The diffractive optics related patents continue to appear from Canon. This time we get a patent that covers both a 300mm f/2.8 DO and a 400mm f/2.8 DO.
We think a slew of diffractive optics super telephotos are on the way for the RF mount and these two optical formulas may find their way to the RF mount in 2020. Perhaps alongside an EOS R version of the EOS-1D X Mark II.
As Canon News points out, the back focus on a super telephoto lens is quite large, so these could easily be RF mount lenses.
Japan Patent Application 2018-189878
Focal distance: 392.58
F number:2.91
A half field angle: 3.15
Image height: 21.64
Length of the lens: 363.53
BF: 59.15
Focal distance: 293.40
F number: 2.91
a half field angle: 4.22
Image height: 21.64
length of the lens: 274.00
BF: 59.35
By and large the EF mount has all the big whites. Also it would be likely camera development will be in the R mount. Yes they will sell EF mount cameras for a bit more but I see the RF mount is where the new sensors and developments will be revealed.
Why this would be put out is a bit of a mystery.
I don't think a 400mm f/2.8DO is a realistic release considering the new version 3 400 2.8 has just been launched. A 300 2.8? Maybe.
If Canon come out with a new pro mirrorless camera for sports/wildlife you can almost guarantee there won't be any more big white EF lenses. Canon want to push people to switch, and releasing new lenses on the old format isn't going to help that.
The "Length of the lens: 363.53 mm" in the patent is the length of the optical formula up to the image plane on the sensor.
So you'll have to subtract the flange distance of the camera system (44 mm @ EF, 20 mm @ RF, if I remember correctly).
This would lead to a mechanical length of the lens (barrel) of about 320 mm if its EF mount.
And then it is just about 2 cm SHORTER than the existing EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM (343 mm).
If it was RF mount then the mechanical size would be about the same as the existing EF lens.
A little bit disappointing IMO as I thought DO would help to reduce length more than that.
After looking at the back of my lenses, particularly the position of the rear elements relative to the mount, I'm convinced that the same is true of most/all lenses over 85mm.
Now where are our EF 500 and EF 600 DO lenses? :)
After the optical formula has been decided they can move over to figure out how to reduce the weight even more I think this DO stuff is probably more expensive if we compare lenses at the exact same focal length and aperture, so that means even higher pricetag over the version III EF lenses. But it will take a fair few years as Nikon Z-mount super telephotos aren't even mentioned in their 3-year roadmap (but it is a possiblity that they come out earlier than Canon because they will skip updating their F-mount super teles altogether), the newest EF lenses will probably do more than fine for the time being.
Cant you see D = Dead?