At the CP+ show in Yokohama Japan last month, DPReview make another interesting conversation with senior executives from Canon. They discussed various topics, including RF and EF lens development, pro camera in 2020 and finally the importance of reliability.

Here are some of the most interesting news:

Balance between developing RF and EF lenses: “We actually have the same optical engineers, the same mechanical/manufacturing engineers working on both EF and RF. In other words; everyone involved is a dedicated expert, skilled in terms of developing interchangeable lenses. Because we’ve launched RF just recently and we believe there are a lot of gaps to fill in that system, for the immediate future we will be focused on RF lens development.”

Compatibility with EF-M system: “When we started to design the RF lenses we didn’t want to compromise on what we can do. We wanted to develop RF to its full potential, so we wanted the latest specifications, state-of-the art technology and design. In the process of developing a no-compromise system, it became apparent that this wouldn’t be compatible with EF-M. The cameras that use the EF-M lenses tend to be the smaller sizes which may be [oriented towards] a different customer, so we’re looking at what those customers want and we’ll develop according to that response.”

Nano USM technology: “To go with Nano USM you have to design with a lens with lightweight focus elements. It’s a new technology so we’re always looking for ways to adapt it to the different requirements of the cameras they’re used for. Because it can give silent, high speed AF we have a strain of development in place to expand the ways we can use Nano USM. So we’re looking into how we can adopt it in the different cameras that we have. For each of the lenses that we develop, we always think about what we want to provide. With the large lenses you see in front of you [the 50mm F1.2 and 28-70mm F2] that was all about really achieving the optical quality performance, that’s why we decided not to use the Nano USM. But we did use Nano USM in the 24-105mm F4: that is for video and stills. We thought it would be more appealing and would help provide the features required for such a lens.”

Almost all of the new EOS R lens are L series: “For a lens to be called ‘L series,’ it has to have the latest technology that Canon can offer. In other words, it’s about making sure the performance is the latest and best we can provide at that time. Because they’re designed for use by the professionals and enthusiasts, we want to provide them with a better choice of lens. So whenever we introduce an L series that’s what we mean: we want to offer a better lens for such a segment.”

Advantage of fast and silent AF: “With the silence of autofocus, yes we’re looking at the video. But we’re also working to improve the smoothness of the focus. All of this is in response to what people are looking for in terms of videography.”

Priorities for sensor development: “Looking at our entire product lineup, speed, pixel count, dynamic range, video are priorities for us. We need to evolve in all aspects of those things and that has to do with how we can upgrade our sensors.”

There will be more mirrorless than DSLR at the Olympics: “I’m not so much interested in the distinctions between mirrorless and DSLR. At the end of the day for the professionals are looking for the ultimate result that they can get from their professional tools. They’re looking for the reliability once again, and also the operability, the usability, ease-of-use: these are very important for these professionals. In other words, it’s these factors that are most important, not whether it’s a DSLR or mirrorless camera. It’s not so much about saying it’s a contest between mirrorless or DSLR.”

Canon’s offer to mainstream/casual users: “In addition to the ILC and the compact camera market, we believe there’s a new genre of capturing: a new casual capturing market if I may say. I think there is potential for new developments to be had in that spectrum.“

You can read the full interview on DPReview’s website.