Fujifilm's GFX line of medium format mirrorless cameras has reinvigorated the market beyond full frame, and the company continues to invest in expanding its capabilities. Along those lines, a patent has emerged for an interesting lens that would offer a lot of versatility for its users.
Recently, a patent emerged for a GF 28-100mm f/4 zoom lens for Fujifilm's medium format line. Generally, the larger the sensor size, the more limited the focal length range of zoom lenses. For example, full frame superzooms generally max out around a 10x range, while APS-C lenses can reach 16x or higher, and so on. At the moment, Fujifilm's medium format zoom lens with the largest maximum range (in terms of ratio) is the GF 45-100mm f/4 R LM OIS WR, which equates to a 2.2x range. On the other hand, a 28-100mm f/4 lens would offer a 3.6x range, a significant step up and a rather large focal length span in the world of medium format. In full frame terms, that's 22-79mm, close to the classic 24-70mm workhorse range.
Of course, just because a company patents a lens doesn't mean it will actually make it to the consumer market. That being said, Fujifilm has indicated they want to increase the GFX line's versatility to cover more capabilities traditionally reserved for smaller cameras, so I wouldn't be surprised to see it eventually.
I wonder if anyone has cruched the numbers and come up with a patent vs real product percentage. For example, if Nikon files a patent, there is an 11% chance they will make the lens.