Canon's mirrorless RF mount won't catch up to the lens count of the DSLR EF mount until 2028, according to comments by the manufacturer (and some back-of-napkin maths by us).
Before the release of the latest mirrorless cameras, Canon was the undisputed leader of cameras with mirrors, producing not only some of the best DSLRs but also a very extensive lineup of over 70 EF (and EF-S) mount lenses.
Since shifting to R-system mirrorless cameras four years, ago and restarting its lens strategy around new glass for its new mount, the manufacturer has done a lot to pad out the best Canon RF lenses. At the time of writing, there are 35 RF lenses, made up of 32 full-frame RF optics and 3 RF-S crop sensor lenses.
In an interview with Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (via Newswitch Japan), Canon managing executive officer, Tsuyoshi Tokura, states that the company has achieved its aim of building up the RF lens lineup to a "basic state" – meaning that the company believes it has enough lenses to cover the majority of general interest photographers – but he acknowledges that Canon has more work to do to match its previous DSLR offerings.
Specialist photographers often require a number of unique lenses, such as super macro lenses or tilt-shift lenses for architecture, that the RF lens lineup currently doesn't serve. However, Tokura says that it is Canon's intention to continue to release seven to eight lenses annually, so you can expect these holes to be plugged in the next five years, as well as many favorite EF lenses evolving to an RF version.
Canon has also released some never-before-seen lenses for the RF mount, such as its unusual Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fish Eye lens, so it might be possible that we will continue to see some more unique designs coming from the camera giant.
The Canon exec also addressed users' desires to see the RF mount opened to third-party lens manufacturers, especially now that Sigma has started releasing lenses for rival Nikon's Z mount cameras. Although not committing to anything, Tokura suggests that Canon will look at third-party lenses on a "case by case basis", and is not ruling out opening up the mount more to third parties, highlighting the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.0 lens for RF that has just been announced.
For more on the latest from Canon, you can check out our Canon rumors hub. You can also find out more in our guides to the best Canon cameras and the best Canon lenses.
