Canon Lens Technology

Overview

Scope of this Series of Chapters

What makes this special

The following chapters cover almost every aspect of Canon's detachable / interchangeable photographic lenses, in particular optics, materials, mechanics and electronics. What you will find:

  • Optical and photographical fundamentals: The nature of light, image formation, realistic paths of light through photographic lenses, aperture values, depth of field, fixed focal length vs. zoom, image stabilization, and more.
  • Canon's lens technology: Canon lens types and specialized lenses, mount systems, lens barrel design, all focusing motor types, lens materials and anti-reflective coatings.

This volume provides a unique level of detail. All of the subjects are presented in a well structured and easy to comprehend fashion.

Specifically:

  • A selection of historical as well as most recent Canon EF and RF lens technology is explained using more than 200 highly detailed illustrations.
  • Various cross sections and exploded views of Canon lens parts are presented and described in great detail.
  • Optically correct paths of light are elaborated and visualized based on actual ray tracing simulations.
  • Less complex designed non-interchangeable camera lenses are not in the scope of this technical survey.

Disclaimer: All illustrations and explanations are based on publicly available information.

About the creation of this series

The creation of these chapters including all diagrams and illustrations is based on an extensive amount of research including the review of scientific books and publications, patent registrations, browsing Canon service and repair manuals from the past decades, reading through lens parts catalogues for almost all Canon EF lenses, contacting optical design experts around the globe, as well as the disassembly of various photographic and cinematographic lenses and the creation of various 3D models of lens parts in 3D software. It is by far the largest project on this website and one of the largest Canon-focused technical publications available in 2024.

Concepts and findings presented here have been discussed and approved by leading academic and industrial lens designers and optical engineers. Special thanks go out to all of these great supporters.

This publication has been created independently with no support of Canon.

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