# ICYMI: Here’s a patent for the upcoming Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L VR Lens



## Canon Rumors Guy (Oct 4, 2021)

> Back in September of 2020, I published a patent found by Canon News for what looks to be the upcoming Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L VR lens.
> This is obviously a niche market lens, but it shows Canon is thinking outside of the box and coming up with new ideas for the RF mount.
> Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L VR Lens
> 
> ...



Continue reading...


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## koenkooi (Oct 4, 2021)

@keithcooper from NorthLight found an interesting US version of that patent: USPTO


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## Ozarker (Oct 4, 2021)

Chuffed to see this coming to market. Not that I'll ever be able to get it, but I am very interested to see what others do with it.


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## Rocksthaman (Oct 4, 2021)

Rocksthaman said:


> Are we doing VR now
> 
> Alright canon we see you


Called it


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## Joel C (Oct 4, 2021)

I have no qualms admitting that I have no idea how this lens is going to perform. I do have one question though: Is this why we haven't seen any really dedicated (MILC) video bodies in quite some time?


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## CanonGrunt (Oct 4, 2021)

That’s not gonna fit in my dive housing…


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## AJ (Oct 4, 2021)

A 2021 viewmaster. Cool.


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## lexptr (Oct 5, 2021)

It would be interesting, if will be made well. But what about a 3D screen to view the results? Kind of film era, when you can't see the result right in the field 
And, remembering how performs the 3D screen on my old 3D Fuji... better not!


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## LogicExtremist (Oct 5, 2021)

Looking at the diagram of the optics it with two forward-facing front elements, and the prisms to bend the light around into the sensor, it looks like a pair of binoculars that attach to the front of the camera. 

From the description, I'm assuming this means It's not a 360-degree VR lens, it's a stereoscopic lens, producing an image, much like what you see out of a stereo microscope, and with our own two eyes.


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## InchMetric (Oct 5, 2021)

LogicExtremist said:


> Looking at the diagram of the optics it with two forward-facing front elements, and the prisms to bend the light around into the sensor, it looks like a pair of binoculars that attach to the front of the camera.
> 
> From the description, I'm assuming this means It's not a 360-degree VR lens, it's a stereoscopic lens, producing an image, much like what you see out of a stereo microscope, and with our own two eyes.


I’d say that it produces an image much like you see out of your eyes. Without a microscope.


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## LogicExtremist (Oct 5, 2021)

InchMetric said:


> I’d say that it produces an image much like you see out of your eyes. Without a microscope.


Yes, my mistake for not being very clear! I did state its like what we see with our own eyes, and that's precisely what it does.

The only similarity with a stereo microscope, is that it has two separate optical paths, but that's where the similarity ends. It works almost the opposite way to a stereo microscope, because two two lenses projecting an image across a single sensor area. Thanks for the correction.


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## cayenne (Oct 5, 2021)

Wow...lots of potential here.

Looks very interesting!!

cayenne


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## miketcool (Oct 5, 2021)

lexptr said:


> It would be interesting, if will be made well. But what about a 3D screen to view the results? Kind of film era, when you can't see the result right in the field
> And, remembering how performs the 3D screen on my old 3D Fuji... better not!


It wouldn’t be a 3D lens but a stereoscopic lens. Each half of the sensor would have a slightly different perspective. On a screen, each half would display a 2D image. Inside of a VR display you wear, each eye would see each perspective making the image appear “real”. It would be used for VR broadcast or content, not so much 3D that covers a full screen.


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## koenkooi (Oct 5, 2021)

miketcool said:


> It wouldn’t be a 3D lens but a stereoscopic lens. Each half of the sensor would have a slightly different perspective. On a screen, each half would display a 2D image. Inside of a VR display you wear, each eye would see each perspective making the image appear “real”. It would be used for VR broadcast or content, not so much 3D that covers a full screen.


I wonder if the depth map derived from the dual-pixel AF could get used get a better 3D reconstruction than with just the 2 perspectives.


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## miketcool (Oct 5, 2021)

koenkooi said:


> I wonder if the depth map derived from the dual-pixel AF could get used get a better 3D reconstruction than with just the 2 perspectives.


With a boost in processing power and throughput, DPAF would be able to focus each lens in unison with higher precision. I would imagine the data from a stereoscopic lens would also help with machine learning important tracking points.


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## mb66energy (Oct 5, 2021)

Making a movie with 8k and cutting out the lens' regions to cut both into a 3D movie with exact timing, synchronous sound track with a simple camera and not so simple and cheap lens.
Will look like these springing spiders with their two bulbous eyes ...


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## lexptr (Oct 6, 2021)

miketcool said:


> It wouldn’t be a 3D lens but a stereoscopic lens. Each half of the sensor would have a slightly different perspective. On a screen, each half would display a 2D image. Inside of a VR display you wear, each eye would see each perspective making the image appear “real”. It would be used for VR broadcast or content, not so much 3D that covers a full screen.


I don't know what do you mean by saying 3D lens, but I'm sure the idea here is the same thing as my old 3D Fuji (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujifilm_FinePix_Real_3D). The only difference is that the Fuji uses two lenses and two sensors, while here it is a split lens and a split sensor. But the result is the same: two images with different perspective, used to get a stereoscopic effect. How they will use it - a different question. You have a good point, it is possibly for video production and cinema line.


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## Ruined (Oct 6, 2021)

This is going to be big bucks. Probably 3k+


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## John Wilde (Oct 6, 2021)

Here's the real deal.


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## koenkooi (Oct 6, 2021)




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## Chaitanya (Oct 6, 2021)

koenkooi said:


>


Far more unique than 3D lens that Panasonic sold.


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## Stig Nygaard (Oct 6, 2021)




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## Shellbo6901 (Oct 6, 2021)

Take that SONY!!!


but also does this mean it won’t work on even the R3? I can see maybe not the rp/r maybe were developed before bringing this into the lineup, but hopefully the 3 & 6 will come later on?


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## Stig Nygaard (Oct 6, 2021)

Shellbo6901 said:


> but also does this mean it won’t work on even the R3? I can see maybe not the rp/r maybe were developed before bringing this into the lineup, but hopefully the 3 & 6 will come later on?



Having two image circles captured at once on same image sensor, it probably only makes much sense on high-megapixel sensors.


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## InchMetric (Oct 6, 2021)

$1999 according to CanonPriceWatch


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## Hieth (Oct 6, 2021)

Canon have just confirmed to me that it is only for the R5 so won't work with my R6 or R3


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## blackcoffee17 (Oct 6, 2021)

Hieth said:


> Canon have just confirmed to me that it is only for the R5 so won't work with my R6 or R3



That's very strange. Did Canon ever made a lens which only works on specific camera model and not on others? (except of course for different sensor sizes)


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## InchMetric (Oct 6, 2021)

17MP in each image circle on the R5.


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## chasingrealness (Oct 6, 2021)

Canon USA on Instagram: "Introducing the NEW RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens, the world’s first lens capable of stereoscopic 3D VR180 shooting to a single-image sensor. Learn more about this lens with the link in our bio! *When paired with the Ca


Canon USA shared a post on Instagram: "Introducing the NEW RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens, the world’s first lens capable of stereoscopic 3D VR180 shooting to a single-image sensor. Learn more about this lens with the link in our bio! *When paired with the Canon EOS R5 camera equipped with...




www.instagram.com


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## cayenne (Oct 6, 2021)

Ruined said:


> This is going to be big bucks. Probably 3k+


Well, so was the EF 11-14mm lens when I bought it....I think it was about that much even when I bought it refurb from canon.

Great piece of glass tho....

But that price isn't unheard of.


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## vrpanorama.ca (Oct 6, 2021)

Frankly, VR has been created by Quicktime VR in the 1990's. Many tools exists including specialized heads. With my R6 using a 24mm lens and stitching the image together I will achieve much better resolution than the R5 with this set up. Having said that for video, moving crowds and in the water, this will be a great tool because has perfect timing. We do have this already with specialized camera, but the optic and sensors are less sophisticated. Like other similar technology, it is also the post-processing work that matters, and they seems to have done their homework.


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## TAF (Oct 11, 2021)

Looks like an improved Stitz or a Loreo stereo module, only direct mount instead of mounting on the front of a lens.

I'll have to dig mine out and try it.


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