More Interesting Canon Lenses Emerge

More Interesting Canon Lenses Emerge

Canon's RF lens lineup has been filling up rapidly with both standard choices and more extreme designs, but there are still some notable absences, particularly in the supertelephoto range. That will surely change eventually, and it seems we're on the way to that, as multiple patents have emerged with some innovative and versatile designs. 

Canon's supertelephoto primes lenses, commonly known as the "big whites," are popular professional tools for sports, wildlife, and bird photographers. The EF mount came in six common options: 200mm f/2, 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8, 500mm f/4, 600mm f/4, and 800mm f/5.6. On the RF mirrorless side, we've seen the 400mm f/2.8, 600mm f/4, and 800mm f/5.6, as well as the 1200mm f/8

However, patents have recently emerged for 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8, and 600mm f/4 lenses, all with built-in 1.4x teleconverters, which would turn them into 420mm f/4, 560mm f/4, and 840mm f/5.6 lenses, respectively. Lenses with built-in teleconverters have gained some popularity in recent years. They provide a lot of convenience, especially for someone like a wildlife photographer, who may not want to carry multiple large lenses over long distances, but manufacturers can also tweak the individual teleconverters to better optically match each lens, creating better overall image quality than if an external teleconverter was used.

Of course, a patent does not guarantee a lens will make it to the market, but at the very least, I'm sure we'll see a 300mm f/2.8 eventually, and one with a built-in teleconverter would be quite intriguing. I suspect such lenses would be popular.

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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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3 Comments

Next: 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8, and 600mm f/4 lenses with built in 2x converters.. This isn't innovation, this is derivation. We don't need this when the RF catalog is thin and Canon is too petty to work with 3rd party lens manufacturers. Get with it Canon.

Yeah, I agree there is nothing innovative or new about a built in extender. Back in 2012 it was kinda innovative, but that was an entire decade ago.

If we want truly innovative lens design we are still being forced to go to 3rd party offerings, as Canon is still just making slightly different versions and variations of the same old lenses they've been making for decades.

You think Canon would EVER "work" with third party manufacturers? That's a laugh. They've always reverse engineered the Canon lenses.
Canon has never produced a prime lens with a built in TC so they are changing things up a little. And if the earlier rumors are true about DRASTICALLY cutting the size and weight of the RF 300 2.8 then YEAH that's big time innovation.