Yesterday, Apple briefly showed a new dual-optic Canon lens during its WWDDC keynote presentation. Today, Canon confirmed that it is in development, will ship sometime in 2024, and will be accompanied by software designed to work in tandem with the Vision Pro.
In a development announcement published to its Japanese website, Canon explains that the upcoming RF-S7.8mm f/4 STM Dual is designed to support spatial video capture specifically for the Apple Vision Pro and will be an Apple Certified input device. Additionally, Canon says the lens will be the first Apple-certified input device outside of Apple’s first-party offerings.
The company says that it has been developing the lens over the last few years and made it for its APS-C cameras to make it easier and more affordable to shoot 3D video.
The two optics inside of the new lens look as though they were meant to mimic the distance between the two cameras on an iPhone that, as Apple has demonstrated since the launch of Vision Pro, can capture immersive video. However, the sensors Apple is using in its iPhones are much smaller than an APS-C sensor — even when it’s split between two lenses. While it will come nowhere close to the resolution of Blackmagic’s Ursa Cine Immersive which can produce 8K footage for each eye, it will make better-looking content than an iPhone can and it is surely more approachable than Blackmagic’s high-end design.
Canon says that the lens has an angle of view of about 60 degrees, which it says is “close to the effective field of view of the human eye” to allow it to work particularly well with immersive video content in the Vision Pro. The dual optic lens is also equipped with a stepping motor (STM) autofocus system that Canon says is high precision and should feel the same to use as a standard RF lens, “allowing even beginners to easily enjoy shooting 3D images.”
But Canon isn’t just making hardware. The company says that it also developed the EOS VR Utility app which converts footage captured with the lens and camera into Spatial Video that can be viewed through the Vision Pro.
“You can record memories spent with family, friends, pets, and other scenes from your travels in high-quality live-action footage, and relive precious memorable scenes with a sense of realism through Spatial Video,” Canon says.
“Canon will continue to work with Apple to further strengthen the EOS VR System, meet the creative needs of users seeking new areas of expression beyond 2D imaging and attempting 3D imaging, and contribute to fostering a 3D and VR imaging culture.”
Image credits: Canon