Canon Patent: Esoteric Optical Designs
Not sure these would be lenses that we'd see, but it's cool
This is an interesting patent application (2025-040484) from Canon describing some very strange yet unique lenses. Surprisingly, the lenses seem to be for fairly large sensors. Usually, when we see patent applications like this, they are for smaller sensors (think 1" sensors).
Canon mentions that with the explosion of small devices, drones, etc., there is more of a need for lenses that are compact, and very, very wide. There's some lenses in here that are so wide, I think they break physics ;)
In recent years, the demand for miniaturization of imaging optical systems is increasing against the backdrop of the spread of smartphone cameras and the shift from single-lens reflex cameras to mirrorless cameras in the high-end camera market. In addition, in the market for drones and car-mounted cameras, the demand for wide-angle imaging lenses to capture a wider field of view is also increasing, in addition to the miniaturization of cameras.
These lenses use a combination of reflective surfaces to stretch the image circle and limit aberrations, which is very unique. Using these plates Canon is able to come up with some absolutely bonkers lens designs. I'm not even going to pretend to know how that all works, Canon says it does - so that's all you will get from me on the subject.
Canon 24mm F.7
This is actually a full frame lens - going by the half angle of view which is the diagonal angle of view, a 24mm lens on full frame has a diagonal angle of view of 84.1 degrees, and this lens is 84.08.
Yes, this lens is a point seven f-stop. It's for shooting bats at midnight in a cave during a new moon.
With a back focus distance, this could never be bolted onto an RF camera, but could be part of a specialized camera for automotive or surveillance.
| Focal Length |
24.00 |
| F-Number |
0.70 |
| Half Angle of View |
42.04 |
| Lens Length |
85.00 |
| Back Focus Distance |
5.00 |
Canon RF-S 12mm F1.0
Yes, if you noticed, I called this an RF lens. Yes, Canon could make this for the RF mount because we've seen RF lenses with a back focus distance of around 11.5mm. This would sit into the camera mount around 9mm.
A 12mm full-frame lens would have a diagonal angle of view of 122 degrees, so this lens is not for full-frame. This is the reason why it suggests that this could be an RF-S lens. An APS-C with a 1.5x crop factor is around 99.5 degrees, and an APS-C with a 1.6 crop is around 96.1 degrees. It seems the calculations were done with a conservative APS-C sensor size.
This would undoubtedly make Sony, Nikon, and many other users cry and regret their life choices.
| Focal Length |
12.06 |
| F-Number |
1.00 |
| Half Angle of View |
50.23 |
| Lens Length |
76.50 |
| Back Focus Distance |
11.50 |
Canon RF 11mm F2.0
This lens doesn't seem nearly as crazy as the other two we have just discussed. An F2.0 lens? Oh please. Why even talk about it?
This is certainly a full-frame 11mm F2.0 prime, so yes, it's still a little on the bonkers side. If corrected for coma well, it would be an astrolandscaper's dream come true.
The front two elements would look amazing in real life, too.
| Focal Length |
11.00 |
| F-Number |
2.03 |
| Half Angle of View |
63.04 |
| Lens Length |
100.00 |
| Back Focus Distance |
13.60 |
Canon RF 6mm F2.0
I'm not sure how this lens works, but it offers an insane field of view. I presume this is for full frame, but the calculations don't match up with anything. It basically breaks the calculators.
According to Canon, this would offer a 210-degree field of view, which is well to the sides of your camera. I could see this lens for a front-facing automotive camera, as it would cover the entire front field of view and to the sides as well. But let's be honest: Canon makes this. I can't afford it, but I just want to see this lens made.
What is even crazier about this lens is its size (which is why I think it's for automotive). The total lens length is 58.60, but subtract the back focus distance, and we have a physical lens size of 45mm.
| Focal Length |
6.21 |
| F-Number |
2.00 |
| Half Angle of View |
105.0 |
| Lens Length |
58.60 |
| Back Focus Distance |
13.60 |
This is a Patent Application
As with all patent applications, this is a look into Canon's ongoing research. I'm not sure any of these designs would make it into real life; it really depends on that "reflective" and phase layer that does all the magic, and how difficult that is to mass produce. If it's difficult to mass produce accurately and Canon can't make these lenses commercially, then we'll never see them. But if Canon can make that reflective layer on a mass production scale? We could be living in interesting times then.
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