The brand-new Canon EOS VR System introduces Canon RF 5.2 mm f/2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens, the first-ever camera lens with VR technology.
Canon’s first VR camera lens
Canon is one of the industry leaders in camera manufacturing and photographic lenses. To date, the company has brought several groundbreaking technologies as well as products that have revolutionised photography and movie-making. In line with their cutting-edge innovation, Canon has announced the release of their first VR camera lens earlier this month. According to the press release, Canon Inc is launching its new series of EOS VR System with Canon RF 5.2 mm f/2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens. An upgrade to its existing EOS R5 camera, the new system will be composed of a dual optic camera lens, new firmware, and post-processing software. Moreover, the dual Fisheye lens is said to be capable of recording stunning 180-degree stereoscopic video footage in 8K.
Simplifying the process
Those with the experience of working with stereoscopic video can relate to the difficulty and time-consuming labour of capturing such footage. Until now, the industry standard for these kinds of works made use of conventional stereoscopic cameras that use two separate images for a bilateral perspective, i.e., two different images for each eye. This required cumbersome post-processing that would stitch the separate files into one. The introduction of the EOS VR System would significantly simplify the process, for it can capture single stereoscopic video footage. This way, it eliminates the need for post-processing.
190-degree field of view
In addition to the efficient capturing, the new Canon RF 5.2 mm f/2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens has a 190-degree ultra-wide field of view. This enables the lens to capture a vast range at once in a single file so that they don’t need to be stitched together. The feature also eliminates the possibilities of inconsistencies in exposure, colour, or focus, making the output more efficient and realistic.
Exploring finer details
Along with the press release, Canon Inc also launched a first-look video of the new EOS VR System. The video shows how the lens works as it captures a group of dancers performing a high-energy routine, that too in stereoscopic 3D. Further, one can look around or even zoom in the 180-degree viewing field, exploring finer details of the scene and enjoy an immersive experience of the performance. But before you go looking for the video, remember that YouTube currently supports videos with a maximum resolution of 4K, which means the original footage was shot in an even higher quality.
Cost and storage space
Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens is now available in select countries for an exchange of $1,999. The lens is exclusively compatible with the Canon EOS R5 camera. A copy of Adobe Premiere Pro will also be needed for post-production and final touches. Having said that, it is only understandable that the final image files rendered by the EOS VR System will also be larger in size. Therefore, you will need more storage space to save the files, as well as computers/ laptops with advanced graphics to process them.
