Canon Patent: RF-S 14-30mm F4-6.3 IS STM PZ

Image from the patent literature

A noteworthy Canon patent application, published on April 4, 2025, has surfaced. It shares a similar design to the recently announced RF-S 14-30mm F4-6.3 IS STM PZ. A comparable patent was also filed last year. So, I am not sure if this patent refers directly to the RF-S 14-30mm or if it is a new lens design.

Overview

Publication Number: P2025050505
Publication Date: April 4, 2025
Title: Zoom Lens and Imaging Device
Application Date: September 25, 2023
Applicant: Canon Inc. (ID: 000001007)

The invention describes a compact and lightweight zoom lens with a wide angle of view and high optical performance.

Background

Zoom lenses used in imaging devices must maintain high optical performance across the entire zoom range, particularly at wide angles, while also being compact. Patent Document 1 introduces a negative-lead wide-angle zoom lens, where a lens group with negative refractive power is positioned toward the object side. This design helps achieve both compactness and a wide angle of view.

However, the lens described in Patent Document 1 suffers from inadequate correction of field curvature at the wide-angle end, resulting in reduced image quality at the edges.

This new invention aims to address those issues by offering a negative-lead type zoom lens that is small, lightweight, and delivers high optical performance throughout the entire zoom range, including at wide angles.

Example 1