Always impressive to see how clever are those toys engineered, people laughed at me years ago, when I asked on forum, why aren't some lens element shaped rectangularly, and here we are.
That was very informative Gordon. I'd always assumed that the shorter flange distance of mirrorless cameras would make it easier to build true wide angle lenses rather than the retrofocus designs we had for SLRs, but I forgotten about the problem of keeping light rays as near to parallel as possible to enter the sensor wells. I remember this problem gave Leica problems with their M8. Interesting to see how Canon have approached it.
I would like to see a comparison of the plastic and glass elements after 10 years of use. Do the plastics show yellowing, are they still as clear as the glass ones. Plastic looks really good when it’s new but it ages very differently.
I agree, but remember many of the lenses I listed which also use plastic elements are getting on now and seem to be fine. I have an old 18-55 for example which looks fine.
With the upcoming solar eclipse events, this should be a good reminder why utilizing proper filters is important for sun photography. Like fluorite, these elements can crack or warp with the high heat created by focusing the sun's rays. Please use a proper solar mylar lens filter whenever you are filming or photographing the sun!
Two feelings I hold watching this: I love engineering that opens the door to more lenses accessible to folks that have tighter budgets. I'm happy the RF lineup has grown significantly ever since the first days of the R/RP but I do find it troubling that Canon has blocked 3rd party lenses. More options are always good for consumers.
@@cameralabs Hey Gordon. Could this be a reason why the aperture ranges have been degraded from the EF and EFS lines Even with the EFM examples, I noticed that the best of those lenses are not using plastic elements,
They must make a nice margin on this lens, hardly any “expensive” part except the mount. So let’s predict that the plastic lenses would will deteriorate in time?
@@mipmipmipmipmip-v5x I think we have to see what happens over time. I assume - hope - they've created polymers that are within the operating and lifespan requirements of a product like this.
@@cameralabs did some digging and found a research poster. pmma with 70 years of sun exposure behind a 400nm UV filter shows no degradation! Without a filter there's significant loss in transmission in the visible spectrum. (Pmma is common used for lenses, car headlights. Manufacturing differences and exposure to e.g. high temperatures etc can have nasty effects on lifetime - think of some cars getting those milky head lights over time) Link cut up a bit in the hope UA-cam doesn't throw away the post: www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs /pvmrw12_poster_cpv_myrskog.pdf
at first glance, plastic elements made me worry, but then, as you mentioned that Canon had been making kit lenses with plastic element since 18-55mm EF-S IS STM, a lens I have used on Rebel series. It's not that bad, although very soft towards edges camparing to the original 24-105mm L. However, I have to say that considering pancake lenses would not be heavy anyway, it's more like Canon treating those RF pancake STM lenses as the Rebel EF-S STM line, the most budget friendly lenses mounted on Canon bodies, cost even lower than the DG DNs from Sigma.
It's very interesting that you were able to do this, given Canon's obsessive protection to date of its patents and access to same. Perhaps a change in strategy? Now time to let everyone see the quality and where those R&D dollars have been going. Also maybe the first step toward allowing more third parties in - which we are hearing more noise about now. Regardless of the motivation, this was a fascinating video and exactly the right person to bring it to us. Thank you, Gordon.
That was really interesting. I keep changing my mind as to whether I should acquire this 28mm lens. Perhaps I should await Gordon's review before making the final decision.
Lens adjustment collars - stuff of nightmares for fixer uppers 😆 People give PMO hard times, but majority of everyday optics have been using it for dacades, from corrective glasses to lasers. My disappointment is that this material has not been taken advantage of enough, and yet we are already suffering from too much plastic rubbish everywhere. We could have had laminated heated elements to prevent fogging up and fungus residence, we could have had in-glass filtering from ND to grad to colour, we could've had internal tilt&shift mechanisms - all of that could be implemented in the "entry level" lenses because of what PMOs can accomodate. Good video Gordon, nice to see Canon recognises your work and your balanced stance on many product reviews. Cheers! 👍
All smartphones uses plastic lenses on extremly constrained pixel pitch that works nicely and deliver great sharpness. If it works for that it will work much better on gigantic sensors of dslrs/ilcs.
So at the end you said what I've been thinking: How is this not a great camera for most purposes? The answer, of course, is you have to go back a bit in time, where you couldn't play "Where's Waldo" with the image, looking for some small part of the image you can use. 24mpix still allows some latitude but the confidence to compose a bit on the fly is more needed. Offered in exchange for better ISO, less of the mirrorless quirks, and a better ability to capture that one moment in time, I'm not sure that's a bad trade-off. I've never owned an R5 however. If I had, perhaps I feel differently. Love being able to tease an image out of 30mpix. Maybe I'd be addicted if I had 45 to play with. Still, quite a camera in that R3.
Really interesting, boggles the mind how much R and D goes into something so small. Looking forward to your in depth review of this lens. I would like to get the 28mm when released.
Just got one of these in today, looking forward to testing it soon. I trust it will be a lens I use a lot over the years! Thanks for the behind the covers look.
Very cool and interesting to see all the changes and also readons why. One thing i think also gets forgotten that often correction profiles are used to „fix“ the image and often this is the reason for a corner unsharpness in cheaper lenses. However, if someone neets PERFECT corner to corner sharpness, he is using the wrong gear. Its often crazy how much they correct with a profile but also crazy how good the corrected image still looks. As someone that often goes on photo hikes, i certainly do apprechiate lighter gear. Like im not going to take my 50 1.2 on a 15km hike 😂
@@cameralabs Late me, finally decided - got me a Fujifilm X-T30 II with a 35mm f2 prime and a 18-55 2.8-4 , man that thing is TINY! :D Just arrive a hour before i left for my Ireland vacation trip, took my heavy canon R5 gear with me. Would have done it even if the body arrived earlier. But for short city trips and similar stuff, this small thing will definitely acompany me. Just takes a while at getting used to its controlls :)
I held this lens recently on display at Canon and the only physical attribute I found disappointing was the aperture ring does not move in increments which means it’s very easy to accidentally change the aperture. Very keen to see if it’s strongly corrected with software like the 16mm or if the 28mm is achieved optically.
All mirrorless lenses today, especially smaller ones, use software profile corrections, and the smaller and wider ones tend to be more substantial. The customisable control ring can be used for aperture, but it's more for manual focus, hence it's declicked and smooth. Canon only out the clicky ones on bigger lenses with a separate manual focusing ring.
@@cameralabs I wish it behaved like the RF 35mm f1.8 which has a clickable control ring but I understand that’s certainly not a pancake lens. I am happy the 28mm has the 3 option switch unlike the RF 50 f1.8 which has no MF switch! Looking forward to your review of this 28mm Gordon. 👍🏻
@@Joe-hm1zk why F4.5. it could be f3.5 at least. Like that why they made RF-s 18-45mm starting at 4.5? Thousands of body sales down by this kit. It could be equivalent to M50 kit at least.
@@ghalibsworld They're just really relying on the "amazing" high iso performance of their full frame cameras right now. The RF-s lenses just seem like an absolute joke at the moment.
@@Joe-hm1zk 100%> the RF-S is totally useless. The R10 has huge potential but Canon not interested in it. R10 need C-log3 like Sony A6400. In my country (Bangladesh), hundreds of Canon crop sensor user switch to Sony and Fuji.
at 8:20 gordon says that the the front element being smaller than the rear is different than "any" DSLR lenese that we're used to....except that's not true, is it? The directly comparable EF40mm pancake and the EF-S 24mm pancake both feature a very similar design with the smaller elements at the front and the larger at the rear.
Very interesting indeed! We are spoilt with options and it is amazing how the cameras and lenses are made, even at the more cost effective range. I have always been intrigues how a lens with IS moves around inside the lens…more tear downs coming soon?
Thanks! The IS unit is usually a single element in a collar that can move, but that in itself is quite interesting, so yes, hopefully maybe more in the future!
This was a very cool video, and the description of the various techniques Canon can use were interesting as well. I'm willing to bet that you could reassemble that lens with enough time and a touch of luck... 😉
During a couple of weddings I attended, I noticed the pro’s back-up assistant was running around capturing candids with an R6/50-1.8 combo. I asked the pro about the image quality. She said “it’s all about the results, and that cheap prime lens produces great output. My clients love the images it makes. I always tell photo newbies to skip the kit lens and buy this prime. A super learning tool when you’re getting started. Don’t tell anybody I said this or Canon will raise the price.”
Don't worry, Canon won't raise the price, it's a budget lens. But it's a great way to achieve shallow DOF effects at a low price - I've reviewed it if you're interested. And yes, it may not technically be the best, but if the client - or you - like the results, that's what matters.
Why would they change now? They have a solid system with a lot of first and 3rd party lenses. I bet they sometimes wish it was a bit wider diameter, but not enough for them to make a new system!
Canon talk a good game with their wider lens mount (than competitors like Sony) and aspherical tech. But then under test, a lot of RF lenses require pretty wild corrections and have intense vignetting. Also they’re expensive. So it’s difficult to be convinced that they have they advantages they claim.
@@cameralabs well, that’s true… although with designs like the 14-35, Canon appears to be pushing it further. I’m actually in the process of changing system (back) from Sony to Canon… since I think it’s the body ergonomics where Canon absolutely shines. It’s more a source of amusement to me therefore when Canon ‘talk smack’ about manufacturers with narrower lens designs. I do think Sony do a stellar job within the constraints they have. 😊
@@cameralabsYou can sell it in multiple ways. Both a longer and shorter flange distance have their benefits and weaknesses. Same with the mount diameter. At the end of the day, the difference will be marginal for 99.99% of users except when you have very specific requirements.
That was interesting! The aperture actuator seems to be a plain 2-phase bipolar stepper, like the focus motor, judging from the 4 fat traces leading to it on the flex. I'm not sure how they're being driven though, unless there's a forest of mosfets on the back of the PCB it's clearly not an H-bridge
Thank you for a excellent and very informative video! I have my 28mm on order, hoping it would turn up before leaving for the summer holiday, I might be out of luck. As happy as I've been with the size of the EF 40mm 2.8 I'm hoping this forced change of focal length for my go to camera cover (and travel/space saving) lens will be successful. Looking at the design of this lens I presume a 40mm 2.8 would not be attainable in a pancake type lens for the RF mount?
I've seen a few people mention the 40mm, so I'll ask if a pancake is possible for it in the RF mount. I don't see why not, as longer focal lengths are easier to achieve.
I just bought this lens for a lightweight compact option to pair with my R5.... waiting for delivery. I'll be interested to see your review of the lens. Thank you.
@@cameralabs I have had the lens now for about 36 hours. The build quality feels solid and, amazingly unplasticky. The autofocus is quick and smooth. However, the degree of vignetting in the corners is more than expected.
Great video about the progression of real hardware! Plastic lenses are a strange concept, but wait, my glasses are made from plastic (its lenses) and they work fine. Maybe I will buy this lens only because I now know what's inside and I like the strange reflection patterns too - maybe exaggerated by a area lamp with a grid shaped filter in front of it :) Thanks & Greating
I sort-of knew about the plastic molding technique but never seen an isolated element, let alone one that looks as weird as the rectangular one. Pretty wild stuff! I will most likely buy this lens for what it is, an affordable pancake although my guess is that correction profiles will also be extreme.
Will the plastic elements turn into yellowish like my ultra thin myopia glasses after a certain time of wearing up to one year? If not, strongly suggest Canon make lenses for wearing glasses.
As I said in the video, Canon's been using plastic elements in some of their most popular and common lenses for years now, which means not only have they been in use for over a decade in some cases, but also in enormous volumes, without complaint so far. I agree, spectacle lenses can become coloured, I've seen that, but presumably there are different grades of resin, not to mention manufacturing and hardening processes. Same for glass. It doesn't always mean a great end-result. I bet we can get plastic spectacles that perform brilliantly and last, but they may not be as affordable.
The more I learn about Canon's RF system and RF lenses, the more I'm sure that I will _not_ replace my 5D Mk4 with a Canon RF camera in the future. So, thanks for the video about these plastic lenses.
Very interesting. Thanks Gordon. I note a comment below about Specsavers plastic lenses. I have Nikon plastic lenses in my specs and have no problem with them. They appear to be remarkably scratch-resistant, too. My camera has glass Canon lenses.
Thank you so much for this video! I have repaired some lenses and it's fascinating to see how they're made. The aspherical elements in this design are super interesting and I hope we see more compact designs made possible using them.
I'd love to see whether there is any difference in MTF across a temperature range of -30 to... +40 or so between a lens that is totally glassed out and one that is full of PMOs. I don't have a horse in this race but I bet it would be neat to see if material properties affect outcomes across the temperature gamut.
@@cameralabs Wonder why. Materials always have some dimensional properties which shift with thermals, and it so follows that distortion and aberration will change too.
Nice video! Though it is a ploy by leading vendor that has fallen behind to show it is cool! Nikon is back, so is Fuji - canons space is largely taken by Sony.
@@mbismbismb by numbers perhaps - largely legacy users. Nikon was on death row but has thrown the kitchen sink at these new products. All their legacy users may stick with them. Niche but loyal. Canon seems to have large base and having huge number of cameras most of which are seemingly some firmware changes. The days of those are long past. The low end is completely gone - these guys need to concentrate on prosumers and pros. Neither want those plethora of nominal difference choices. Losing giants of tech tend to use this strategy!
I saw the diagram and immediately thought that it resembles a phone camera lens, which led me to suspect the use of plastic elements. I was correct 😬 So far, most of Canon's optics with PMOs have been mediocre (the great RF 100-400mm IS USM honorably excepted), so it'll be interesting to see whether this 28mm bucks the trend.
I think so far they've met a spec. I agree the 100-400 is probably the best of the bunch so far, although I really liked the 24-105 STM, and I think the 16 is also good. Of all those lenses I listed in the video, I think they share a similar rendering characteristic which isn't as attractive as the best glass models I've tested BUT that may be down to more than just plastic vs glass, as the modern glass L lenses are considerably different in every respect, it's not just a material difference. I think if they deployed plastic elements in some high-end lenses, we may have a different view, but right now, they're being mostly used on budget lenses which won't be as good for a number of reasons.
Amazing technology and video, but so sad to see them stuck in the 3:2 aspect ratio, regular sized sensor. I'm moving on to medium format Fuji, where more of the image circle of Canon's great EF lenses can be used in any aspect ratio. They should have developed a full frame, oversized, multi-aspect ratio sensor, or at least Panasonic should have. This is sad to see.
It is an interesting choice, as it is now mostly arbitrary. I think APSC was driven by the biggest size a semi-conductor machine could make, but I'm sure there was some flexibility in the shape.
Exactly the insight I was looking for, thank you! interestingly, the (non L-series) RF 35mm 1.8 lens was not mentioned to contain these "plasticky" elements
This was a super cool look at what's happening inside lenses! I am very excited for the RF 28mm f2.8 review. The EF-M 22mm f2 is my go to walking around lens and I would love to see how that compares to this newer model of pancake lens
I’m eager to get this lens and use it as a “body cap” on one of my camera bodies when I travel for work. This way I always have something small and affordable to walk around with when I explore in my off time. I happen to LOVE 28mm, so this was a very welcome surprise.
Plastic layered asph lens elements are far from being specific to Canon. They are used a lot in lower end lenses like Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3, Sony FE 12-24mm f4 G and Fujifilm GF 45-100mm F4. Tamron (also Nik-mron) 70-180mm f2.8 has 2 plastic layered asph elements out of 3 asph elements. You have hardly heard about them because plastic layered asph elements are considered the cheap alternative and manufacturers always attempt to vague them into just "aspheric element". With that said however, are you sure all the asph elements in RF 28mm f2.8 are plastic layered? At least the rectangular ones look like pure plastic. If they had a glass base, then cutting the glass apart would be equally difficult as cutting a regular glass element. There would just be no such need to spend the extra effort cutting them into a rectangular -- unless they are purely plastic, directly moulded from hot resin.
I think around 3.12min, you can see PMO is all plastic molded. I think the last 3 elements are completely plastic. It makes sense as they are the biggest elements.
I expect they'll also have a high-end 28, so it may be worth waiting if you intend to use it in a studio. Depends on your expectations, and of course the final quality of this lens!
Gordon I don't know if you're the one tearing down this lens But if you can get access to the 200 to 800 lens tear off the back part of that lens and see how the tripod collar is held in place I called canon and they won't tell me anything and this lens that's one of the poorest design parts of that lens ever , it should have been Designed like the old 100 to 400 were indexed on 4 short screws if you know the lens I'm talking about it is the old push - pull design But at least it had a removable tripod collar .
Haha - this I find hard to believe: Did they really leave you with a disassembled lens? Surely you must be joking, Mister Feynman! Whatever the truth is, thanks for the video. (Even though it sounded a lot like a Canon commercial, but never mind that).
Great video Gordon! I hope Canon can make light (under 500g) bright standard zoom for their RF line using these lighter plastic elements. Sigma 28-70 f2.8 for Sony E / L-mount is just 470g and Canon surely can make similar lens! Or at least rebrand this Sigma like Nikon is rebranding Tamron lenses :P This is what RF mount needs right now, apart from 22mm f/2 APS-C that was available for EF-M (remount that Canon please, it was wonderful super small lens).
I think ultimately we should use whichever material gives the results / price / weight combo we're looking for. Depending on the model, that might be glass, or plastic or both.
@@cameralabs Longevity might be an issue with plastic, it's really nice to be able to buy a 50+ years lens and it just work. But maybe there's some super stable plastics, I don't know.
Hopefully the plastic is better optically than that used in Specsavers specs. I wear the glass ones all the time, despite significant extra weight, to avoid the vastly inferior chromatic aberration performance of the plastic.
It's interesting, I also notice optical aberrations on not just glasses, but the lenses used to make TV shows and films! Once you know what to look out for, you can't help it! Ultimately I expect there's different grades of plastic and moulding depending on cost.
Strange that they release it too late for us to take it with us on summer holidays. Looks like a perfect travel lens. We would have bought it instantly if it had been available now.
I can guess, if the last 6 months has been any indication... - a max aperture of 3.5 to 7.1 -No hood included - Plastic mount maybe - Not a sliver of weather sealing - Easily scratched cheap feeling brushed plastic - Reduced performance if it is a new version of a previous lens = How depressing. PS - RF 50mm 1.4 when 😡😡😡😡
We already know the aperture is f2.8. And the mount is metal. You can see both in the video, as well as in my preview of this lens. And like all Canon lenses so far, if it isn't an L lens, it won't be weather-sealed or come with a hood - that's just their strategy, not just for the last six months, but for years. And as you'll know from the video if you watch it, it is a completely new design - that's the whole point of the video. So the only depressing thing is a comment that's been posted without watching the video. I do however agree we need a 50 f1.4 and I keep asking for it.
@@cameralabs true. It soon will be though. Aside from Chinese manufacturers, nobody is going to retro engineer it and it seems that Chinese manufacturers haven't tried to hack into Canon's system to make AF lenses that will work with R cameras.
@@cameralabs also at the moment Canon really needs lenses quickly because as an R5 owner who doesn't want all L lenses for both weight and budget reasons, there is almost nothing to choose from aside from adapting EF lenses... And the few good choices are either not weather sealed or have tiny tiny apertures. Canon users need Sigma, Tamron and Tokina to shake up things. At the moment there is really nothing I want to buy to add to my 24-70L, 16/2.8 and 50/1.8... especially with Tele lenses but also wide zooms. I am actually ok having just 3 RF and canon EF/sigma Art EF for now because I want to buy but can't find anything in the range that I want to buy.
A jewel among video posts. Thanks Gordon, and Canon for untypical openness.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is why I love Gordon. Practical, straight forward explanation in Layman's terms 👌
Thanks! I enjoyed making it!
Always impressive to see how clever are those toys engineered, people laughed at me years ago, when I asked on forum, why aren't some lens element shaped rectangularly, and here we are.
You had the last laugh! Try and find the thread!
That was very informative Gordon. I'd always assumed that the shorter flange distance of mirrorless cameras would make it easier to build true wide angle lenses rather than the retrofocus designs we had for SLRs, but I forgotten about the problem of keeping light rays as near to parallel as possible to enter the sensor wells. I remember this problem gave Leica problems with their M8. Interesting to see how Canon have approached it.
Yeah, you have to get quite creative with your elements to bend those pesky light rays where you want them at that distance!
I would like to see a comparison of the plastic and glass elements after 10 years of use. Do the plastics show yellowing, are they still as clear as the glass ones. Plastic looks really good when it’s new but it ages very differently.
I agree, but remember many of the lenses I listed which also use plastic elements are getting on now and seem to be fine. I have an old 18-55 for example which looks fine.
With the upcoming solar eclipse events, this should be a good reminder why utilizing proper filters is important for sun photography. Like fluorite, these elements can crack or warp with the high heat created by focusing the sun's rays. Please use a proper solar mylar lens filter whenever you are filming or photographing the sun!
Never seen this before with such quality and detail. Learned a lot. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Two feelings I hold watching this:
I love engineering that opens the door to more lenses accessible to folks that have tighter budgets.
I'm happy the RF lineup has grown significantly ever since the first days of the R/RP but I do find it troubling that Canon has blocked 3rd party lenses. More options are always good for consumers.
Interesting. Plastic is the new glass in lens construction.
It's definitely an option for the manufacturers and has some key pros...
And rectangular is the new round
If it makes you feel any better composites which is a high end plastics is replacing metals for airplanes
@@cameralabs
Hey Gordon. Could this be a reason why the aperture ranges have been degraded from the EF and EFS lines
Even with the EFM examples, I noticed that the best of those lenses are not using plastic elements,
Phone camera use only plastics
They must make a nice margin on this lens, hardly any “expensive” part except the mount.
So let’s predict that the plastic lenses would will deteriorate in time?
Why would they?
@@cameralabs UV stability of polymers is lower than that of glass.
@@mipmipmipmipmip-v5x I think we have to see what happens over time. I assume - hope - they've created polymers that are within the operating and lifespan requirements of a product like this.
@@cameralabs did some digging and found a research poster. pmma with 70 years of sun exposure behind a 400nm UV filter shows no degradation! Without a filter there's significant loss in transmission in the visible spectrum. (Pmma is common used for lenses, car headlights. Manufacturing differences and exposure to e.g. high temperatures etc can have nasty effects on lifetime - think of some cars getting those milky head lights over time)
Link cut up a bit in the hope UA-cam doesn't throw away the post:
www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs
/pvmrw12_poster_cpv_myrskog.pdf
IMO the real breathough of this lens is how servicable it is. Good job Canon.
Been meaning to watch this for a while. Very cool to watch and certainly learned a few things. Thanks Gordon for this and all the other vids you do!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
at first glance, plastic elements made me worry, but then, as you mentioned that Canon had been making kit lenses with plastic element since 18-55mm EF-S IS STM, a lens I have used on Rebel series. It's not that bad, although very soft towards edges camparing to the original 24-105mm L. However, I have to say that considering pancake lenses would not be heavy anyway, it's more like Canon treating those RF pancake STM lenses as the Rebel EF-S STM line, the most budget friendly lenses mounted on Canon bodies, cost even lower than the DG DNs from Sigma.
This was great! I'd love to see a similar breakdown of the new RF 100mm f/2.8/L Macro with the adjustable bokeh.
It's very interesting that you were able to do this, given Canon's obsessive protection to date of its patents and access to same. Perhaps a change in strategy? Now time to let everyone see the quality and where those R&D dollars have been going. Also maybe the first step toward allowing more third parties in - which we are hearing more noise about now. Regardless of the motivation, this was a fascinating video and exactly the right person to bring it to us. Thank you, Gordon.
Thanks!
This is why I subscribe and enjoy your channel. You consistently provide in-depth and insightful information while keeping it entertaining.👍🏽
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Very interesting for people like me, always intrigued by how things work. 👍🏾
Thanks!
There are tons of phones tear down but few cameras. It’s great to see this video!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
This is so interesting. Watching how modern lenses are made is something that we do not get to see very often.
Thanks, yes, i thought it was an interesting opportunity.
Fascinating stuff Gordon - a very interesting video!
Thankyou!
That was really interesting. I keep changing my mind as to whether I should acquire this 28mm lens. Perhaps I should await Gordon's review before making the final decision.
I'd wait for results and reviews first!
At that price point I think you should try it and if you end up not liking it, it's not a big loss.
Lens adjustment collars - stuff of nightmares for fixer uppers 😆 People give PMO hard times, but majority of everyday optics have been using it for dacades, from corrective glasses to lasers. My disappointment is that this material has not been taken advantage of enough, and yet we are already suffering from too much plastic rubbish everywhere. We could have had laminated heated elements to prevent fogging up and fungus residence, we could have had in-glass filtering from ND to grad to colour, we could've had internal tilt&shift mechanisms - all of that could be implemented in the "entry level" lenses because of what PMOs can accomodate. Good video Gordon, nice to see Canon recognises your work and your balanced stance on many product reviews. Cheers! 👍
All smartphones uses plastic lenses on extremly constrained pixel pitch that works nicely and deliver great sharpness. If it works for that it will work much better on gigantic sensors of dslrs/ilcs.
So at the end you said what I've been thinking: How is this not a great camera for most purposes? The answer, of course, is you have to go back a bit in time, where you couldn't play "Where's Waldo" with the image, looking for some small part of the image you can use. 24mpix still allows some latitude but the confidence to compose a bit on the fly is more needed. Offered in exchange for better ISO, less of the mirrorless quirks, and a better ability to capture that one moment in time, I'm not sure that's a bad trade-off. I've never owned an R5 however. If I had, perhaps I feel differently. Love being able to tease an image out of 30mpix. Maybe I'd be addicted if I had 45 to play with.
Still, quite a camera in that R3.
Really interesting, boggles the mind how much R and D goes into something so small. Looking forward to your in depth review of this lens. I would like to get the 28mm when released.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for such an informative video Gordon!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Just got one of these in today, looking forward to testing it soon. I trust it will be a lens I use a lot over the years! Thanks for the behind the covers look.
You'll see a final sample before me! Let me know what you think of it...
@@cameralabs Well so far I love the size coupled with my RP! :) As far as image quality that will take some time to flesh out...
Very cool and interesting to see all the changes and also readons why. One thing i think also gets forgotten that often correction profiles are used to „fix“ the image and often this is the reason for a corner unsharpness in cheaper lenses. However, if someone neets PERFECT corner to corner sharpness, he is using the wrong gear. Its often crazy how much they correct with a profile but also crazy how good the corrected image still looks.
As someone that often goes on photo hikes, i certainly do apprechiate lighter gear.
Like im not going to take my 50 1.2 on a 15km hike 😂
Exactly, I use the heavy gear at home, at specific locations or in studios, and when I travel, I'm all for the lighter stuff!
@@cameralabs Late me, finally decided - got me a Fujifilm X-T30 II with a 35mm f2 prime and a 18-55 2.8-4 , man that thing is TINY! :D Just arrive a hour before i left for my Ireland vacation trip, took my heavy canon R5 gear with me. Would have done it even if the body arrived earlier. But for short city trips and similar stuff, this small thing will definitely acompany me. Just takes a while at getting used to its controlls :)
I held this lens recently on display at Canon and the only physical attribute I found disappointing was the aperture ring does not move in increments which means it’s very easy to accidentally change the aperture. Very keen to see if it’s strongly corrected with software like the 16mm or if the 28mm is achieved optically.
All mirrorless lenses today, especially smaller ones, use software profile corrections, and the smaller and wider ones tend to be more substantial. The customisable control ring can be used for aperture, but it's more for manual focus, hence it's declicked and smooth. Canon only out the clicky ones on bigger lenses with a separate manual focusing ring.
@@cameralabs I wish it behaved like the RF 35mm f1.8 which has a clickable control ring but I understand that’s certainly not a pancake lens. I am happy the 28mm has the 3 option switch unlike the RF 50 f1.8 which has no MF switch! Looking forward to your review of this 28mm Gordon. 👍🏻
Why canon made 15-30mm ? Or 24-50mm RF lens.
The 15-30 is what is essentially a full frame replacement for the 10-18mm ef-s. No idea why they bothered making a 24-50mm.
@@Joe-hm1zk why F4.5. it could be f3.5 at least. Like that why they made RF-s 18-45mm starting at 4.5? Thousands of body sales down by this kit. It could be equivalent to M50 kit at least.
@@ghalibsworld They're just really relying on the "amazing" high iso performance of their full frame cameras right now. The RF-s lenses just seem like an absolute joke at the moment.
@@Joe-hm1zk 100%> the RF-S is totally useless. The R10 has huge potential but Canon not interested in it. R10 need C-log3 like Sony A6400. In my country (Bangladesh), hundreds of Canon crop sensor user switch to Sony and Fuji.
@@Joe-hm1zkIf they make that 24-50mm to be f2.8 throughout at a lower price point and lighter weight than the 24-70L, then it's a different story.
I have a rf 16mm that needs to clean the control ring, some sand enter during a desert storm. Any tips on how to clean it? Thanks
I'd recommend sending it to Canon to be serviced - this teardown was done by a qualified engineer, I wouldn't attempt it.
Great and insightful video! I'm not surprised at the resin element. The thumb print on the element however is quite striking! haha
5:20 That is an example how new technology often is first used in cheap compact cameras as the requirements are not that high.
Gordon, well done, very informative! Thanks, Jay
Thanks, you're very welcome!
Interesting! :)
Thanks for the video!
Big up the Brighton massive 👏
Always!
at 8:20 gordon says that the the front element being smaller than the rear is different than "any" DSLR lenese that we're used to....except that's not true, is it? The directly comparable EF40mm pancake and the EF-S 24mm pancake both feature a very similar design with the smaller elements at the front and the larger at the rear.
You misheard - I said many, not any. And those pancakes are exceptional designs, like this one.
@@cameralabs Oh my mistake and apologies then.
Very interesting indeed! We are spoilt with options and it is amazing how the cameras and lenses are made, even at the more cost effective range. I have always been intrigues how a lens with IS moves around inside the lens…more tear downs coming soon?
Thanks! The IS unit is usually a single element in a collar that can move, but that in itself is quite interesting, so yes, hopefully maybe more in the future!
This was a very cool video, and the description of the various techniques Canon can use were interesting as well. I'm willing to bet that you could reassemble that lens with enough time and a touch of luck... 😉
Thanks for the vote of confidence, but there's no way I could put that back together!
During a couple of weddings I attended, I noticed the pro’s back-up assistant was running around capturing candids with an R6/50-1.8 combo. I asked the pro about the image quality. She said “it’s all about the results, and that cheap prime lens produces great output. My clients love the images it makes. I always tell photo newbies to skip the kit lens and buy this prime. A super learning tool when you’re getting started. Don’t tell anybody I said this or Canon will raise the price.”
Don't worry, Canon won't raise the price, it's a budget lens. But it's a great way to achieve shallow DOF effects at a low price - I've reviewed it if you're interested. And yes, it may not technically be the best, but if the client - or you - like the results, that's what matters.
sort of makes one wonder how long sony will stick to the e-mount
though it seems to work all right for them
Why would they change now? They have a solid system with a lot of first and 3rd party lenses. I bet they sometimes wish it was a bit wider diameter, but not enough for them to make a new system!
Canon talk a good game with their wider lens mount (than competitors like Sony) and aspherical tech.
But then under test, a lot of RF lenses require pretty wild corrections and have intense vignetting. Also they’re expensive.
So it’s difficult to be convinced that they have they advantages they claim.
To be fair, almost all mirrorless lenses now employ substantial software profile corrections for geometry - same for Sony and others.
@@cameralabs well, that’s true… although with designs like the 14-35, Canon appears to be pushing it further.
I’m actually in the process of changing system (back) from Sony to Canon… since I think it’s the body ergonomics where Canon absolutely shines.
It’s more a source of amusement to me therefore when Canon ‘talk smack’ about manufacturers with narrower lens designs. I do think Sony do a stellar job within the constraints they have. 😊
@@albedo0point39 if it's any consolation, Sony sometimes talk about the benefits of a narrow diameter allowing smaller bodies!
@@cameralabsYou can sell it in multiple ways. Both a longer and shorter flange distance have their benefits and weaknesses. Same with the mount diameter. At the end of the day, the difference will be marginal for 99.99% of users except when you have very specific requirements.
Hi Gordon, can you do a review about the RF 28-70 F2? Thx
Yes I ought to! Maybe as a comparison to something, but what?
That was interesting! The aperture actuator seems to be a plain 2-phase bipolar stepper, like the focus motor, judging from the 4 fat traces leading to it on the flex. I'm not sure how they're being driven though, unless there's a forest of mosfets on the back of the PCB it's clearly not an H-bridge
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome video! It’s so they can pack all of that into a tiny pancake lens. I’m hoping this one is as good a performer as Canon claims!
Thank you for a excellent and very informative video! I have my 28mm on order, hoping it would turn up before leaving for the summer holiday, I might be out of luck. As happy as I've been with the size of the EF 40mm 2.8 I'm hoping this forced change of focal length for my go to camera cover (and travel/space saving) lens will be successful. Looking at the design of this lens I presume a 40mm 2.8 would not be attainable in a pancake type lens for the RF mount?
I've seen a few people mention the 40mm, so I'll ask if a pancake is possible for it in the RF mount. I don't see why not, as longer focal lengths are easier to achieve.
I just bought this lens for a lightweight compact option to pair with my R5.... waiting for delivery. I'll be interested to see your review of the lens. Thank you.
Let me know what you think!
@@cameralabs I have had the lens now for about 36 hours. The build quality feels solid and, amazingly unplasticky. The autofocus is quick and smooth. However, the degree of vignetting in the corners is more than expected.
Very cool video, Gordon. Thanks! ☕️
Cheers!
I just want to know if this lens is sharp in the corners or is it another 16mm...
I'll be able to tell you in my final review
Great video about the progression of real hardware! Plastic lenses are a strange concept, but wait, my glasses are made from plastic (its lenses) and they work fine.
Maybe I will buy this lens only because I now know what's inside and I like the strange reflection patterns too - maybe exaggerated by a area lamp with a grid shaped filter in front of it :)
Thanks & Greating
I sort-of knew about the plastic molding technique but never seen an isolated element, let alone one that looks as weird as the rectangular one. Pretty wild stuff!
I will most likely buy this lens for what it is, an affordable pancake although my guess is that correction profiles will also be extreme.
Yep, it will almost certainly have some strong software correction
Very interesting Gordon, and well narrated !
Thanks!
Very interesting video Gordon.
Thanks!
What a cool video! Thanks Gordon.
Thanks for watching!
Now I start wondering about my lenses... Is there a list of all lenses with this kind of information? Probably not.
1:38 so, it's safe to say they haven't been doing them right cause most new cheaper RF lenses have pretty bad distortion and vignetting.
Very interesting! Thanks, Gordon!
You're welcome!
Super interesting!
Fascinating stuff 😊
Very interesting video. Thanks!
Would love now to see IQ performance and how it compares to zoom-lenses which include the 28mm range. When? 🙂
When they get me a final production sample to test!
Will the plastic elements turn into yellowish like my ultra thin myopia glasses after a certain time of wearing up to one year? If not, strongly suggest Canon make lenses for wearing glasses.
As I said in the video, Canon's been using plastic elements in some of their most popular and common lenses for years now, which means not only have they been in use for over a decade in some cases, but also in enormous volumes, without complaint so far. I agree, spectacle lenses can become coloured, I've seen that, but presumably there are different grades of resin, not to mention manufacturing and hardening processes. Same for glass. It doesn't always mean a great end-result. I bet we can get plastic spectacles that perform brilliantly and last, but they may not be as affordable.
I thought Gordon was going to be the JerryRigEverything of camera lenses.
Those rear 3 lenses look weird but needs must.
The more I learn about Canon's RF system and RF lenses, the more I'm sure that I will _not_ replace my 5D Mk4 with a Canon RF camera in the future. So, thanks for the video about these plastic lenses.
If you're happy with what you have and it does what you want, there's no need to upgrade.
Nice! Just need sugar and lemon with that pancake
A great vid!
Thanks!
Very interesting. Thanks Gordon. I note a comment below about Specsavers plastic lenses. I have Nikon plastic lenses in my specs and have no problem with them. They appear to be remarkably scratch-resistant, too. My camera has glass Canon lenses.
Exactly, many of us use plastic lenses in other applications which work perfectly well!
Coated plastic lenses may be more scratch - resistant than glass depending on the coating!
Thank you so much for this video! I have repaired some lenses and it's fascinating to see how they're made. The aspherical elements in this design are super interesting and I hope we see more compact designs made possible using them.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, and respect to anyone who repairs these things!
I hope we get to see another vid but docusing on the camera
That would be interesting!
Fascinating
I'd love to see whether there is any difference in MTF across a temperature range of -30 to... +40 or so between a lens that is totally glassed out and one that is full of PMOs. I don't have a horse in this race but I bet it would be neat to see if material properties affect outcomes across the temperature gamut.
That would be interesting, although I've never seen any MTF charts based on temperature published.
@@cameralabs Wonder why. Materials always have some dimensional properties which shift with thermals, and it so follows that distortion and aberration will change too.
@@POVwithRC definitely, and it makes me wonder at what temperature do they measure the MTFs, and whether it's a standard one for everyone.
@@cameralabs 😁 I look forward to the investigation
Nice 👍
Nice video! Though it is a ploy by leading vendor that has fallen behind to show it is cool! Nikon is back, so is Fuji - canons space is largely taken by Sony.
Nahhh even nikon and sony combined together cant match the market share of Canon ww
@@mbismbismb by numbers perhaps - largely legacy users. Nikon was on death row but has thrown the kitchen sink at these new products. All their legacy users may stick with them. Niche but loyal.
Canon seems to have large base and having huge number of cameras most of which are seemingly some firmware changes. The days of those are long past. The low end is completely gone - these guys need to concentrate on prosumers and pros. Neither want those plethora of nominal difference choices.
Losing giants of tech tend to use this strategy!
I saw the diagram and immediately thought that it resembles a phone camera lens, which led me to suspect the use of plastic elements. I was correct 😬 So far, most of Canon's optics with PMOs have been mediocre (the great RF 100-400mm IS USM honorably excepted), so it'll be interesting to see whether this 28mm bucks the trend.
I think so far they've met a spec. I agree the 100-400 is probably the best of the bunch so far, although I really liked the 24-105 STM, and I think the 16 is also good. Of all those lenses I listed in the video, I think they share a similar rendering characteristic which isn't as attractive as the best glass models I've tested BUT that may be down to more than just plastic vs glass, as the modern glass L lenses are considerably different in every respect, it's not just a material difference. I think if they deployed plastic elements in some high-end lenses, we may have a different view, but right now, they're being mostly used on budget lenses which won't be as good for a number of reasons.
Amazing technology and video, but so sad to see them stuck in the 3:2 aspect ratio, regular sized sensor. I'm moving on to medium format Fuji, where more of the image circle of Canon's great EF lenses can be used in any aspect ratio. They should have developed a full frame, oversized, multi-aspect ratio sensor, or at least Panasonic should have. This is sad to see.
It is an interesting choice, as it is now mostly arbitrary. I think APSC was driven by the biggest size a semi-conductor machine could make, but I'm sure there was some flexibility in the shape.
Interesting unique video, not least for the more general info on lens construction techniques
Thanks, hope you found it interesting!
Exactly the insight I was looking for, thank you! interestingly, the (non L-series) RF 35mm 1.8 lens was not mentioned to contain these "plasticky" elements
This was a super cool look at what's happening inside lenses! I am very excited for the RF 28mm f2.8 review. The EF-M 22mm f2 is my go to walking around lens and I would love to see how that compares to this newer model of pancake lens
That'd be an interesting comparison!
Impressive technik, but the optical coating of lenses is rather poor. The reflexes on lenses are very shiny.
I’m eager to get this lens and use it as a “body cap” on one of my camera bodies when I travel for work. This way I always have something small and affordable to walk around with when I explore in my off time. I happen to LOVE 28mm, so this was a very welcome surprise.
sounds perfect for you!
Fascinating! Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
What an awesome review! Thank you so much😊
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video - interesting subject, well narrated.
Thankyou!
Plastic layered asph lens elements are far from being specific to Canon. They are used a lot in lower end lenses like Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3, Sony FE 12-24mm f4 G and Fujifilm GF 45-100mm F4. Tamron (also Nik-mron) 70-180mm f2.8 has 2 plastic layered asph elements out of 3 asph elements.
You have hardly heard about them because plastic layered asph elements are considered the cheap alternative and manufacturers always attempt to vague them into just "aspheric element".
With that said however, are you sure all the asph elements in RF 28mm f2.8 are plastic layered? At least the rectangular ones look like pure plastic. If they had a glass base, then cutting the glass apart would be equally difficult as cutting a regular glass element. There would just be no such need to spend the extra effort cutting them into a rectangular -- unless they are purely plastic, directly moulded from hot resin.
I think around 3.12min, you can see PMO is all plastic molded. I think the last 3 elements are completely plastic. It makes sense as they are the biggest elements.
Thanks. This lens is on my wishlist. 28mm is what I use in my studio most.
I expect they'll also have a high-end 28, so it may be worth waiting if you intend to use it in a studio. Depends on your expectations, and of course the final quality of this lens!
Did you remount the lens? Did it work again?😂😂
Shun assures me it went back together again just fine.
Gordon I don't know if you're the one tearing down this lens But if you can get access to the 200 to 800 lens tear off the back part of that lens and see how the tripod collar is held in place I called canon and they won't tell me anything and this lens that's one of the poorest design parts of that lens ever , it should have been Designed like the old 100 to 400 were indexed on 4 short screws if you know the lens I'm talking about it is the old push - pull design But at least it had a removable tripod collar .
There's no way that was me in the video! I was filming one of their engineers...
Haha - this I find hard to believe: Did they really leave you with a disassembled lens?
Surely you must be joking, Mister Feynman!
Whatever the truth is, thanks for the video.
(Even though it sounded a lot like a Canon commercial, but never mind that).
I was in a room with about 5 people from Canon including the engineer. I just thought it would make a funny end scene
@@cameralabs and it did!
Ooh, cool, almost like a Fresnel lens design in this one, but in a much more compact design
We the mid level users waiting for fast RF-S kit lens (like 17-55 f2.8-4) and a fast prime line canon 22m f2
We can hope
Great video Gordon!
I hope Canon can make light (under 500g) bright standard zoom for their RF line using these lighter plastic elements.
Sigma 28-70 f2.8 for Sony E / L-mount is just 470g and Canon surely can make similar lens! Or at least rebrand this Sigma like Nikon is rebranding Tamron lenses :P
This is what RF mount needs right now, apart from 22mm f/2 APS-C that was available for EF-M (remount that Canon please, it was wonderful super small lens).
Nikon's rebranding approach is certainly an interesting one.
Cameralabs-
Lens Debunking Episode 1. 😅😅😅😅😅
I’m surprised these can be disassembled … at some point I’d expect lenses to be completely machine made/non-serviceable etc.
Very informative. Due to trust reason this convinced me not to buy plastic "glass" and stick with real glass. Very cool review btw !
I think ultimately we should use whichever material gives the results / price / weight combo we're looking for. Depending on the model, that might be glass, or plastic or both.
@@cameralabs Longevity might be an issue with plastic, it's really nice to be able to buy a 50+ years lens and it just work. But maybe there's some super stable plastics, I don't know.
Hopefully the plastic is better optically than that used in Specsavers specs. I wear the glass ones all the time, despite significant extra weight, to avoid the vastly inferior chromatic aberration performance of the plastic.
It's interesting, I also notice optical aberrations on not just glasses, but the lenses used to make TV shows and films! Once you know what to look out for, you can't help it! Ultimately I expect there's different grades of plastic and moulding depending on cost.
Strange that they release it too late for us to take it with us on summer holidays. Looks like a perfect travel lens. We would have bought it instantly if it had been available now.
It would be good for travel
I can guess, if the last 6 months has been any indication...
- a max aperture of 3.5 to 7.1
-No hood included
- Plastic mount maybe
- Not a sliver of weather sealing
- Easily scratched cheap feeling brushed plastic
- Reduced performance if it is a new version of a previous lens
= How depressing.
PS - RF 50mm 1.4 when 😡😡😡😡
We already know the aperture is f2.8. And the mount is metal. You can see both in the video, as well as in my preview of this lens. And like all Canon lenses so far, if it isn't an L lens, it won't be weather-sealed or come with a hood - that's just their strategy, not just for the last six months, but for years. And as you'll know from the video if you watch it, it is a completely new design - that's the whole point of the video. So the only depressing thing is a comment that's been posted without watching the video. I do however agree we need a 50 f1.4 and I keep asking for it.
It is cool but it isn't a big secret, I am sure all camera companies buy each others' lenses to have a look inside.
I bet they do, but this one is NOT on sale yet
@@cameralabs true. It soon will be though. Aside from Chinese manufacturers, nobody is going to retro engineer it and it seems that Chinese manufacturers haven't tried to hack into Canon's system to make AF lenses that will work with R cameras.
@@cameralabs also at the moment Canon really needs lenses quickly because as an R5 owner who doesn't want all L lenses for both weight and budget reasons, there is almost nothing to choose from aside from adapting EF lenses... And the few good choices are either not weather sealed or have tiny tiny apertures. Canon users need Sigma, Tamron and Tokina to shake up things. At the moment there is really nothing I want to buy to add to my 24-70L, 16/2.8 and 50/1.8... especially with Tele lenses but also wide zooms. I am actually ok having just 3 RF and canon EF/sigma Art EF for now because I want to buy but can't find anything in the range that I want to buy.
@@Photoandcargeekthey even put them in marketing material. Didn’t the Sony lens appear in the Canon 100-300 official clip lol
Funny how you never showed the 10 with circles in both directions. Which means, Canon expects that this lens will be in the recycle bin in 10 years.
i hate male nails. But as always - great review!
Thanks, I'll ask Shun to wear acrylics next time.