Either Japanese photographic specialists Canon are believers or Apple has given them a metric boatload of money but the camera maker is launching a custom lens specifically for shooting Vision Pro video.
The lens turned up during Apple’s WWDC presentation last night. It’s intended to shoot ‘spatial video’, which is the Apple term for 360° video as seen on the Apple Vision Pro.
So it’s Canon now?
Technically, yes, this is an official product, though neither Apple nor Canon have revealed any real specifics yet. The lens is intended to work with the EOS R7 camera and will put spatial video in the hands of regular folks (who happen to own the R7).
What is known is that it’s a 7.8mm f/4 lens that features stepping motor technology (STM) so shooting stereoscopic video should be a smooth affair. Hopefully. Canon has previously said that current cameras aren’t up to the task of shooting video for Apple’s hardware. If the company has performed some magic that makes it possible on the EOS R7, we want to hear about it.
We’re also not sure whether this development was Apple’s or Canon’s idea. The Japanese brand has previously shown that it’s willing to attempt the odd bit of innovation on its own initiative. Apple, on the other hand, may be looking for solid partners to push the Vision Pro that much further and isn’t above offering a commission to partners.