Canon will soon be announcing “more lenses at once than ever before,” according to the often-reliable Canon Rumors.
This information comes from an unnamed source “with a stellar track record.”
According to CR’s source, “Canon is going to make a ‘massive splash with a new camera and many, many lenses.’” And while the source – and Canon Rumors – offered no information as to which lenses and camera this will be, we can certainly speculate, based on the Canon RF lens roadmap and leaked information on upcoming Canon mirrorless models.
So what gear can we expect from Canon? And when can we expect it?
Regarding lenses:
Canon’s leaked roadmap is pretty sizable, featuring a whopping 15 lenses to be released over the next couple of years:
- Canon TS-R 14mm f/4L
- Canon TS-R 24mm f/3.5L
- Canon RF 10-24mm f/4L USM
- Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM
- Canon RF 18-45mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
- Canon RF 100-400mm f/5-6-7.1 IS USM
- Canon RF 35mm f/1.2L USM
- Canon RF 135mm f/1.4L USM
- Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 IS STM Macro
- Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
- Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM
- Canon RF 500mm f/4L IS USM
- Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM
- Canon RF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM
- Canon RF 1200mm f/8L IS USM
As you can see, Canon’s new lenses cater to wide-angle landscape shooters and sports/wildlife super-telephoto photographers, with a few fast primes sprinkled in.
I could certainly see Canon announcing most or all of the super-telephoto glass in one breath, especially if their release coincides with the announcement of Canon’s flagship, sports-focused mirrorless camera, the highly-anticipated EOS R1.
And previously, Canon Rumors did claim that the EOS R1 will “show its face in 2021” – and that the R1 will likely be teased prior to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
So does Canon’s “massive splash” announcement refer to a summer reveal of the EOS R1 plus a series of super telephotos? This seems plausible; releasing sports- and wildlife-focused super-telephoto lenses alongside Canon’s highest-performance mirrorless model to date certainly makes sense, though hopefully Canon will include a couple of non-specialist lenses to keep other users satisfied.
Another camera possibility is an EOS R5s, rumored to pack 90+ megapixels into a 35mm sensor, or an APS-C RF-mount EOS R7, designed as a mirrorless successor to Canon’s popular 7D lineup.
Regardless, I do think a summer 2021 announcement date is likely, especially given Canon’s current “supply chain and manufacturing issues.”
So if you’re a Canon shooter looking for additional lenses, or you’re a non-Canon shooter considering a switch to Canon, make sure you keep an eye out for more information!
Now over to you:
Which Canon RF lenses do you think will be announced? And which camera? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
