Canon has pushed into some new territories with the RF mount, and they are showing no signs of stopping, with some especially interesting lenses now being tested.
Canon Rumors is reporting that Canon is testing five new DO supertelephoto lenses:
- RF 400mm f/3.5 DO IS USM
- RF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM
- RF 500mm f/4.5 DO IS USM
- RF 500mm f/5 DO IS USM
- RF 800mm f/9.5 DO IS USM
Canon has created DO (diffractive optics) lenses before, which use special lens elements that allow for smaller and lighter designs. The most notable example was the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM. While the initial version of this lens received mixed reviews due to sharpness issues, the second version improved on this significantly and became quite the hit. Furthermore, while it isn’t clear which of these lens designs will make it to market (rumor has it only one will), it is likely that its announcement (whether the full announcement or just development) will coincide with that of the upcoming EOS R1 flagship mirrorless camera. If I had to guess, we will likely see the RF 500mm f/4.5, as Canon already has two RF 800mm lenses and the 400mm f/2.8, and the EF 500mm f/4 L has yet to be replaced. We’ll see what the year brings!
Credits: Alex Cooke, FStoppers