Canon announces a new dual fish eye lens for VR videos that won’t break the bank

Canon has announced the new RF-S 3.9mm f/3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens, targeting social media creators interested in creating VR content. The new lens will be compatible with the EOS R7, making VR video production that little bit cheaper and more accessible.

Canon released the RF f/5.2mm dual fisheye lens almost three years ago now, and this new lens is similar, aside from some important details.

“The RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM, Dual Fisheye lens, offers a solution to the growing demand for more
affordable and accessible tools in the VR market,” said Brian Mahar, senior vice president and
general manager, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Whether you’re a social creator looking to expand your
content into VR, or a filmmaker interested in making the jump from 2D to 3D content, this lens
enables creators of all levels to comfortably explore VR content creation and generate amazing
content.”

Features of the RF-S 3.9mm f/3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens

This lens is specifically aimed at vloggers who want to test the waters in VR video creation. It’s a stereoscopic lens designed for use with an APS-C sensor mirrorless camera (the EOS R7, to be precise), and it will offer a 144° field of view. It’s an incredibly wide angle at 3.9mm and reasonably fast at f/3.5.

Other features include a one-shot AF and Left/Right focus Adjustment with a Focus ring, an Air Sphere Coating (ASC), and a first for Canon non-L Series lenses, which help to minimize ghosting and facilitate pristine image quality.

The lens also has a rear filter holder that accommodates both 30.5mm screw-on filters and sheet-type filters, i.e. gelatin or polyester filters. That’s great because previously, the only option was to use over-the-sensor filters with this type of lens.

Specifications

Focal Length	3.9mm
Maximum Aperture	f/3.5
Minimum Aperture	f/16
Lens Mount	Canon RF
Format Compatibility	APS-C
Angle of View	144°
Maximum Magnification	0.03x
Minimum Focus Distance	0.66 ft. (7.9 in.) / 0.2 m
Optical Design	11 elements in 8 groups
Diaphragm Blades	7
Focus Type	Gear type STM focusing
Image Stabilization	No
Filter Size (rear)	30.5mm screw-type filter
Dimensions (ø x L)	4.4 x 3.3 x 2.1 in. (112.0 x 83.7 x 54.6mm)
Weight	Approx. 10.2 oz. (290g)
Interpupillary Distance / Baseline Length	60mm
lens coating	Canon ASC (Air Sphere Coating)
Rear Mounted Gelatin Filter Holder	Supported – Built-in Supports cut gel or polyester

Price and availability of the RF-S 3.9mm f/3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens

The RF-S 3.9mm f/3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens will be available in June 2024, and its estimated retail price is $1,099.00.

How do the two fish eye lenses compare?

So, which dual fish-eye lens should you invest in? Obviously, there’s around $1000 of price difference between the two, and for good reason. The main difference is the fact that the RF 5.2mm ($1999) is designed to be used on the EOS R5, EOS R5 C, and the EOS R6II. These are considerably more expensive and higher spec camera bodies than the EOS R7, which is still a great camera, don’t be misled on that.

However, the biggest difference that I can see that will affect buyers is the angle of vision, video resolution, and specs of the camera bodies that the lenses work with.

The RF 5.2mm has a field of view of 190°, which is then converted into 180°. This makes it possible to create full 180-degree immersive VR video experiences where the viewer can watch in a headset and move around a scene. Obviously, this newer lens has only a 144° angle, limiting the viewer experience somewhat. I cannot say what effect this will have; perhaps there will be little perceptible difference. However, it would be worth a thorough investigation.

The other important thing to take into account is the video specs of the camera bodies. For a high-quality VR viewing experience, you must shoot 8K at 60FPS. Anything less than this just doesn’t cut it. Obviously, with the EOS R7, you will be restricted to 4K video as the maximum output.

Experiments have shown that there is a discernible difference. However, as Canon is firmly aiming at the vlogging market, perhaps that doesn’t matter if the main output destination is only YouTube. Interestingly, Canon actually admitted that no current camera is ‘enough’ to create footage that does the Apple Vision Pro justice.

Perhaps Canon is merely fuelling the other end of the market and getting more creators inspired by VR in general. I can attest that shooting VR videos is a lot of fun, although not entirely the “hassle-free” experience that Canon is claiming!

Instead of this middle-ground solution, I would dearly love to see the pocket 360/180 8K prototype that Canon has been teasing us with come into production soon.