Canon Europe: Why has Canon decided to release this lens now? Was design not a possibility in the past, or is the market trending in this direction?
Canon Inc. : “Technically speaking, under EF design rules this lens would not be practical because of the different design parameters having an impact on all aspects of the optics and size. The technical characteristics of the RF mount, having a shorter back focus distance in particular, made it possible to reduce the size of this lens, something that could not be achieved with the EF mount.
“Additionally, the features of the EOS R5 such as a single Full Frame 8K sensor that can record video as well as stills, means that a high quality and practical solution is now possible between the camera and the lens.
“This comes at a time when the market for VR is increasing, with higher quality head mounted displays becoming more accessible, but there are still certain barriers in terms of capture and workflow that means that content is hard to generate in more ‘traditional’ multi-camera/sensor solutions. Canon’s EOS VR SYSTEM aims to revolutionize this with a simpler and more efficient workflow that utilizes the benefit of a single sensor, single file system so that more VR content can more easily be made.
“Development of lenses such as the Canon RF 5.2mm F2.8L Dual Fisheye has been exciting as we need to respond to the ever-changing technical demands within the imaging industry, including diversification of sensors, development of image processing and changes in image viewing methods. The spread of head mounted displays has expanded the possibility of imaging, and if there continue to be further developments within the industry, we would like to consider an optical system that supports them too.
“As a Canon optical designer's mission, we are not just sticking to the EOS R System as a development consciousness, but we would like to develop optics that can provide new value in response to the wider demands of society.”