Canon Patent Application: APS-C Mirrorless Superzooms

An APS-C patent application has appeared for Canon mirrorless cameras. 

With these three embodiments showing a very short backfocus, it's unlikely these lenses would be created for the RF mount.

Canon 18-240mm F4-8.0

focus distance      18.49  59.57  242.50  
F-number             4.12   6.60    8.12  
half-field angle    33.67  12.91    3.22  
Image height        12.32  13.66   13.66  
total lens length  123.50 155.31  187.11  
BF                  10.16  10.16   10.16 

Canon 18-225mm F4-8.0

focus distance      18.57  59.27  225.00  
F number             4.12   6.60    8.12  
Half angle (degree) 33.56  12.98    3.47  
Image height        12.32  13.66   13.66  
total lens length  123.50 155.11  186.72  
BF                  11.44  11.44   11.44 

Canon 18-200mm F4-8.0mm

focal length        18.59  52.07  199.98  
F number             4.12   6.60    8.12  
half angle          33.53  14.70    3.91  
image height        12.32  13.66   13.66  
total lens length  123.65 155.08  186.50  
BF                  13.00  35.85   45.58  

The following embodiments do show a more RF typical backfocus distance, with a distance of 16.74mm and 15.91mm.

Canon 18-225mm F4-8.0mm

focal distance      18.60  56.56   225.00  
F-number             4.12   6.60     8.12  
half-field angle    33.52  13.58     3.47  
image height        12.32  13.66    13.66  
total lens length  126.19 157.98   189.78  
BF                  16.74  16.74    16.74

Canon 18-225mm F4-8.0mm

focus distance      18.77  54.34   224.98  
F number             4.12   6.60     8.12  
Half angle (degree) 33.28  14.11     3.47  
Image height        12.32  13.66    13.66  
Lens total length  125.34 159.37   193.39  
BF                  15.91  38.92    49.49  

As with all patent applications, these are a work in progress and may never be approved for production.  Are these the smoking gun for the RF APS-C camera? Probably not.  Embodiments are rarely proof, they are simply illustrations.  It does show that Canon is looking at fast APS-C auto focus super zooms though.

Japan Patent Application 2021-021774

Canon Patent Application: Collection of RF Primes Laowa releases the 11mm f/4.5 for Canon RF