Two inexpensive primes show up on the Canon RF roadmap

Canon certainly needs some smaller and also more inexpensive primes in it's Canon RF lineup.  While the F1.2's are great and all that, one thing that made the Canon EF lineup a success over the years was bang for the buck lenses.  Now that Canon has out the portrait lenses (sans 135mm F2) and the trinity of F2.8's - Canon has a bit more of a breather to fill out the lineup with the more inexpensive lenses.

Canon Rumors has received word from their sources that Canon will be looking to add two small and inexpensive primes to the Canon RF mount; a 50mm F1.8 and a pancake lens. 

At least one of these lenses, if not both, will appear this year according to the source.  Whereas the more expensive lenses help sell the high end cameras, the lower end lenses will help sell the EOS RP and whatever camera Canon creates under the EOS RP.

I believe we'll see one of two designs; 

• a 50mm F1.8 IS USM Macro - around the $399 price point.
• a 50mm F1.8 USM - around the $200 price point.

We've seen the patent around the 50mm F1.8 IS USM Macro - as the original patents surrounding the 35mm F1.8 also included a 50mm F1.8.  We've also found a more simplistic element designed 50mm F1.8 patent application which would suggest the plastic fantastic version of the nifty fifty such as what the Canon EF mount has.  Either is a possibility.  The nifty fifty has always been Canon's top selling lens since the dawn of time.  Will Canon keep to that formula?

As far as a pancake lens; traditional "pancake" optical design suggests that the flange distance closely mirrors the focal length.  For instance; the Canon EF mount has a 44mm flange distance - so a 40mm pancake works nicely for that mount.  It's highly likely we'll see something similar to the EF-M 22mm F2.0 as a pancake for the RF mount. Which would be a nice UWA angle prime for us wide angle shooters out there.  Which is also why I featured the EF-M 22mm as the article image.