Northlight Images has uncovered a patent for an additional EF to RF adapter, this one would add “soft focus” capability to all EF lenses on EOS R camera bodies.
The USPTO patent shows the adapter working with all sorts of EF lenses, such as an EF 24mm f/1.4L II, EF 35mm f/1.4L II and the 135mm f/2L.
According to Northlight, “the specs point towards full frame sensors and backfocus distances which could fit with having the soft focus element inside an EF->RF adapter”
The soft focus elements are shown in red in the image below.
If this is true it shows that canon is innovating in ways others have never dreamed of. Using the adapters for filters, adding operational features and now optical features. Some like the filter and this adapter actually make the EF lenses very relevant and actually part of the RF system of lenses that was not anticipated. I hope they keep up this innovation, makes the EF lenses just as valuable or more so than ever.
I'm excited about the polarizing filter adapter (it was a brilliant idea), but I think the pricing on the filter adapters has been a bit ludicrous so far. $299 for the polarizing filter adapter, AND you have to pay an additional $129 for a clear filter if you want to be able to remove the polarizer (vs $99 to get another adapter without a filter).
Not to mention that the drop-in polarizing filter alone seems to cost $275 (if you bought the ND adapter in the first place and want to add a polarizer).. The ND drop-in costs $399, which is the same as the entire ND filter+adapter!
I don't know if the pricing will be more sane in the future (or if there will be 3rd party drop-in options), but it seems pretty difficult to defend at the moment.
I don't think that what the Nikon does could be accomplished with a adapter, but it could allow some control of depth of focus similar to the Canon lens.
https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/technique/camera_skills/master-soft-focus-photography-91530
Yes, I'd forgotten that the lens guy has that to work on as well...
The fact that Canon no longer list the EF 135mm f/2.8 Softfocus in their current lineup, should be enough to indicate that this particular device will remain as just patent application to cover an idea that may be useful in the future. Softfocus effects are probably better done in software, or even more preferably, not done at all ;).
I'm not so sure, for two reasons.
First is there's a big difference between keeping a lens in production (including parts & training to fix it) and an adapter (a tube with two elements in it), all the more so when the adapter could be used with any lens and shares parts with other adapters.
Second is primes in general, and specifically 135mm FL, might be losing sales beyond the lens market in general. Possibly the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L (which got three upgrades, including IS, in that time) is too attractive to allow for a 135mm f/2 upgrade to be profitable.
While some soft focus adapter is not a primary need for me it shows that Canon might increase the numbers of options - maybe a good long-term differentiator against those who gone mirrorless FF directly where you haven't these options.
EDIT: Forgotten to say that I do NOT see any need to go FF again (after a 3year excursion with 5D i) because M50 with EF-M 32 is a killer combo for those who like it small / light / close focus / with very high IQ. But the adapter solution makes the R system attractive to me to use my EF lenses with f-stop ring (their worst amputation compared to FD lenses) and my small set of FD lenses maybe for artistic / sentimental reasons :) And if I need or want FF I will buy an R system camera - e.g. an EOS R50 (M50 like system) for 1300 EUR !
Canon's R&D $$ should focus on where Canon sees maximum profits (which probably means lenses). And such patents are a byproduct of this process.
Canon's lenses probably drive most of its business, but as long as Canon is only making EF and RF lenses, they have to sell EF/RF bodies as well. That means making bodies that people want to buy.
I don't think the competitive gap is anywhere near as bad as what many people claim online, but there are definitely ways that Canon is lagging, and I have no doubt that their R&D is already working to close them.