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| Canon has a dual fisheye lens for virtual reality systems |
Canon has released a surprise product announcement showing off a dual fisheye RF lens that is part of an all-new system called EOS VR.
The goal is to change the way VR and AR are created by simplifying the workflow compared to current VR recording systems while delivering full-frame mirrorless camera quality.
The flagship is the $1,999 RF5.2mm F2.8 L fisheye lens, which will be installed on the company's 8K EOS R5.
This product offers two fisheye lenses installed side by side. They are spaced about 60 mm (2.4 in) to accommodate the distance between human pupils and to provide a comfortable difference between virtual and augmented reality.
This lens was used with the Canon EOS R5 and was selected for its ability to record 8K video. When recording, it displays two circular images thanks to the 45MP camera sensor.
It supports 190° recordings and enables 180° snapshots or 3D images with a resolution of up to 8192 x 4096 pixels for use in augmented reality or virtual reality applications.
The lens has some unusual features, such as an adjustable ring and Allen screws that focus on the two lenses at the same time. This way you can match the focal length of one lens exactly to the other lens.
Other than that, you'll get the features normally found in a high-end Canon LRF. Such as controlling glow, shadow, dust and water, and the aperture ranges from F2.8 to F16.
Despite its strange appearance, the lens is very small, not much larger than the Canon 35mm F1.8 lens.
Canon promises the simplest and highest quality VR and AR recordings
The lens is part of the equation. Canon releases a firmware update for the R5 that includes new features for lens support and EOS VR. This includes maximum manual focus and manual focus via a dual pixel autofocus system. With Magic Window user interface.
The company has also developed the EOS VR Utility and EOS VR Plugin applications. Anyone can purchase with a $5 per month subscription (Free Trial).
The VR tool rotates the stereo image from left to right. Convert it from a circular image to an equilateral square image that can be seen with virtual reality glasses.
It also provides quick editing tools such as clip editing and lookup table applications. It allows you to change the resolution and preset file types (DPX, Pro Res, H264, etc.) before exporting.
There is also the EOS VR plug-in for Adobe Premiere. Converts double fisheye images into regular rectangles. It also gives you complete control over cropping and editing in Premiere Pro. It also allows you to export snapshots of different types of required specifications.
In addition to these apps, you can also use the existing Camera Connect app and the EOS utility to control your recordings. Canon said the two are currently being updated to provide real-time remote control capabilities for mobile monitoring.