[UPDATE: This rumor now appears to be false.]
The latest rumors about the upcoming Canon full frame mirrorless camera suggest that it will accept Canon EF lenses on the camera . . . without the need for a mount adapter!
“From this information, it’s a working theory that the RF and EF mount will differ slightly and EF lenses will mount on the RF mount and cause it to “switch” to the EF protocol.”
That’s a big deal. Back in 2015, I said Canon needed to build an A7-like camera with an EF mount:
“I think that most of us who have a bag of Canon glass and are fans of what Sony is doing truly want Canon to make a great mirrorless camera. And I think if Canon simply took a rebadged A7R II or A7S II with a Canon label and EF mount on it, most of us would be jumping for joy saying, “Shut up and take my money.”
Of course, we know that Canon can’t make the exact form factor thanks to the longer flange distance of Canon EF mount as compared to Sony E-mount, which is around 40% of the distance. But there are some smart dudes engineering these things for Canon. They can think of some creative ways to mask that difference in the flange distance for the final body.”
Is this really what Canon is doing? Interestingly enough, it also lines up with rumors from 2017.
If Canon somehow manages to pull this off with the type of integration suggested by these rumors, then the camera giant may end up erasing the past decade of mirrorless product development and leap-frogging the progress Sony has made in building its mirrorless system and gaining market share. And Nikon, poor Nikon, becomes an afterthought again….
Imagine buying a full frame Canon mirrorless camera and your entire collection of EF lenses being native fit and operation. That’s exactly what I had on my wish list back in this 2015 post.
“What we don’t need is another mount for a full frame mirrorless Canon camera to add to EF, EF-S and EF-M mounts. I can live with a little extra bulk too. We just don’t need all the extra bulk and weight for the mirror assembly and pentaprism. There are also over 110 million EF lenses floating around out there. The owner of each one is a potential customer for the Canon EOS A7…. Let’s stretch this amazing system out for a while longer.”
Canon shooters, what do think about such a possibility? Would you buy the camera? Should Canon pay me royalties for telling them how to dominate the market?
Joe says
It will be like the Pentax APS-C K-01 mirrorless with a DSLR K mount .
https://camerasize.com/compare/#285,442
Joe says
Pentax K-01 :
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1845/44323629182_d0492c1ed4_b.jpg
BobF says
Well, that little matter fo the longer chip-to-flange distance in an SLR is kind of a big deal, no? Unless Canon opts to put some kind of optical lens in front of the ship, placed there automatically when it detects an SLR lens, how can this work? After all, the optics in the lens are specifically designed to work on a focal plane 44MM behind the flange. Presumably the mirrorless body is thinner, so what will alter the lens optics?
derFrankie says
The “big deal” is that wide angle lenses need to bend the light rays a lot more if you have a longer flange distance – and the sharpness suffers.
With mirrorless you can have a shorter distance and the light rays are more perpendicular to the sensors at the edges which helps to improve IQ.
This is also the main reason to opt for native mirrorless glass, as adapted glass (via adapter or by extending the body like Sigma did for Sony lenses) will still have the IQ problems at the egde.
BobF says
Well aren’t you clever! Except that’s is not what I was talking about – I know what you describe – but the ‘big deal” to which I refer is that this is something that is ‘baked into’ the lens design, so putting a lens designed for a 44MM flange distance onto a body with a 22MM flange length means the focal plane of said lens will fall 22MM behind the imaging chip. Get it?
All the hoop-la here is about how the current crop of Canon DSLR lenses will supposedly work on their mirrorless camera – which doesn’t seem likely given that fact. Purpose built lenses that require no (or less of a) retrofocus design are not part of this discussion.
Oh, and by the bye – your comment about “light rays are more perpendicular” is flatly incorrect…since focal length is the distance from the center of the imaging chip (or film) to the optical “crossover point” in the lens, the angle of incidence from the focal point at, say, 14MM to the edges of the chip is unchanged regardless of the design of the lens.
peter burian says
You’re right of course, Bob. And the leaked info in the other article about the camera confirms that an adaptor *will* be required to use DSLR lenses…for the reason you stated although that is not explained.
Jerry Bloch says
I just traded in 30 years worth of Canon for Sony.
The Canon lenses were first gen and it’s doubtful they would have garnered 8% on the dollar I received about 12% if I had waited for Canon to release its mirrorless. My point being; if Canon will provide an adaptor with the camera it could be a game changer. If Canon is chincy and charges a wad for an adaptor it could be a zero sum game. If they are able to defeat the laws of physics then will the older generation of lenses be compatible?
Joe says
I think it would be a great idea for a Canon EF mount full frame mirrorless with a full size grip . Nikon Z6 and Z7 only have three native lenses so a Canon EF mount mirrorless will have a zillion lenses and the mount is only 1mm smaller in diameter than the Nikon Z mount.
Joe says
Z7 needs the adapter to use lenses like the 24-70mm F2.8 unlike a Canon mirrorless with EF mount :
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1897/43668333534_11f52d4bbb_b.jpg
BobF says
Notwithstanding the photo you include there is comparing the Z7 to a Canon DSLR (not a mirrorless) the question remains, if the mirrorless has a shorter flange-to-chip distance (which would make perfect sense) then how can it use the DSLR lenses without an adapter like the Nikon you show?
Joe says
I show a Canon DSLR to show how an EF mount mirrorless would compare to the Z7. If the Canon mirrorless comes with a new mount then Sony will be happy since they have by far the most native full frame mirrorless lenses.
BobF says
That makes no sense – the Canon mirrorless supposedly has a 22MM flange to chip distance, the DSLRs have a 44MM distance.
Unless the Canon EVIIL (Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens – a term I like better) will have the same flange to chip distance as the DSLRs, in which case the body will not be more compact so what’s the bi deal. I am fully aware of the advantages and disadvantages of OVF versus EVF (I have Nikon DSLRs and Fuji EVIL camera systems) but frankly the entire “it’s smaller!” arguement goes out the window altogether if the new Canon is as thick as the DSLRs.
Joe says
Most people said the Sony A7r was too small so Sony made the A7r II thicker and the A7r III thicker yet. Your choice, 3 native lenses like the Z7 or a zillion EF mount lenses with a body a little larger with big grip that works great with large lenses.
BobF says
Well, okay – but then what is the big deal about it being mirrorless (EVIL)? If this new camera is basically the same size as the DSLRs (just to make it slightly easier for people who own legacy lenses to use them since they wouldn’t need an adapter) why all the kerfuffle?
One of the big selling points of EVIL cameras has been their smaller size and lighter weight. Sure, without the reflex mirror box this potential new EVIL camera might weigh a little less, but how important is a few grams of weight once you add in the weight of the glass anyway?
In other words, the entire proposition doesn’t make sense.
BobF says
So at the end of the day the optically ridiculous claim that the new camera would not require an adapter to use DSLR lenses has been quashed.
Go figure.
peter burian says
of course…as we both expected.
BobF says
So at the end of the day the optically ridiculous claim that the new camera would not require an adapter to use DSLR lenses has been quashed.
Go figure.