Canon is known for being one of the most prolific companies for producing patents, filing several every year. However, one of its latest patents is causing a bit of a stir. Canon has recently filed a patent for superzoom lens designed for APS-C cameras.
However, it's not clear whether Canon has designed this lens for an as-yet-unannounced APS-C RF camera, or whether it's for its existing APS-C EOS M mirrorless mount.
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As reported by Canon News, this patent shows an 18-240mm superzoom lens that features a variable aperture range from f/4 to f/8. One of the benefits of using a variable aperture range is that manufacturers are able to have a wide focal length range while still maintaining a compact design.
This design is actually a little similar to Canon's recent super telephotos, the Canon RF 800mm f/11 and the Canon RF 600mm f/11. While admittedly cost effective, the narrow minimum apertures of f/11 on these lenses means that they aren't able to gather as much light as some wider aperture options.
So, which kind of mount could this Canon 18-240mm f/4-f/8 lens be for? Canon News suggests that this might not be intended for an RF mount APS-C camera, as the patent shows a very short back focus. This could mean that we'll soon be seeing this brand new superzoom in the EOS M line-up.
While it's always great to see Canon producing new and interesting patents, it's worth remembering that a patent registration doesn't necessarily mean that we'll see the product come to market. However, we'll certainly be interested to see whether this unusual superzoom makes the cut.
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