Ugh, remember those 16 GoPro VR camera rigs? 16 batteries to charge. 16 cards to clear. I remember working these events at the New York Times and we would lug around this huge rig, set it up, hit record, and go hide somewhere out of view. It was such a pain, and that was only in 2016! Luckily it didn’t last long and the tech is starting to catch up with what we need now. This Canon lens might help.

So is VR still on the verge of booming? Looks like Canon has an answer.

On October 6, 2021, Canon introduced the world’s first interchangeable lens with the ability to capture stereoscopic 3D 180-degree virtual reality imagery using a single image sensor. It is a pretty bold move by Canon and a big deal for aspiring and established VR storytellers.

It is designed to be used with the EOS R5 camera, the new dual fisheye lens offers a short focusing distance of just over 7 inches and a nice aperture range from f/2.8 to f/16. Its wide-angle coverage provides total 180-degree 3D image capture that can go up to 8K DCI 30p or 4K DCI 60p, perfect for VR devices such as the Oculus Quest 2.

A few other highlights that we like:

• With a simple lens swap, you can go from traditional shooting to 3D Stereoscopic capture
• The image is internally recorded to a single full-frame image sensor. Making the export process much easier; an Adobe Premiere Pro plugin will help with all of the processing and export.
• 180-degree captured image closely resembles the human field of view
• Very compact (compaired to the ancient 16 GoPro VR camera rigs)

How could this impact science, nature, and outdoor filmmaking?

There are numerous applications where I could see this progressing the VR movement. Especially when paired with the Oculus Quest 2, the creative storytelling opportunities are endless. In particular, I’m excited to see how this tech continues to make its way into science education and the ever-evolving digital classroom (it can work in all learning scenarios: in-person, hybrid, or remote). I could also see this setup used for live-streaming, from the classroom to live events.

So will this help move the VR industry and storytelling forward, we think so. But to what extent, we shall see.

For the immersive storyteller out there, the Canon RF5.2mm F.28 L Dual Fisheye Lens is now available for $1,999 USD.

Explore more Canon Mirrorless Lenses at Adorama