Canon Patents Spate of Mid-Aperture Primes

Canon patented (via An Image on a Sensor) a series of lens designs ranging from 70mm to 100mm, all of which hew to a sweet spot aperture range between f/1.8 and f/2. Typically primes of this range have been small, non-L-class affairs, but these designs have a larger-than-average number of lens elements and groups, indicating they may be something more than merely fleshing out the lens lineup with cheap (well, cheap for Canon) options.

The patent claims indicate the specific problem addressed is balancing two design priorities of image quality and size. That may leave ease of manufacture and a lower price out of the list. As with many of the RF lens patents, the application was originally filed in the latter half of 2019.