New Patents From Canon, Sigma And Nikon

credits: Canon

The patent databases are picking up again, and a few recent filings from Canon, Sigma, and Nikon give a glimpse into what might be coming next. As always, patents do not guarantee actual products, but they do show where companies are putting their focus. In Canon’s case, several new RF-S prime lens designs have surfaced, all built around compact bodies and an f/2.8 aperture. The lineup includes 10mm, 12mm, 18mm, and 28mm lenses, all for APS-C users. The 10mm f/2.8 stands out, with a reported length of around 65mm, which would make it a pretty small ultra-wide.

Sigma, meanwhile, seems to be focusing on speed. A recent patent shows designs for a 24mm f/1.2 and a 28mm f/1.2, both with more complex optical setups and large front elements. That is typical for lenses designed to keep image quality under control at very wide apertures. The 28mm f/1.2 is especially interesting, since that focal length has been getting more popular again for things like street photography, and there are not many lenses that fast in that range.

Nikon’s patent goes in a different direction and focuses on camera design. It describes an active cooling system for mirrorless cameras, using a fan to move heat toward the front top of the body. This kind of setup is mainly useful for cameras shooting longer 4K or 8K video, where overheating can become a real limitation. Other brands have already done something similar, so this would be more about catching up.