Canon has launched an all-new compact and lightweight virtual reality (VR) lens.
The Canon RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM Dual Fisheye is expected to go on sale later this month. It is the first non-L class VR lens to adopt the brand’s Air Spherical Coating technology.
This lens is designed specifically for the APS-C EOS R7 mirrorless camera.
Significantly, it is the first VR lens in the RF-S series and offers an ultra-wide angle view of 144 degrees.
The model can combine with the EOS R7 to operate as lightweight 3D VR shooting equipment.
The VR lens has a built-in refractive prism. The resolution of the EOS R7 with the new VR lens is comparable to the combination of the EOS R5 with the RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye. As a reminder, the RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM is the second VR lens for the RF mount. The first was the RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye.
The new 3.9mm lens appears to be aimed at social media creators, with Canon emphasizing the affordability and usability for creating vlog-style VR content.
The pixel density per 1-degree angle of view of the new lens is similar to that of the RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye, reported Gizmochina.
Both the left and right lenses of the VR lens integrate an electromagnetically driven aperture that ensures consistent exposure for the two lenses.
The Canon RF-S3.9mm F3.5 lens is equipped with a stepping motor with dual-lens autofocus functionality.
It can also synchronously drive the left and right lenses for autofocus. The shooting and production process of the EOS VR system consists of shooting, viewing, converting, and editing. Users can also convert their videos and photos using the EOS VR Utility application into VR content.
Pricing and exact availability dates in Australia are yet to be confirmed.
Other camera manufacturers are also paying close attention to social media creators. Recently, Panasonic announced the successor to its Lumix GH6 vlogging camera, the GH7. The GH7 was designed for video, and supports internal ProRes RAW recording up to 5.7K 30p, and can shoot 5.8K 60p 10bit H.265 video. It can also handle 4K up to 120fps or Full HD at 240fps.
