Canon has just published its annual business outlook, and suggested that over the next 4 years it will release 32 new Canon RF lenses. This would more than double the 23 RF lenses currently available, which range from top-of-the-range professional lenses to much more affordable primes.
These staggering figures seem incredibly optimistic, considering how many delays camera and lens manufacturers have been facing. Just recently, Canon shared a press release to apologize for delays on the incredibly expensive Canon 800mm and 1200mm super-telephoto lenses (opens in new tab) as well as a 6-month wait on the Canon EOS R3 (opens in new tab).
According to the outlook (opens in new tab), the company will launch 32 lenses between now and 2026 – averaging out at roughly a news lens every 45 days, which is ambitious addition to the Canon RF lens roadmap (opens in new tab) to say the least.
Canon CEO and chairman, Fuji Mitarai, expressed the desire to become the number one mirrorless camera producer in the world (a spot currently held by Sony with a 35% market share, according to PetaPixel (opens in new tab)). While he stated that the camera market is bottoming out from a sales perspective, units being sold may continue to decline due to a weakening low-end market.
The PowerShot market which covers Canon’s compact cameras is also likely to grow, as Canon releases restyled cameras and special-use products such as the PowerShot Pick (opens in new tab) - an AI-powered automatic camera capable of analyzing a scene, identifying people, tracking their faces and capturing photos.
The response online hasn’t been overwhelmingly positive, with many Canon users feeling that it’s too ambitious. With so many people still waiting on pre-orders from 2021, it’s no wonder comments have been made regarding how many statements Canon will have to publish over the coming four years, apologizing for delays on delivery dates.
Which lenses might be released has not yet been announced, nor has Canon released an official roadmap for the next four years, but we can expect a mixture of super-fast primes, mid-range zooms and telephoto zooms.
Read more:
Best Canon cameras (opens in new tab)
Best Canon RF lenses
(opens in new tab)Best mirrorless cameras (opens in new tab)
Best profesional cameras (opens in new tab)
Best cheap cameras (opens in new tab)