Freshly filed patents reveal a slew of new, fast prime lenses for Canon DSLR cameras
Image: Canon
Despite focusing on bringing a healthy lineup of RF mount lenses to market this year, Canon is still hard at work developing optics for its DSLR cameras. The company has filed patents for no fewer than ten new EF mount prime lenses, with apertures as fast as f/1.2.
The new patents, spotted by Canon News, comprise four f/1.8 lenses: 14mm, 17mm, 16mm and 18mm. On top of that are two f/1.4 optics, 16mm and 20mm, and two f/1.2 lenses, 22mm and 24mm. Interestingly, there are also separate patents for an additional 14mm f/1.8 and 20mm f/1.4 lens with only minor differences.
Given that all the lenses are close to parfocal, the website suggests that they might be intended for the company's collection of cinema lenses, potentially joining the freshly minted Sumire Prime line.
Renewed focus on the EF mount?
This comes as welcome news for Canon DSLR owners, following the recent confirmation from the manufacturer that there will likely be no new EF mount lenses released until 2020.
Canon has set 2019 aside to concentrate on bolstering its full-frame mirrorless cameras, with the Canon RF lens roadmap set to deliver six lenses for the Canon EOS R and RP this year. "We can only develop a certain amount of lenses a year, so you have to make a choice," said European Technical Support Manager, Michael Burnhill.
However, while he noted that the company is "really going through that refresh period where some of the older lenses are being updated," looking at this list of newly patented lenses, it seems that Canon has been hard at work developing some exciting glass for its DSLR customers.
Indeed, an earlier patent suggests that the company might even bring over its Defocus Smoothing line from the RF mount, with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 Defocus Smoothing lens being recently leaked.
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While Canon is known for filing far more patents than ever find their way to production, the fact that such interesting lenses are at least on the drawing board for its DSLRs can only be a good thing.
James has 22 years experience as a journalist, serving as editor of Digital Camera World for 6 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.
