Patent Application: Kit Zooms for both RF-S and RF

Richard Cox
3 Min Read

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In this patent application (2024-173039), Canon talks about a few interesting wide-angle zoom lenses and one design, which I've seen a lot over the RF years and have wanted Canon to do. For me, a 17-70 or equivalent full-frame lens would be a “shut up and take my money” kind of lens as long as it was decent optically. It would be my sweet spot for full-frame focal lengths in one zoom lens.

So yes, Canon..

Canon RF 15-50mm F4-6.3

As with all these wide-angle zooms, this one going from 15mm to 50mm would be compelling in many use cases. Yes, it's slow, but it covers a range on a full frame that nothing else does. The beauty of this lens is that it's useable on both full-frame and crop camera bodies as a kit lens.

WideMiddleTelephoto
Focal length15.20 26.16 49.50
F-number4.12 5.60 6.45
Half angle of View52.76 39.59 23.61
Image Height20.00 21.64 21.64
Lens length124.63 115.64 125.93
Back Focus15.00 15.00 15.00

Canon RF 17-65mm F4-5.6

Just make it. Please. This lens may not be as good as 15mm for a crop camera body, but 17mm still is a 27mm equivalent which is considered “okay.” I like the total range of 17 to 65mm.

WideMiddleTelephoto
Focal length17.2033.96 64.50
F-number4.00 4.50 5.60
Half angle of View49.30 32.50 18.54
Image Height20.00 21.64 21.64
Lens length132.16 130.27 165.51
Back Focus15.00 29.1121.72

Canon RF 17-50mm F4-5.6

This design is interesting, but I'm not sure it could fit on an RF mount camera with a back focus distance under 11mm.

WideMiddleTelephoto
Focal length17.53 33.1849.43
F-number4.00 4.50 5.60
Half angle of View48.76 33.11 23.64
Image Height20.00 21.64 21.64
Lens length117.96 112.16120.63
Back Focus10.64 10.64 10.64

As with all patent applications, this is a look into Canon's ongoing research and may not end up being a product.

Source: Japan Patent Office 2024-173039

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Richard has been using Canon cameras since the 1990s, with his first being the now legendary EOS-3. Since then, Richard has continued to use Canon cameras and now focuses mostly on the genre of infrared photography.

1 comment

  1. It's nice seeing some signs of research around bigger focal range in lenses that would be suitable for standard APSC zooms like the 17-65.

    But I have to say I would hope for better aperture, biased by the look at the Tamron 17-70 2.8

    We'll see what comes at the production step

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