Canon August 27, 2026

Canon includes a 103mm f/1.8 in a patent and exposes the gap between 85mm and 135mm in RF

Canon has a Japanese patent published on August 25, 2026 that includes a 103mm f/1.84 optical example. It does not confirm an RF lens, but it does put a real absence on the table: a fast short telephoto between 85mm and 135mm.

The patent describes an optical possibility

The P2026-135909A document describes an optical system and an imaging device. Among several examples around 75mm, 85mm and 100mm, example 15 lists a focal length of 103.00mm and an F1.84 aperture.

That figure can be read as something close to a commercial 105mm f/1.8. But that reading should stop there. A patent is not a roadmap. It does not include price, date, weight, stabilization, commercial name or declared mount.

The 12.10mm back focus points to a mirrorless architecture. That makes it reasonable to look toward RF, although it is not enough to say that an RF 103mm f/1.8 is on the way.

The space between 85mm and 135mm remains open

The interesting part is not guessing the calendar. It is looking at the tool that is missing today. Canon already covers classic portrait work with the RF 85mm F1.4L VCM. It also has the RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM, which is very strong for detail and close-up work, and the RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM, which gives more compression and separation.

But those three lenses do not do the same job. A 100mm or 105mm f/1.8 would be something else: tighter than an 85mm, less distant than a 135mm and brighter than the 100mm macro. For portraits, stage work, weddings or indoor events, that difference can show up in the framing before it shows up on a spec sheet.

Nearby RF option	What it solves	What it leaves open
RF 85mm F1.4L VCM	Classic portrait work, low light and hybrid use.	It does not give the compression of a longer short telephoto.
RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM	Macro, detail and stabilized portrait work.	Its f/2.8 aperture is not aimed at the same isolation.
RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM	Compressed portraits and strong separation.	It can demand too much distance in small spaces.

Patents protect ideas. Sometimes they become products. Often they do not. In this case, the value is that Canon registered an optical calculation that fits a real need in the RF system.

If a 100mm or 105mm f/1.8 appears one day, it would not have to compete directly with the macro or replace the 135mm. It could sit in a more practical place: a fast short telephoto for photographers who want more presence than an 85mm, but do not want to stand so far from the subject.

That is the sensible reading. There is no announced lens. There is a technical clue that helps us think about where RF could grow if Canon decides to close one of its most visible gaps.