Canon Planning 3 More VCM L Prime Lenses

Next week we’re going to see the Canon RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM officially announced, the fourth lens in the VCM series of L prime lenses.

We have been told by a solid source that Canon has advanced plans for 3 more VCM L prime lenses to complete the series of hybrid prime lenses.

The Next VCM Lenses

While the source only suggested what the lenses would be, they didn’t give us the exact focal lengths and speed. The series needs some continuity when it comes to size and weight and that may change what is possible as far as lens speed at the longer end, and we think it would be quite a challenge to release a lens wider than 20mm at f/1.4 and keep the size the same.

It was suggested that we’ll see an RF 28mm f/1.4L VCM along with “two lenses longer than 50mm, but one of them will be slower than f/1.4”. If we look at the Sumire line of cinema lenses, Canon has both an 85mm and 135mm option. Those would be logical focal lengths to bring to market to complete the VCM series of lenses.

However, the CN-E 85mm and 135mm have significantly different light grabbing capabilities. The 85mm is T1.3 and the 135mm T2.2.

Interestingly the CN-E 50mm T/1.3 and CN-E 85mm T/1.3 are close to identical when it comes to weight and size. Sure, they’re larger lenses and there’s more space to do things, but 50mm and 85mm tend to have similar optical designs.

So, here’s hoping the same thing can happen for the VCM series.

Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM?

We think you should look logically at why f/1.4 85mm and 135mm lenses in the small form-factor would be incredibly challenging. We could see f/1.4 for the 85mm, but a 135mm would have to be slower than 1.8. Perhaps a 100mm would be an easier way to go and keep the lens no slower than f/2?

All bets are off if Canon decides on larger lens designs for the longer lenses, but we don’t feel they’d do that.

We already have the RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM, and it’s not a small lens. We do have the EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM, and that’s also a larger lens, but definitely smaller and lighter than its f/1.2 brother.

When Will We See New VCM Lenses?

We don’t currently know. That shouldn’t be a surprise.

The RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM crept up on us late in the process, so we may not get much information too far out from the official announcement.

Our confidence level in this information is high.

Go to discussion…