Canon Patents

Patent: Very small Canon RF mount zoom lens designs

Canon Rumors
Posted onNov 26, 2020 at 8:30 AM
Updated onUpdated on Nov 26, 2020 at 8:31 AM

Canon News has uncovered a patent that shows Canon is working on very small RF zoom lenses, these simple designs may also be collapsable.

Japan Patent Application 2020-190661

In recent years, so-called mirrorless cameras, which do not have a quick return mirror, are increasing in cameras. Since this mirrorless camera has a thin body, is compact and lightweight, it is required to develop a compact and lightweight interchangeable lens that matches the mirrorless camera.

Since this mirrorless camera does not require the space of the quick return mirror, it is not necessary to secure the back focus as much as the conventional interchangeable lens. Therefore, the configuration of the lens is also different from that of the conventional interchangeable lens, and the degree of freedom in design is increased so that it is possible to design a compact and lightweight lens.

In particular, a wide-angle lens tends to have a short back focus, so that it can be miniaturized as an interchangeable lens for a mirrorless camera.

Focal Length 24.52mm 43.05mm 69.13mm
F Number 4.10 5.10 6.44
Half Angle 38.46° 26.68° 17.38°
Total Length of Lens 109.15mm 107.79mm 112.88mm
Backfocus 14.65mm 14.65mm 16.65mm
Canon RF 20-70mm f/4-6.3
Focal Length 21.66mm 41.66mm 69.12mm
F Number 4.10 5.10 6.44
Half Angle 41.95° 27.45° 17.38°
Total Length of Lens 115.09mm 108.18mm 118.44mm
Backfocus 14.79mm 14.79mm 14.79mm
Canon Rumors
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usern4cr

usern4cr

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I'm very happy to see them design (well, patent at least) a *20*(not 24!) - 70 zoom lens, even if it's not a wide aperture design. Pairing this with their new 70-200 f4L lens would make a very nice travel & hiking 2 lens combo.

I'd still like to see something like a ~20(+/-) - 200(or less) f?-5.6(or so) L zoom for a single high IQ/build handheld travel/hiking lens. In the past, I loved walking around with a single EM1-II body with only a single lens on it: the (2x crop)12-100 f4 pro lens which could take tack-sharp photos of most everything I wanted (yes, with large DOF and poor background blur). I continue to hope that Canon can come out with something like that, but with similar or better equivalent zoom range and with wider equivalent aperture in a high quality L FF lens. When they do (and they probably will eventually) I'll buy one!
 
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Maximilian

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This would be a very interesting and compact travel lens.

And of course it is always a compromise.
 
Maximilian

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usern4cr said:
... I'd still like to see something like a ~20(+/-) - 200(or less) ... f?-5.6(or so) L ... zoom for a single high IQ/build handheld travel/hiking lens. ...
Click to expand...
As the RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM is already there I don't think that an L equvalent will come soon.
And even if it does I don't know if it would be small enough to call it "travel/hiking lens" with that zoom range and f/5.6 at the long end.
even the RF 24-240 is not really small IMO, but YMMV.
But maybe Canon can surprise us ;)
 
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usern4cr

usern4cr

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Maximilian said:
As the RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM is already there I don't think that an L equvalent will come soon.
And even if it does I don't know if it would be small enough to call it "travel/hiking lens" with that zoom range and f/5.6 at the long end.
even the RF 24-240 is not really small IMO, but YMMV.
But maybe Canon can surprise us ;)
Click to expand...
I agree that it probably won't come soon. I think they could probably make it small enough to be a travel/hiking lens with 5.6 at the long end (of say a 22-180 range maybe), but that's just because I'd be OK with the size/weight for the benefit of high quality IQ/build/weather proofing with the ability to only have a single body & lens for casual(for me) use.
 
B

bbasiaga

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No mention of image height....I wonder if this is going to be dim in the corners at 24 like the 24-240, relying on software to correct the vignette? Optical abberation should be better though, not having to hit 240 on the long end.

I really want a 24-70f4 L for the RF, but looks like not any time soon.

-Brian
 
Antono Refa

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Jasonmc89 said:
70mm at 6.3 though..
Click to expand...
Its a patent, and might never turn into a lens.

There seems to be a demand for smaller lighter lenses, to the point some people perceive it as the raison d'etre for MILC. Seems Canon is considering trading size for pushing ISO a stop and a third at the long end. With ISO performance being what it is nowadays, seems like a reasonable option to consider.
 
Jasonmc89

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Antono Refa said:
Its a patent, and might never turn into a lens.

There seems to be a demand for smaller lighter lenses, to the point some people perceive it as the raison d'etre for MILC. Seems Canon is considering trading size for pushing ISO a stop and a third at the long end. With ISO performance being what it is nowadays, seems like a reasonable option to consider.
Click to expand...
I see what you’re saying but backgrounds at that aperture and focal length aren’t gonna be that nice. Suppose Canon already have, and will have more, wider aperture lenses though.
 
Nemorino

Nemorino

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Nikon has a 24-50 f4-6.3 lens in their Z mount line up.

Industry News: Nikon releases their Z mount lens roadmap

Nikon and Canon are both busy building out their full-frame mirrorless lens lineup, we've reported on Canon's roadmap in the past, but none of that is officially from Canon. However, Nikon has released their Z mount lens roadmap which promises 27 lenses for the system by the end of 2022...
www.canonrumors.com www.canonrumors.com
 
Mt Spokane Photography

Mt Spokane Photography

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A low cost lens is what the patent says. It implies using aberration correction in processing like the 24-240. The length of the lens is indeed shorter, The apertures are all about f/4 - f/6.3. Its a very small 24-70 f/4-f/6 that could be handy for a walk around lens.


Further, in recent years, due to advances in image processing technology, it is possible to elec
trically correct some aberrations. In particular, by electrically correcting various aberrations su
ch as chromatic aberration, distortion, and other aberrations, it is possible to reduce the size,
the image quality, and the cost.
 
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