Canon Eyes Nikon’s Popular Compact Telephoto Lenses With New Patents

Newly filed patents in Japan suggest Canon is, at the very least, considering bringing new telephoto and super-telephoto prime lenses to its EOS R mirrorless camera system, with numerous designs promising relatively compact and lightweight alternatives to exotic lenses.

Spied by Canon Rumors, Canon’s latest patents describe RF 400mm f/4, RF 500mm f/5.6, RF 600mm f/5.6, RF 600mm f/6.3, and RF 800mm f/6.3 lenses. Beyond the typical disclaimer that patents only describe what a company may one day release and that a patent filing is no guarantee that a lens will one day exist, some of these described lenses make a lot of sense.

While it’s unlikely Canon would launch both a 600mm f/5.6 and f/6.3 lens, for example, the general idea of compact, high-performing telephoto lenses that don’t break the bank has struck a chord with photographers in recent years. Canon has already targeted this user a few times with super-affordable, albeit slow RF lenses like the RF 800mm f/11, which costs just $999, and faster, more performant zoom lenses such as the relatively recent RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM.

These lenses are in stark contrast to Canon’s professional telephoto lenses, such as the RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM, RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM, and RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM. These lenses cost as much as $20,000, and are overkill for nearly every photographer, including some professionals and all enthusiasts.

Canon’s new patents describe lenses that could strike a compelling balance of performance, size, and price — not as fast, big, or heavy as Canon’s exotic professional lenses, but not as slow as Canon’s current “cheap” telephoto lenses.

Canon needs only look at Nikon’s Z system to see how popular lenses like a 600mm f/6.3 can be. The Nikon 600mm f/6.3 VR S, the lightest lens in its class, has proven extremely popular with wildlife photographers. It’s the same story with the Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S. On the shorter side of telephoto, Nikon also has a 400mm f/4.5 lens in its Z lineup, similar in spirit to the 400mm f/4 described in Canon’s new patents.

Canon has some excellent cameras for wildlife photography, so providing photographers with more optical choices for wildlife (and sports) makes sense.

Sometimes lens patents describe extraordinary, surprising lenses that have little chance of becoming a reality. However, with Canon’s newest patents, even if they don’t all become actual lenses, some of them really should. They fit nicely into Canon’s expanding EOS R family and would undoubtedly excite passionate wildlife photographers who are champing at the bit to have new lens options to put on their latest Canon mirrorless cameras.

Image credits: Featured image by Keith Ladzinski, created as part of his Canon EOS R5 II promotional material.