# Patent: Canon EF 11mm f/4 Optical Formula



## Canon Rumors Guy (Jun 17, 2016)

```
A <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2016-06-17">patent showing an optical formula for an EF 11mm f/4 has appeared</a>, and we think it was likely part of the EF 11-24 f/4L development.</p>
<p>Patent Publication No. 2016-81005 (Google Translated)</p>
<ul>
<li>Published 2016.5.16</li>
<li>Filing date 2014.10.22</li>
<li>Focal length 11.33 11.47</li>
<li>F-number 4.11 4.12</li>
<li>Half angle of 62.36 62.08</li>
<li>Image height 21.64 21.64</li>
<li>Overall length of the lens 109.13 109.12</li>
<li>BF 38.90 38.40</li>
</ul>
<p>I don’t think we’re going to see such a lens from Canon.</p>
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```


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## pedro (Jun 17, 2016)

This is an intresting one.
Mailed IRIX this past week on their upcoming 11mm F/4.

Here's what I got as an answer by them:

Hi,

At the moment we focus on introducing 15mm to the market 
and we are aiming for the summertime period.

*11mm will follow this year.*

Please subscribe to Irix newsletter to stay tuned! Visit http://irixlens.com/

Best regards,
The Irix Team


Although the IRIX will be an MF lens, it will be great to be able to choose between Canon and them. 
Not only price point wise. Anyway I wouldn't mind if Canon came out with an 11mm prime...


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## GMCPhotographics (Jun 17, 2016)

There's a number of ultra-wide prime lenses coming onto the market this year. Irix have their 15mm and 11mm models and there's a very interesting Laowa Zero-D 12mm f/2.8, which should be available later this year. Allegedly it's highly rectilinear corrected (like the original Sigma 12-24). So it's possible that this Canon patent is a preparation for a competitive lens in a similar niche.


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## IglooEater (Jun 17, 2016)

I do wonder sometimes how wide we need to go....


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## pwp (Jun 17, 2016)

If you happen to have the EF 11-24L and happen to mostly use it at 11mm, then this would have been your better choice. Personally I'd have little use for an 11mm, but in the right hands it's a great tool. I tend to use my UWA zooms at the wide end nearly all the time. I know I'm not alone here.

-pw


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## pedro (Jun 17, 2016)

pwp said:


> If you happen to have the EF 11-24L and happen to mostly use it at 11mm, then this would have been your better choice. Personally I'd have little use for an 11mm, but in the right hands it's a great tool. I tend to use my UWA zooms at the wide end nearly all the time. I know I'm not alone here.
> 
> -pw



Yes. As I mostly do nightscapes under the stars, you can never get wide enough. So either a Laowa or the IRIX would be a welcome addition to my current Samyang 14 F/2.8. For any other type of photography which requires some wideness I have a cheapo 28 F/2.8 in my line up  As an enthusiast amateur I cannot justify an 11-24 Canon lens budgetwise. So an ultra wide third party MF lens would fully do.


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## Pag (Jun 17, 2016)

pedro said:


> Although the IRIX will be an MF lens.



It's not like manual focus matters at this focal length. At f/4 the hyperfocal distance is at just 3.3 feet. Everything will be in focus most of the time.


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## mb66energy (Jun 17, 2016)

A 16mm f/4.0 with (1) small footprint, (2) stellar IQ and (3) reasonable cost would be something I am interested in - 11mm is too wide for me. But maybe the probability is much higher for the 11mm because a 16mm f/4.0 isn't much cheaper or smaller compared to the 16-35 4.0 L IS and what I hear and see on test photographs it has very good IQ.


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## TeT (Jun 17, 2016)

Wider is better, anything rec·ti·lin·e·ar is appreciated as another option.


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## et31 (Jun 17, 2016)

Come on Canon! We have faith in you! A 10mm f/2.8 AF L-prime lens for a full frame sensor! 
Only 10 years away? :-[ Can we at least make a compromise and say 5?


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## GMCPhotographics (Jun 17, 2016)

et31 said:


> Come on Canon! We have faith in you! A 10mm f/2.8 AF L-prime lens for a full frame sensor!
> Only 10 years away? :-[ Can we at least make a compromise and say 5?


That piccy is for a Samyang APS-C 10mm lens. We are talking about a full frame 11mm or 12mm prime which is rectilinear corrected. There's plenty of 10mm full frame fish eye lenses about. I have a Canon 8-15L fish and it's REALLY wide...180' wide.


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## Bennymiata (Jun 18, 2016)

F4 seems a bit narrow for a Canon prime, unless it's for an M camera.


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## pedro (Jun 18, 2016)

Bennymiata said:


> F4 seems a bit narrow for a Canon prime, unless it's for an M camera.



Thus the tba Laowa 12mm F/2.8 Zero-D seems to have the potential to become a popular niche lens, once it hits the shelves...http://photorumors.com/2016/02/18/laowa-zero-d-12mm-f2-8-distortion-free-lens-coming-soon/ and here's some samples... https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157664200113000


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## GMCPhotographics (Jun 18, 2016)

Bennymiata said:


> F4 seems a bit narrow for a Canon prime, unless it's for an M camera.



Sorry...I'm not understanding what you mean by narrow....are you talking about the f4 aperture, the thinness of the lens barrel or the angle of view?


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## keithcooper (Jun 18, 2016)

The egami patent listings are alway hampered by my lack of understanding of Japanese...

However there is an interesting mention of control of distortion. Whether this refers to basic optical performance or 'perceived distortion' is not clear, since these are two very different things.

The Laowa looks to be an interesting lens ... I look forward to comparing it (on a 5Ds) with my 11-24


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## pedro (Jun 18, 2016)

keithcooper said:


> The egami patent listings are alway hampered by my lack of understanding of Japanese...
> 
> However there is an interesting mention of control of distortion. Whether this refers to basic optical performance or 'perceived distortion' is not clear, since these are two very different things.
> 
> The Laowa looks to be an interesting lens ... I look forward to comparing it (on a 5Ds) with my 11-24



Looking forward to your test, Keith. My Samyang 14 mm does a nice job, but I guess at this wideness, 2 mm more are quite a crucial element. In addition we get an almost distortios free image...wow...that's what the Samy kinda suffers from on its edges...


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## Wizardly (Jun 18, 2016)

keithcooper said:


> The egami patent listings are alway hampered by my lack of understanding of Japanese...
> 
> However there is an interesting mention of control of distortion. Whether this refers to basic optical performance or 'perceived distortion' is not clear, since these are two very different things.
> 
> The Laowa looks to be an interesting lens ... I look forward to comparing it (on a 5Ds) with my 11-24



I just noticed that as well. I'm intrigued by what this would do.

[quote author=Patent Application JP,2016-081005,A]
[0077]
Next, with reference to Fig.12, it describes about the composition of the lens device 10 (optical instrument) in this embodiment. Fig.12 is an appearance perspective view of the lens device 10. The lens device 10 is provided with one imaging optical system 1 of the above-mentioned working examples 1-5, for example. The imaging optical system 1 is held by the body tube 2. The lens device 10 has the zoom operation means 31, the focal operation means 32, and the distortion operation means 33. When a user operates the zoom operation means 31, arrangement of the lens group of the imaging optical system 1 can change mechanically or electrically, and it can change a focal distance. A user can change the focal position (focus position) of the imaging optical system 1 by operating the focal operation means 32. Arrangement of the lens group of the imaging optical system 1 can change mechanically or electrically, and it can make it change from a normal state to a distortion changing condition, when a user operates the distortion operation means 33.
[0078]
As shown in Fig.12, the zoom operation means 31, the focal operation means 32, and the distortion operation means 33 are all ring shape, but the form of each operation means may not be limited to ring shape, and may be other form. Each operation means may be a button etc. to which each lens group is moved [ want / to make it ] electrically. The lens device 10 may not have either one or both of the zoom operation means 31 or the focal operation means 32. In addition to the zoom operation means 31, the focal operation means 32, and the distortion operation means 33, it may have the diaphragm operation means for changing the path of an aperture diaphragm.
[0079]
Thus, the optical instrument (lens device) of this embodiment has an optical system which has an aperture diaphragm, the Ath group that moves on the occasion of distortion adjustment, and the Bth group that moves by a locus which is arranged rather than the Ath group at the image side, and is different from the Ath group on the occasion of distortion adjustment, and a distortion adjustment device for performing distortion adjustment. The Ath group and the Bth group move to optical axis direction by a mutually different locus according to a distortion adjustment device being operated. An optical system changes from the first optical states (normal state) that have a first distortion aberration to the second optical states (distortion changing condition) which have a second larger distortion aberration than a first distortion aberration, when the Ath group and the Bth group move. Preferably an optical instrument further has a focal operation means for changing the zoom operation means for changing a focal distance, and a focal position.
[/quote]


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## Bennymiata (Jun 19, 2016)

GMCPhotographics said:


> Bennymiata said:
> 
> 
> > F4 seems a bit narrow for a Canon prime, unless it's for an M camera.
> ...



The F4 aperture seems a bit narrow for a prime lens, especially if it's going to be an L lens.


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## neuroanatomist (Jun 19, 2016)

Bennymiata said:


> GMCPhotographics said:
> 
> 
> > Bennymiata said:
> ...



The TS-E 17L is f/4.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jun 19, 2016)

If really want wide, forget 11 mm and go to 6mm f/2.8. Sure, its a fisheye, but 6mm!







http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/fisheyes/6mmf28.htm

Or for longer focal lengths, forget 1000mm and shoot for the moon with a 2000mm Reflex!


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## TeT (Jun 19, 2016)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> If really want wide, forget 11 mm and go to 6mm f/2.8. Sure, its a fisheye, but 6mm!



Wow 220° viewing area; who needs a mirror...


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## GMCPhotographics (Jun 19, 2016)

neuroanatomist said:


> Bennymiata said:
> 
> 
> > GMCPhotographics said:
> ...



So the fabulous but often forgotten about ef 8-15mm f4 L fisheye. It's one of favorite lenses....even if it is a 2 trick horse.


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## neuroanatomist (Jun 19, 2016)

GMCPhotographics said:


> neuroanatomist said:
> 
> 
> > Bennymiata said:
> ...



Not forgotten...but not a prime lens.


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## TW (Jun 19, 2016)

neuroanatomist said:


> Bennymiata said:
> 
> 
> > GMCPhotographics said:
> ...



And the 300 f4, 400 f4, 400 f5.6, 500 f4, 600 f4, and 800 f5.6


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## et31 (Jun 19, 2016)

A 1mm f/0.7 lens is the only way to go!
Physical and mathematical constraints may be a problem, but I'm sure that a compromise can be met.

Who would like to engineer a 14mm f/0.7 lens? It would be worth at least a few $,$$$'s


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## applecider (Sep 16, 2016)

To beat a dead thread, for stars capes it is nice to have an f2.8 or bigger aperature as this allows a thirty second shot at iso 3200 or so which is good exposure for most star scenes. 

Of course lenses like the Rokinon 24 f1.4 allow for like 8 second exposures at 3200 or the chance to move to 1600 iso for 20-25 Sec and get a little exposure to the right. Longer exposures don't always work here because then one gets star trails instead of points.

With an f 4.0 lens a thirty second exposure with an iso of 6400 comes close to the right exposure, but noise starts to pile up" and longer exposures bring tails

So please design us some 11-16 mm primes with f2 or larger aperature said. The new 14 rumored from Rokinon at f=2.4 promises what a half to quarter stop improvement


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