A teaser at the end of a new lens trailer may have revealed the latest manufacturer to be given autofocus access to the highly coveted Canon RF mount – Meike.
After only recently allowing Sigma and Tamron, the two most popular third-party lens manufacturers, to develop select AF lenses for RF mount, Meike was not even on my top ten list to be next in line. However, a brief teaser at the very end of its latest announcement video is giving a not-so-cryptic clue as to a future mount option.
Meike is a third-party lens manufacturer founded in 2005 in Hong Kong. Its primary focus has been on cine lenses and then naturally onto manual photography lenses, both of which fall under a more affordable price point.
Autofocus mirrorless lenses have been something of a recent foray for Meike, but one it appears Canon may be happy to collaborate with. Watch the below video all the way to the end:
Since the introduction of Canon's RF Mount with its new wave of mirrorless cameras, Canon has been reluctant to fully open it to third parties, keeping AF options to native lenses only. This changed earlier this year and it seems as though Canon is loosening its grip.
So what's the lens? The trailer is for the Meike 55mm f/1.8 Pro lens, an AF prime and the first to feature in Meike's new pro range. The trailer shows off all the lens' features including zero distortion, minimal focus breathing and high-resolution capture, all in a compact and lightweight body.
It then states that the lens will be available for Sony FE, Nikon Z, and L mount, with no mention of Canon at all… that is until the last five seconds. After the credits have rolled, there is a little bonus scene intentionally showing a photographer picking up the Canon EOS R10 and the new lens.
Although there has been no official announcement by Canon or Meike, judging by the trailer, there will be one coming shortly. Either that or it's a genius marketing move!
Check out our guides to the best Canon cameras and the best Canon RF lenses.
