14 DAY TRIAL // Although Canon already has a 100-400mm f/5.6L lens on the market, it seems that the company wants to challenge its direct competitors, Nikon and Sony, with a newly designed 70-400mm f/4.5-5.6 optic.
Japanese website Egami has recently discovered a new Canon patent that shows a 70-400mm f/4.5-5.6 telephoto zoom lens. While the company previously filed other patents regarding this type of lens, the new document reveals a more complex construction with 22 elements in 17 groups (previously 17 elements in 14 groups), including two fluorite elements and one or more UD glass elements.
If this lens reaches mass production, it will compete with the current Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 and Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR.
Moreover, the new Canon 70-400mm f/4.5-5.6 will also come with image stabilization, unlike the Sony model, which doesn't include this feature. For the moment, nothing is known about its availability and whether or not this lens will reach mass production.