RF-S Lenses - What We Know and What is Rumored

bclaff · May 30, 2022

What we know:

Canon has announced two APS-C R mount cameras the R7 and the R10.

They have also announce two "kit" lenses:
RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM
RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM

From lens construction diagrams on the Canon site we know that the
RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM
has the same optical layout as the
EF-M18-150mm f3.5-6.3 IS STM

And we know that the optical layout of the
RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
does not correspond to any previous Canon lens design.

What is rumored:

I have seen a list of 5 additional RF-S lenses that are rumored for future release:
RF-S 11-55mm f/4-4.5 IS STM
RF-S 16-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
RF-S 55-250mm f/4.5-7.1 IS STM
RF-S 22mm f/2 STM
RF-S 32mm f/1.4 STM

of these only the two prime lenses correspond to existing EF-M lenses.
So at least 3 of these 5 lenses would be new designs.

Naturally, rumors are only rumors.

Reusing optical designs

While I'm sure there is disagreement I see no issue with reusing optical designs particularly to "jump start" a new product line such as the RF-S lenses.
Resources are limited and it takes a long time to design a new lens from scratch.

MikeJ9116 · May 30, 2022

I think Canon will roughly follow the same path they did with EF-S lenses in the R system. This means a wide angle zoom, milk toast lower end kit lenses, a fairly good telephoto and an upgraded f/2.8 kit lens. If we are lucky maybe we will get a second lens like the EF-S 15-85mm which, IMO, is the best EF-S lens Canon offered. Anyone that expects RF-S to even remotely mimic the Fuji lens catalog will be very disappointed.

ThrillaMozilla · May 30, 2022

What do you think of the 11-55? It's widely reported, but is it a misprint?

bclaff · May 31, 2022

ThrillaMozilla said:
What do you think of the 11-55? It's widely reported, but is it a misprint?

Who knows; that's the thing with rumors.

Even if you change the 55mm to 22mm as if it's a typo you are still left with f/4-4.5 which is a pretty small range.
--

Bill ( Your trusted source for independent sensor data at PhotonsToPhotos )

MikeJ9116 · May 31, 2022

ThrillaMozilla said:
What do you think of the 11-55? It's widely reported, but is it a misprint?

What do you have if you reverse the "55"? It sort of looks like "22". Does 11-22mm sound familiar? The EF-M 32mm and EF-M 11-22mm are the two M lenses that absolutely should be ported over to the RF-S mount. Maybe the "55" was a translation error?

Canon_Guy · May 31, 2022

+1

It is very logical to re-use the existing than to develop very similar from the scratch.

It is moreover kind of likely that Canon did already develop (some) EF-M lenses on purpose to be later transferred to RF-S.

Camera market is stretched to the limit and by this they would gain double profit from one costs.

MikeJ9116 · May 31, 2022

Canon_Guy said:
+1

It is very logical to re-use the existing than to develop very similar from the scratch.

It is moreover kind of likely that Canon did already develop (some) EF-M lenses on purpose to be later transferred to RF-S.

Camera market is stretched to the limit and by this they would gain double profit from one costs.

It is sort of twisted in a way. The M users were buying EF-M lenses that help pave the way for RF-S to replace EF-M.

Canon_Guy · May 31, 2022

Well yes. But good for Canon.

dave_bass5 · May 31, 2022

Although i dont own an R camera yet (pre ordered the R7), i use the EF-M 32 f/1.4 so much that it practically lives on my M50.

Its optically so much better than any 50mm (equivalent) ive used, even on my 5D4, and if there was a R version of it id probably sell my M50 off and get that.

insalada · Jan 19, 2023

An rf-s 18-55 f2.8 as a replacement for the terrific ef-s 17-55 f2.8 would be a wonderful news. The old one is really large and heavy, not to mention with the adapter. Too much overkill for the R7 and R10.

musicmaster · Jan 19, 2023

insalada said:
An rf-s 18-55 f2.8 as a replacement for the terrific ef-s 17-55 f2.8 would be a wonderful news. The old one is really large and heavy, not to mention with the adapter. Too much overkill for the R7 and R10.

IMHO 18 isn't wide enough for a general walk around. I still don't get why the butchered the 15-45 into an 18-45.

MikeJ9116 · Jan 19, 2023

musicmaster said:
insalada said:

An rf-s 18-55 f2.8 as a replacement for the terrific ef-s 17-55 f2.8 would be a wonderful news. The old one is really large and heavy, not to mention with the adapter. Too much overkill for the R7 and R10.

Click to expand...

IMHO 18 isn't wide enough for a general walk around. I still don't get why the butchered the 15-45 into an 18-45.

I agree. Canon should have ported the EF-M 15-45mm straight over to the RF-S mount with some improvements in build consistency. IMO, the reason they didn't do this is because it would have been to good and would have effected the sale of other, more expensive, RF lenses.

ThrillaMozilla · Jan 19, 2023

MikeJ9116 said:
musicmaster said:

insalada said:

An rf-s 18-55 f2.8 as a replacement for the terrific ef-s 17-55 f2.8 would be a wonderful news. The old one is really large and heavy, not to mention with the adapter. Too much overkill for the R7 and R10.

Click to expand...

IMHO 18 isn't wide enough for a general walk around. I still don't get why the butchered the 15-45 into an 18-45.

Click to expand...

I agree. Canon should have ported the EF-M 15-45mm straight over to the RF-S mount with some improvements in build consistency. IMO, the reason they didn't do this is because it would have been to good and would have effected the sale of other, more expensive, RF lenses.

Or maybe it's because everyone trashed the 15-45.

MikeJ9116 · Jan 19, 2023

ThrillaMozilla said:
MikeJ9116 said:

musicmaster said:

insalada said:

An rf-s 18-55 f2.8 as a replacement for the terrific ef-s 17-55 f2.8 would be a wonderful news. The old one is really large and heavy, not to mention with the adapter. Too much overkill for the R7 and R10.

Click to expand...

IMHO 18 isn't wide enough for a general walk around. I still don't get why the butchered the 15-45 into an 18-45.

Click to expand...

I agree. Canon should have ported the EF-M 15-45mm straight over to the RF-S mount with some improvements in build consistency. IMO, the reason they didn't do this is because it would have been to good and would have effected the sale of other, more expensive, RF lenses.

Click to expand...

Or maybe it's because everyone trashed the 15-45.

I don't think so because the main complaint with the 15-45mm was build consistency. Some people had very good copies of this lens that performed well. The 18-45mm is just too limited in focal length, IMO, and Canon should have done with the 15-45mm what they appear to be doing with the other EF-M lenses ported to the RF mount. That is keep the focal length and basic design. Then tweak them to be a little better than the EF-M versions.

Steve Fink · Jan 19, 2023

MikeJ9116 said:
I don't think so because the main complaint with the 15-45mm was build consistency. Some people had very good copies of this lens that performed well. The 18-45mm is just too limited in focal length, IMO, and Canon should have done with the 15-45mm what they appear to be doing with the other EF-M lenses ported to the RF mount. That is keep the focal length and basic design. Then tweak them to be a little better than the EF-M versions.

Or make an EF-M to RF adapter.

MikeJ9116 · Jan 19, 2023

Steve Fink said:
MikeJ9116 said:

I don't think so because the main complaint with the 15-45mm was build consistency. Some people had very good copies of this lens that performed well. The 18-45mm is just too limited in focal length, IMO, and Canon should have done with the 15-45mm what they appear to be doing with the other EF-M lenses ported to the RF mount. That is keep the focal length and basic design. Then tweak them to be a little better than the EF-M versions.

Click to expand...

Or make an EF-M to RF adapter.

Unfortunately, this is not physically possible.

koenkooi · Jan 19, 2023

MikeJ9116 said:
Steve Fink said:

MikeJ9116 said:

I don't think so because the main complaint with the 15-45mm was build consistency. Some people had very good copies of this lens that performed well. The 18-45mm is just too limited in focal length, IMO, and Canon should have done with the 15-45mm what they appear to be doing with the other EF-M lenses ported to the RF mount. That is keep the focal length and basic design. Then tweak them to be a little better than the EF-M versions.

Click to expand...

Or make an EF-M to RF adapter.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, this is not physically possible.

A straight-through adapter like the EF-RF adapter is not possible, but an adapter with optics like the FD-EF mount adapter is possible. And like the FD-EF one, it will be expensive, huge and only there for Canon to say "See, you could if you wanted to!"

MikeJ9116 · Jan 19, 2023

koenkooi said:
MikeJ9116 said:

Steve Fink said:

MikeJ9116 said:

I don't think so because the main complaint with the 15-45mm was build consistency. Some people had very good copies of this lens that performed well. The 18-45mm is just too limited in focal length, IMO, and Canon should have done with the 15-45mm what they appear to be doing with the other EF-M lenses ported to the RF mount. That is keep the focal length and basic design. Then tweak them to be a little better than the EF-M versions.

Click to expand...

Or make an EF-M to RF adapter.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, this is not physically possible.

Click to expand...

A straight-through adapter like the EF-RF adapter is not possible, but an adapter with optics like the FD-EF mount adapter is possible. And like the FD-EF one, it will be expensive, huge and only there for Canon to say "See, you could if you wanted to!"

None of the EF-M lenses is worth going to this effort and expense. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. ;-)

R2D2 · Jan 20, 2023

MikeJ9116 said:
koenkooi said:

A straight-through adapter like the EF-RF adapter is not possible, but an adapter with optics like the FD-EF mount adapter is possible. And like the FD-EF one, it will be expensive, huge and only there for Canon to say "See, you could if you wanted to!"

Click to expand...

None of the EF-M lenses is worth going to this effort and expense. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Right, not adapted. However I’d LOVE to see several more of the EF-M lenses replicated in RF-S mount!

For instance the EF-M 32mm f/1.4 is simply without peer. Small, fast, and extremely sharp even at f/1.4; it’s always in my bag. And the outstanding EF-M 11-22 is absolutely the best crop UWA zoom Canon has ever made.

And if Canon could also duplicate the marvelous Sigma EF-M 16mm f/1.4 and EF-M 56mm f/1.4 lenses I’d be ecstatic. They are excellent wide open as well, and with the 32, outperform all of their entry-level RF “counterparts” (which I do own as well).

Plus there’s the ever-popular EF-M 22mm f/2 pancake. Which I personally would rather see as a contemporary designed f/1.4 (to complement the other fast primes).

I also really love my (excellent) copies of the standard EF-M kit lenses (15-45 and 18-55). Best of all the mid focal length kit lenses I’ve ever owned.

So IMHO if Canon really wanted to get serious with crop RF, they’d do well to continue to port over the already existing EF-M lineup. I’d be easy. Heck, I’d buy them all! :-D

R2

koenkooi · Jan 20, 2023

R2D2 said:
MikeJ9116 said:

koenkooi said:

A straight-through adapter like the EF-RF adapter is not possible, but an adapter with optics like the FD-EF mount adapter is possible. And like the FD-EF one, it will be expensive, huge and only there for Canon to say "See, you could if you wanted to!"

Click to expand...

None of the EF-M lenses is worth going to this effort and expense. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Click to expand...

Right, not adapted. However I’d LOVE to see several more of the EF-M lenses replicated in RF-S mount!

For instance the EF-M 32mm f/1.4 is simply without peer. Small, fast, and extremely sharp even at f/1.4; it’s always in my bag. And the outstanding EF-M 11-22 is absolutely the best crop UWA zoom Canon has ever made.

And if Canon could also duplicate the marvelous Sigma EF-M 16mm f/1.4 and EF-M 56mm f/1.4 lenses I’d be ecstatic. They are excellent wide open as well, and with the 32, outperform all of their entry-level RF “counterparts” (which I do own as well).

Plus there’s the ever-popular EF-M 22mm f/2 pancake. Which I personally would rather see as a contemporary designed f/1.4 (to complement the other fast primes).

I also really love my (excellent) copies of the standard EF-M kit lenses (15-45 and 18-55). Best of all the mid focal length kit lenses I’ve ever owned.

So IMHO if Canon really wanted to get serious with crop RF, they’d do well to continue to port over the already existing EF-M lineup. I’d be easy. Heck, I’d buy them all! :-D

That's pretty much what I'd like to see as well. And a body that has the same pocketability as an M6II, preferably leaving out the token EVF.

RF-S Lenses - What We Know and What is Rumored

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Senior Member

Veteran Member

Senior Member

Veteran Member

Member

Well-known member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Senior Member

Veteran Member

Senior Member

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Senior Member

Similar threads

Keyboard shortcuts