Canon has demonstrated an aggressive stance on the development and release timing of their RF mount lenses in the last few years. It seems they have no intentions of slowing down, as more interesting designs have emerged.
Digicame.info recently uncovered three new patents of Canon RF lenses, and the designs are both interesting and quite exciting:
- RF 24-120mm f/2.8 IS
- RF 85mm f/1.4 IS
- RF 100-400mm f/4.6-7.3 IS
Canon already has the EF 85mm f/1.4 IS, which was popular for offering a classic portrait focal length in tandem with a wide aperture and image stabilization, and I would not be surprised to see an RF version released. There is already the RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM, which is quite affordable, so I would be surprised to see another version. On the other hand, the RF 24-120mm f/2.8 IS is quite interesting. Of course, the standard f/2.8 zoom is 24-70mm, and photographers who want more reach can opt for f/4 versions that offer focal length ranges like 24-105mm or 24-120mm. Photographers who want something more extreme can reach for something like the RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM, but there is nothing like a 24-120mm f/2.8 on the market, let alone one with image stabilization.
Such a lens would probably be huge and expensive, but I also suspect it would be quite popular. That being said, patents do not guarantee a product making it to the market, but it does show at the very least that Canon is continuing to explore boundary-pushing designs. Hopefully, we'll see some more lenses soon!
So what are the chances that these patents will become actual products?