New Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens coming this year?

Canon may announce an EF-mount 50mm f/1.4 lens in the near future, as the company is definitely working on such product since a patent for it has just showed up on the web.

One of the oldest lenses in Canon’s portfolio is the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM prime. It was introduced back in 1993 and, for an unknown reason, it has not been replaced so far, although this fact has been rumored several times in the past.

Earlier in 2015, the Japan-based company launched the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM. Industry sources have said that this is not the only 50mm prime to be unveiled by Canon this year. Despite the 50mm f/1.2L II USM gossip talks, it seems like the f/1.4 version is the one that is coming as the company has recently patented this product in Japan.

Canon has patented a new EF 50mm f/1.4 lens which could be announced this year.

New Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens patented in Japan

Canon has patented an EF-mount 50mm f/1.4 lens in the company’s home country. The patent application was filed on January 22, 2014 and it was published on July 30, 2015.

A patent does not translate into the immediate announcement of a product. However, every piece of the puzzle is falling into place at this point. The rumor mill is sure that another 50mm optic is coming this year, as the current generation is very old and a replacement is a must.

The new Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens would come packed with an improved design and better optical formula that will deliver increased image quality. Additionally, it should provide faster autofocusing and it should be better suited for videography purposes.

Upcoming version should be better in every way possible than existing model

The patent application for the new Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens does not reveal too many details. It seems like the optic will have about 10 elements in roughly six groups, but there could be other patents with a different internal configuration.

The source, who leaked the patent, has confirmed that the lens will measure about 100mm in length and that its front lens element will not move when focusing thanks to an inner focusing mechanism.

About 22 years have passed since the introduction of the existing model, so we can say that the new version will have to be superior from every aspect. If the rumors are true, then we will find out soon enough.

Amazon is selling the current Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens at a price around $350.