There is Canon officially announced its cheapest space and smallest VR lens yet, the $450 RF-S7.8mm F4 STM Dual. It’s the same size as a regular camera lens, but is designed to allow creators to shoot 3D VR content for headsets like the Meta Quest 3 or Apple Vision Pro. Actually, it was he teased at first Along with Apple’s latest Vision Pro OS at WWDC 2024 in June.
There’s the point that the lens is designed for APS-C (not full-frame cameras) and, for now, only works with Canon’s 32.5-megapixel (MP) EOS R7. This camera costs $1,300 for the body only, so the full shooting solution is about $1,750.
The company has dabbled in stereoscopic VR lenses before, and this is the latest RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye. However, this product is larger and clumsier, costs $2,000 more, and only supports manual focus. Its main advantage is improved 3D thanks to a field of view of about 180 degrees, close to human vision, and a wide gap of 2.36 inches between elements.
In comparison, the new 7.8mm crop sensor lens has a narrower 63-degree field of view. Having two elements too close together (.46 inches) also reduces the 3D effect, especially when you are further away from the subject (for best results you should be about 6-20 inches away, which reduces the 3D effect. ideal for content creators not). Autofocus support is a big plus, and it also comes with a button and control wheel to allow separate manual focus for the left and right sides.
Photos and videos taken with the EOS R7 and the new lens must be processed using Canon’s EOS VR Utility or Adobe’s plug-in for Premiere Pro, both paid programs. They can then be viewed on Meta Quest 3, Vision Pro and other headsets in a variety of formats including 180-degree 3D VR, 3D Theater and spatial video. The RF-S7.8mm F4 STM Dual lens is available for pre-order now for $449 and will arrive in November.
