[CW3] Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 Mark III in the works? Canon patent for 16-35mm f/2.8 lens spotted

16-35mm
embodiment: 16-35mm f/2.8

Last week I got a rumor I didn’t take seriously. The rumor suggested that Canon is working on a new version of the highly popular EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens. Well. I think I was wrong in not trusting the source. The EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM was released in 2007, so a replacement is not out of the realm of possibilities. Given the patent, I rate the rumour CW3.

Egami (translated) spotted a patent that appears to support the rumour of a EF 16-35mm f/2.8 Mark III lens.

  • Patent Publication No. 2014-206674
    • Published 2014.10.30
    • Filing date 2013.4.15
  • Example 1
    • Zoom ratio 2.06
    • Focal length f = 16.49-23.74-33.94mm
    • Fno. 2.91
    • Half angle of view ω = 52.69-42.35-32.51 °
    • BF 38.74-48.38-63.65mm
16-35mm
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM

About our rumour rating:

  • CW1 – probably fake rumor, not reliable (less than 15% chance to be real)
  • CW2 – rumor from an unknown/new source, but otherwise at least a plausible rumor (15%-40% chance to be real)
  • CW3 – around 50% chance to be real, coming from a known source, or from new source with good insight in Canon’s business
  • CW4 – rumor from a known source that was right in the past, high probability to be true (60%-80% chance to be real)
  • CW5 – as good as certain to be true

A new EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 STM coming (next APS-C kit lens)?

patt
EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6

Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon for an EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. This lens will replace the EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (released 2009). We got some rumors saying that this lens will come with STM on board. Egami itself suggests it could be the next kit lens for Canon’s high-end APS-C bodies.

Machine translated patent description:

  • Patent Publication No. 2015-75570
    • Published 2015.4.20
    • Filing date 2013.10.8
  • Example
    embodiment
    Example Zoom ratio Focal length Fno. Half angle Image height Overall length BF
    One 4.61 18.00 27.48 83.00 4.00 4.58 5.80 37.1 26.3 9.3 13.6 133.1 140.0 160.0 37.1 41.6 50.3
    Two 4.88 17.00 26.34 83.00 3.99 4.49 5.80 38.66 27.31 9.31 13.6 127.12 133.64 154.74 35.00 39.12 48.89
    Three 5.28 15.50 22.82 81.84 3.60 4.10 5.85 41.39 30.91 9.48 13.66 128.40 134.55 169.41 35.48 43.51 66.65
    Four 5.26 15.60 22.19 82.00 3.50 3.97 5.84 41.21 31.62 9.46 13.66 128.18 134.63 171.19 36.37 43.38 67.86

    Image height Y = 21.63mm

  • Canon patents
    • Positive and negative grain positive and negative positive 5-group configuration (Examples 1 and 2)
    • 4-group configuration of positive and negative grain-positive-positive (Examples 3 and 4)
    • Inner focus (the second group)
pipp
EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

 

 

Canon patent for 12-35mm f/2-3.5 IS lens for 4/3 formats

pat

Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon for an image-stabilized 12-35mm f/2-3.5 lens for 4/3 sensors. Slow down before you get too excited figuring out that Canon will soon produces lenses for 4/3 systems. If this patent will ever hot the market it could also be for a compact camera, or one of the better Powershot cams.

  • Canon patent
    • Positive and negative positive and negative positive five-group zoom
    • Rear focus (fourth group)
    • Anti-vibration (part of the third group)

 

Canon Patent for 35mm f/1.4 lens (EF 35mm f/1.4 Mark II?)

35

Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon, for a 35mm f/1.4 lens.

The EF 35mm f/1.4 is rumoured to get replaced soon. The patent may well refer to the upcoming 35mm lens.

  • Patent Publication No. 2015-72370
    • Published 2015.4.16
    • Filing date 2013.10.3
  • Example 1
    • Focal length f = 35.47mm
    • Fno. 1.45
    • Half angle of view ω = 31.38 °
    • Image height Y = 21.64mm
    • Lens length 141.37mm
    • BF 39.37mm
    • Positive, positive ShiboTadashi

Sigma patent for 400mm f/2.8 OS Sport Lens

400

Egami (translated) spotted an interesting patent filed by Sigma. It refers to a 400mm f/2.8, image-stabilized lens. This lens will be part of Sigma’s “Sport” line-up.

  • Patent Publication No. 2015-64436
    • Published 2015.4.9
    • Filing date 2013.9.4
  • Example 1
    • Focal length 390.00mm
    • Fno. 2.91
    • Total angle of view 2ω 6.29 °
    • Image height Y 21.63mm
    • Overall length of the lens 353.00mm
    • Positive, positive positive and negative negative 5-group configuration
    • Inner Focus (fourth group)
    • Anti-vibration (part of the fifth group)

Canon Patent for new automatic Vignette Correction Processing Algorithm

2015_56709_fig04b

Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon for an image processing algorithm that corrects lens vignetting by varying the exposure time according to the image height, i.e. applying different exposure times to different spots in the image area.

One thing to note, in my opinion: this patent implicitly also refers to a new sensor tech. Some excerpts from the patent description:

The present invention relates to the control method of the imaging device which has an image sensor in which exposure control is possible for every region, and the Method of amendment of an image.

In the imaging device which photos an object by acquiring an optical image via a lens, in the image of the photoed object, what is called a light-falloff-at-edges phenomenon in which light volume is deteriorated occurs as it goes to an image periphery from the central part of the image.

It is known that a light-falloff-at-edges phenomenon will be decided by the relation of the characteristic of the lens with which an imaging device is provided, and the characteristic of a solid state image pickup device. Specifically, it is a relation with the position of the solid state image pickup device to an effective image circle (region where light hits uniformly), and the amount of light falloff at edges is decided uniquely. However, it will be the requisite that the effective pixel center of a solid state image pickup device and the optical axis center of a lens are corresponding in this case. It is dependent also on the f-stop of a lens, and the amount of light falloff at edges has an omission condition of light volume remarkable in the opening and small diaphragm side. In the opening side, although the incident light in a lens center enters as a general lens characteristic with circular light flux, since the incident light in the corner of a lens always passes along the corner, light will be kicked, incident light becomes the light flux of elliptic form, and light volume is deteriorated.

  • Patent Publication No. 2015-56709
    • Published 2015.3.23
    • Filing date 2013.9.11
  • Patents
    • I varying the exposure time for each area
      • The exposure start falling apart, batch read
      • At the same time in the start of exposure, read apart
    • I lengthen the peripheral of exposure time

What do you think?