Canon plans to launch 35 new RF lenses over the next four years

Canon plans to release at least 32 new RF lenses over the next four years, the equivalent of eight lenses per year. According to the Canon corporate strategy conference that was released a few days ago.

Canon recently discontinued most of its EF prime lenses as part of its strategy to move to a newer all-RF lens mount. Also, Canon continues to unveil new RF lenses in good time, including the latest RF800mm f/5.6 L IS USM and RF1200mm f/8 L IS USM ultra-zoom lenses.

Even if the shortage of semiconductors further delays production, the company has big plans for the future. Canon publishes its financial results and offers to investors every three months. The 2022 first report indicates that Canon plans to release 32 new RF lenses in the next four years.

Upcoming 32 Canon RF Lenses

Since the launch of the Canon EOS R in October 2018, there are nearly 26 original RF lenses to choose from. Some of them are amazing pieces of glass, like the RF 50mm F/1.2L USM, RF 85mm F/1.2L USM, or RF 28-70mm F/2L USM, but they are pricey, to say the least. Also, some key RF L lenses are still missing, especially on the wide end, including the 24mm, 35mm and 14mm.

Most professional content creators who have invested heavily in Canon EF lenses still use these with many Canon EF to RF converters.

In this latest Canon Q1 2022 report, the company underlined its strong commitment to the RF mount. In fact, they plan to release 32 new lenses within four years, which means eight new lenses each year. As a result, the total number of RF lenses available at the end of its plan should be 58 (32 + 26).

However, this is still less than the +70 available Canon EF lens. But Canon started releasing EF lenses in 1987, which is 30 years of development. So if Canon can have nearly 60 RF lenses by 2025, that would be amazing.

What do we expect from the new lenses?

There is no official roadmap for the lens at this time. So what lenses should we expect? There is no doubt that the company will release Canon RF Cine lenses at some point. Also, we'll likely see more Canon RF L glass so professional filmmakers and content creators can switch entirely to the new stand.

I'm still amazed that some third-party lens manufacturers like Tamron and Sigma, for example, haven't released any RF lenses yet. I'd love to see new Sigma ART lenses with a genuine Canon RF mount, but we'll likely have to wait a little longer for that to happen.

What do you think of Canon's plans for the future? What kind of RF lenses would you like to see? Planning to switch to Canon RF lenses anytime soon?