Canon Patents Another Crazy Lens

Canon Patents Another Crazy Lens

Canon has been releasing some mightily impressive lenses ever since they first dipped their toes into the professional mirrorless market, and it looks like they are showing no signs of stopping. The company recently filed patents for three new lenses, with one of them being yet another that pushes the boundaries of design.

When Canon first stepped into the professional mirrorless market, they brought with them the RF 28-70mm f/2L USM, the world's first full frame standard zoom lens with a constant maximum aperture of f/2. Since then, they have been continuing to release some stellar lenses, and their latest patent filing shows they are not slowing down. The patents include filings for 24mm f/1.4L and 135mm f/2L lenses, but the real star of the show is the 130mm f/1.4L. We have seen a few 135mm f/1.8 lenses in recent years, but an f/1.4 version would be another two-thirds of a stop wider and would likely be a bokeh monster. It is worth noting that both the front and rear elements of the lens are apodized, meaning bokeh would be exceptionally smooth and indicating that Canon intends such a lens to be used as a premium portrait model, not a low-light sports or wildlife device. Of course, filing a patent doesn't mean we will eventually see such a lens make it to the market, but Canon's 2021 roadmap actually shows such a design, and given how they have been pushing boundaries, I wouldn't be surprised if we see it eventually.

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Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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