a boost in processing power and throughput, DPAF would be able to focus each lens in unison with higher precision. I would imagine the data from a stereoscopic lens would also help with machine learning important tracking points.
  9. Making a movie with 8k and cutting out the lens' regions to cut both into a 3D movie with exact timing, synchronous sound track with a simple camera and not so simple and cheap lens.
    Will look like these springing spiders with their two bulbous eyes ...
  10. It wouldn’t be a 3D lens but a stereoscopic lens. Each half of the sensor would have a slightly different perspective. On a screen, each half would display a 2D image. Inside of a VR display you wear, each eye would see each perspective making the image appear “real”. It would be used for VR broadcast or content, not so much 3D that covers a full screen.
    I don't know what do you mean by saying 3D lens, but I'm sure the idea here is the same thing as my old 3D Fuji (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujifilm_FinePix_Real_3D). The only difference is that the Fuji uses two lenses and two sensors, while here it is a split lens and a split sensor. But the result is the same: two images with different perspective, used to get a stereoscopic effect. How they will use it - a different question. You have a good point, it is possibly for video production and cinema line.

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