Canon could launch a game-changing f/1.4 zoom lens this year — but with one likely catch

• Patent application reveals multiple exciting Canon optical designs
• There are several f/1.4 zooms in the application, for full-frame and APS-C
• Rumors suggest an RF 24-45mm f/1.4L as one possible product

f/2.8 zoom lenses have long been the trusted armory of working photographers, but then Canon and Sony levelled up with f/2 zooms, namely the RF 28-70mm F2L USM, FE 28-70mm F2 GM, and FE 50-150mm F2 GM.

For me, the formidable trio is the pinnacle of lens design, especially for wedding and event photography. I might soon have to think again, however, if anything comes from a recent patent application, uncovered by the folks at Canon Rumors.

The Canon patent application filed in Japan highlights several zoom lenses, many of which boast a constant f/1.4 aperture across the zoom range, and cover a range of sensor sizes, including full-frame.

Why's this a big deal? If any of these lenses were to be realized, whether for Canon full-frame or APS-C mirrorless cameras, or PowerShot compacts, we would be looking at world-first optics.

The f/1.4 aperture is typically seen in pricey prime lenses and not versatile zooms, meaning we could get the best of both worlds in one lens.

There's a fair bit of technical language in a previous post by Canon Rumors, but the long and short of it is that we might see a game-changing full-frame f/1.4 zoom, the most likely of which could be something like a RF 24-45mm F1.4L. There could be new PowerShot compacts with cutting-edge lenses on the horizon, too.

Is there a catch?

A full-frame zoom lens with a constant f/1.4 maximum aperture would be a world-first. Naturally, there will be design compromises.

Based on the patent, Canon Rumors suggests that a would-be RF 24-45mm f/1.4L lens would measure around 220mm — that's around twice the length of Canon's RF 85mm F1.2L, which is a chunky lens already — and would presumably also be a heavyweight.

We've seen that weight / performance compromise before in the Canon RF 28-70mm F2L lens, which is a full stop brighter but much bigger than the Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM (even if Sony has consequently been able to make a much smaller and lighter 28-70mm f/2 than Canon's).

Put simply, if you want the versatility of a (constant) fast aperture and zoom capabilities in a single lens, it'll cost you in size and weight versus simply picking up a lighter prime lens with the same maximum aperture. An f/1.4 zoom would literally cost you extra, too.

If the above lens materializes, it represents the equivalent of three or four f/1.4 primes in one optic, in a much larger and presumably pricier zoom — a compromise some could be willing to make, even if the zoom range on the likely candidate is hardly expansive.

Canon Rumors predicts that we'll see such a zoom lens in 2026, but we should remember that such patent applications only reveal optical designs that are being explored, not confirming those that will come to market — Canon is prolific with patent applications.

I've personally reviewed the Sony 50-150mm F2 GM lens, and it consequently took TechRadar's Lens of the Year 2025 award, and needless to say, a five-star rating. An f/1.4 zoom would no doubt be in the running for such high praise, so we can only hope that one of these patents becomes a reality.

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