Canon Patent: Rotating Built-in Extender (so you may operate it with just your right hand)

A new Canon patent. What about a rotating built-in extender you can operate with just one hand?

Canon patent application 2022-23481 (Japan) discusses methods and technology for a built-in rotating extender.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical device advantageous in terms of operability.

Patent Document 1 discloses a lens device including a lens group that can be inserted and removed with respect to an optical axis by an operating member (lever). Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a lens device having a support structure that supports a filter that can be inserted and removed from the optical axis by an operating member.

If the position and operation direction of the operation member are uniquely determined in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, for example, depending on the operator and the operation situation, it may be disadvantageous in terms of operability. An object of the present invention is, for example, to provide an optical device which is advantageous in terms of operability. An optical device 100 is rotatably fixed to a lens barrel portion 11 around a lens 11L, a lens barrel portion 11 holding at least a part of the lens 11L, and an optical axis O of the lens 11L. It has a rotating housing 12, and the rotating housing 12 includes an extender lens barrel 17 that supports a converter 17L that is inserted and removed with respect to the optical axis O.

The Canon patent application was spotted by asobinet.com. They say:

Yesterday [we found a] a patent application that seemed to envision the 400mm F4 DO IS Extender 1.4 × and 600mm F4 IS Extender 1.4 ×, and now a patent application for the structure of the built-in extender has been published. This time, The fact that the structure of the optical system and the moving parts have appeared in a series of patents suggests that they are seriously considering a telephoto single focal length lens with a patent application for the structure of the built-in extender has been published. built-in extender.
This patent application is not just about the movable parts of the built-in extender, but it also aims to make the movable parts rotating to provide operability suitable for various shooting styles.

For example, the current lens with built-in extender, the EF200-400mm F4L IS USM Extender 1.4 ×, has the extender switching lever positioned for left hand operation, so it is not compatible with right hand operation. In fact, some people have commented that they wished it was placed in a position where it could be used for right-handed operation like Nikon’s, so there may be demand for improved operability.
I am wondering if this structure can be implemented in the telephoto L-series, which requires Robustness, but it seems highly likely that research and development is underway for lenses with built-in extenders. We may see more patent applications like this in the future.