RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE (Delivery will take 2 months)

Full Frame Dual Fisheye Lens Dedicated for 3D VR Shooting

The unique RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE lens is a dedicated Full Frame VR lens equipped with two fisheye lenses, which produce parallax that can be used to create 3D 180^o VR images. When attached to the EOS R5 C or EOS R5 mirrorless camera , the lens enables content creators to harness the camera’s 8K recording³ capabilities to produce ultra-high-definition video with an immersive feel.

The light rays that enter each “eye” of the RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE lens are captured by a sole CMOS image sensor. This removes the need for certain parts of the traditional VR production workflow, such as aligning and syncing camera positions before the shoot or stitching images together in post-production, resulting in greater efficiency.

8K 3D 180^o VR Demo Video for RF5.2MM F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE

Innovative Optical Design for High Image Quality

RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE is equipped with 2 Fisheye Lenses (Left and Right). The lens covers a 190^o wide angle of view and adopts Equidistant projection design, which is ideally suitable for VR shooting. Each fisheye lens incorporates an innovative 12 elements in 10 groups folder optics design, which features 2 prisms that folds the optical path to provide images with natural parallax with a baseline length of 60 mm in a camera with a full-frame sensor (36mm x 24mm). This enables using this interchangeable lens with compatible camera¹ for simple and straightforward 3D VR shooting without the need for any special purpose camera, significantly simplifying the 3D VR production workflow. 

High quality image is essential for immersive VR videos, using this lens with the EOS R5 C or EOS R5 enables the output of high-definition 8K 3D 180^o VR footage³ for strong immersive feel. The number of horizontal pixels is approx. 3684 pixels per lens for the final output (7368 pixels with both lenses), which demands a high image quality. Benefited from the large-diameter RF Mount and short back focus, a lens construction optimized for a folded optical path and effective placement of 2 UD lenses in the final lens group, the lens aberrations have been effectively suppressed and achieved a high image quality from corner to corner.

Folded Optics design achieved images with natural parallax with a baseline length of 60 mm in a single lens.

Operability of 3D VR Shooting

Synchronized Focus

RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE uses manual focus operation. Its large manual focus ring operates smoothly with good damping, which made manual focus easy. The manual focus ring is connected to the focus structure of the left and right lenses, allowing the left and right images to focus simultaneously.

When using RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE with compatible camera¹, MF Peaking is also available in magnified display to assist precise focusing.

Subject distance for the best 3D feel

The most three-dimensional subject distance range for 180^o VR videos is between 0.5m and 2m. Shooting in this range can make the subject more prominent and bring a more intense and immersive experience.

Dual EMD for Synchronized Exposure

The left and right lenses of RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE are equipped with an Electro-magnetic Diaphragm (EMD) to electronically control the aperture diameter simultaneously to ensure consistent exposure of the left and right images.

Bring f/2.8 Aperture

 The large f/2.8 maximum aperture of the lens, combined with the highly-sensitive CMOS image sensor and powerful noise processing capabilities of the image processor in the compatible camera¹, achieves high-quality footage even in low light situations or scenes where light is intentionally reduced for creative expression.

Rear Gelatin Filter Holder

The lens features a gelatin filter holder that enables an Gelatin ND filter (36mm x 20mm) to be installed. This makes it possible to control exposure even during daytime outdoor shoots and other high-contrast situations where the shutter speed might unintentionally speed up and helps to ensure smooth video effect with a proper shutter speed.

Reliability of L-Lens

EOS VR System • Streamlining 3D VR production

VR is being increasingly applied in many industries including entertainment, tourism, and education. Amid this background Canon is leveraging on its optical technologies nurtured through its development and production of the EOS interchangeable lens camera system to establish a new VR video production system that realizes high-quality images alongside an efficient production workflow.

The EOS VR System is a triune system consists of compatible mirrorless cameras and Cinema EOS cameras, VR lenses along with Canon application to remote control and convert the resulting image files to a standard VR file format, making the post-production process easy.

EOS VR system is designed for 180^o VR footage, which has half the field of view of 360 ^o VR footage. This reduces the volume of data generated and produces high-definition footage that is easier to handle, excellent for creating highly realistic images. Camera operators can also focus on shooting with the knowledge that they will not be captured in-frame. 

The EOS VR System is a triune system consists of compatible cameras, VR lenses along with Canon application to remote control and convert the resulting image files to a standard VR file format.

Advantage of 3D VR production with One Sensor System

Before viewers can view the 3D VR footage on a head-mounted display (HMD), the footage captured by the camera must first be converted into a VR file. The conventional VR image production workflow therefore consists of 4 stages: shooting, checking, post-editing, and file conversion. Conventional 3D VR shooting requires 2 cameras (2 sensors) and 2 lens for capturing left and right images, it is necessary to aligning the positions and synchronizing the settings of the left and right cameras before the shoot. It is also necessary to stich footages before file conversion to 3D VR format.
Moreover, there tends to be differences in color and brightness between two images due to sensor characteristics, additional post processing is needed for correction. 

Under Canon’s VR imaging system, images are captured using just one compatible camera¹ with one CMOS image sensor and one RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE, rendering the parts of the workflow that were necessary with a two-camera system redundant. It is also no longer necessary to stich footage before file conversion. Additionally, when users convert files with either the EOS VR Utility computer software or the EOS VR Plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro dedicated plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro, they can also automatically correct horizon and lens parallax during conversion, improving workflow efficiency.

The light that enters each “eye” of the lens can be recorded with just one CMOS image sensor. This removes the need to adjust camera positions and synchronizing settings before the shoot, or to stitch images in post-production

3D VR Workflow comparison of EOS VR System vs Conventional Two-camera system

  EOS VR System 3D VR Production Workflow

In addition to compatible cameras and VR lenses, the Canon Remote Control and Format Conversion applications play an important role in the EOS VR system 3D VR production workflow.

VR production often requires remote shooting. Users can use the EOS Utility computer software to adjust camera settings and transfer images from the camera to the computer, or use the Camera Connect smartphone app to adjust camera settings and check images from a smartphone.

After shooting, users can choose EOS VR Utility computer software (paid subscription service) or EOS VR Plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro (paid subscription service) to simply convert the image into a 180o VR format Equirectangular Projection, It can also automatically correct the horizon and lens parallax during conversion to further improve work efficiency. Among them, EOS VR Utility supports image conversion, electronic image stabilization and basic editing, and allows adjusting image quality and file format flexibility according to post-production and display environment needs. The EOS VR Plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro allows users to perform file conversion and post-editing in Adobe Premiere Pro editing software.

Workflow of RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE 3D VR Production

EOS VR System Applications

Remote Control Applications

Format Conversion Applications