Canon Expands Third-Party RF Collaboration

credits: Canon

Canon once again addressed the long-running question of third-party RF lenses, this time with a more direct message than before. Speaking in a recent interview with Phototrend, Go Tokura, Executive Vice President and head of Canon’s imaging division, confirmed that collaboration with third-party lens manufacturers will intensify. That is a stronger statement than what Canon has said in the past, especially given how cautious the company has been around opening up the RF mount.

That said, there are still some clear limits. Tokura made it clear that while cooperation will grow, it will still be shaped by Canon’s broader business strategy. He also pointed out that Canon is not involved in the actual development of third-party lenses, meaning companies like Sigma or Tamron decide for themselves what to build. Interestingly, when asked why third-party autofocus lenses have so far only appeared for APS-C RF cameras and not full-frame, Tokura pushed back slightly, saying Canon does not officially differentiate between the two, even though, in practice, that is exactly what is happening right now.

That leaves things a bit open-ended. Canon did not provide any details about licensing agreements or whether full-frame third-party RF lenses are on the way. When asked directly, Tokura avoided giving a clear answer, talking instead about the company’s existing lineup of nearly 70 RF lenses and saying that feedback from users will direct future decisions. So while the tone has changed toward more openness, the key question of when (or if) third-party full-frame RF lenses with autofocus will arrive, is still unanswered.