Get # Capturing the Future: CANON's Revolution in VR Content Creation

In an age where the space between technology and creativity has been steadily closing, Canon, by creating its new RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens, is once again leading innovation into the future. Canon’s new lens does not only add to a camera manufacturer’s retail strategy, it is designed to support creators working towards the evolution of virtual reality (VR) content – at a pivotal point in time. XR hardware makers such as Meta and Apple continue to attract star names in a push to deepen the scope of web3 immersive experiences.

CANON's Leap into Immersive Technology

The Dawn of a New VR Lens

With Canon’s new RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens – which is specifically designed for its newest mirrorless EOS R7 cameras – Canon is declaring that VR has finally gone mainstream. Unlike the Skymegas and gear I had to haul around Boulder to see VR porn back in 2015, Canon’s new lens enables anyone from a wannabe TikToker or Instagrammer to a major filmmaker to create VR content, viewing and sharing it through their smartphone. And the announcement couldn’t be better timed: Apple has just released the Vision Pro internationally. Canon’s clearly seeing the writing on the VR wall.

Enhancing Viewer Engagement Through Immersive Broadcasts

A metaverse run by Meta, smartphones by Apple, ESPN+ and Disney+ all point to a future of broadcasts that can deliver audiences to places they couldn’t go before, and hold their attention like never before. Canon’s new lens will allow imagemakers to create the content to take us there.

A Deep Dive into the RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM Features

This is not a lens about creating images; this is a lens about creating perspective. Canon’s RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM Dual Fisheye is all about realigning the viewer’s perception of the environment. Its 144-degree diagonal field of view and one-shot autofocus promises to be an essential component of the VR creator’s kit bag, and its Air Sphere Coating (ASC) reduces ghosting so what you see is what you get. Its equidistant projection enables creation of different types of VR content, including handheld and static compositions.

The Key to Streamlined Post-Production

In light of all this, Canon also provides an EOS VR Utility software subscription to help reduce the technical post-production workflow, which gives creators more time to express their creativity instead of deal with technical roadblocks. This shows that Canon cares for its creators, from the camera itself to the subscription software online.

CANON Kokomo: A New Era of Immersive Calling

Canon released the Kokomo ImmersiveCalling platform early for access to Canada and the United States last year. Using the software with Meta Quest 2, you can communicate with others as digital avatars for more immersive and intimate conversation. It’s still early access, and I’m waiting with patience for the wider rollout, which will begin in April 2024.

Empowering Creators in the VR Arena

As VR content creation becomes democratised, Canon’s new lens and all the tools that come with it offer a very accessible way for creators to play around and innovate. ‘This lens is going to allow the directors and the creators to be very comfortable to be around that camera, let them play, let them create some incredible VR content,’ says Brian Mahar, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Canon USA.

Unveiling the Heart of CANON

Canon’s journey from a relative unknown in the world of cameras in the 1980s to a household name in digital imaging, and beyond, is the result of a commitment to innovation that is sure to continue driving human creativity for the foreseeable future. From product to service and beyond, Canon is reinventing the way we can express our creative ideas and visions – and allowing us to experience them in ways we never could have before. The RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens and the Kokomo ImmersiveCalling platform are just two of many product and technology innovations to come as we continue this exciting journey together. Canon’s story remains committed to creators around the world, inspired by Tsubuku’s mantra to ‘bring the joy of creativity to people worldwide’.

As we open a new chapter in content creation, Canon’s contribution to the evolution of VR technology is not only as hardware, but as a means to unlock human imagination. We don’t just observe the future with Canon, we make it.