The Anatomy of Autofocus: How Cameras and Lenses Achieve Perfect Focus https://petapixel.com/2025/07/03/the-anatomy-of-autofocus-how-cameras-and-lenses-achieve-perfect-focus/ #contrastdetection #depthfromdefocus #hybridautofocus #phasedetection #voicecoilmotor #steppingmotor #Educational #linearmotor #Technology #ultrasonic #autofocus #Guides #Canon #nikon #dpaf #pdaf #Sony #dfd #hsm #ssm #stm #swm #usm #vcm

Canon Launches RF 16mm f/2.8 and 100-400mm f/5.6-8 Lenses

Canon has announced two new budget-friendly optics for the RF mount: the 16mm f/2.8 STM and the 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM. Both are aimed at enticing those who are considering a move to Canon's full-frame mirrorless camera system.

As part of the announcement, Canon describes the RF system as one that is "lens first," and that they "open the door to a wide-range of imaging creators, encouraging them to test the powers and possibilities of their art."

RF 16mm f/2.8

Canon's new wide-angle prime is touted by the company as compact, lightweight, and affordable. It measures 1.6 by 2.7 inches and weighs about 5.8 ounces (about 165 grams). Canon says that it believes the days of having to sacrifice either optical correctness or sharpness are gone, and this new lens manages to back both benefits into a compact lens that is also bright and fast to autofocus. While the company says the lens is suitable for something like landscape or architecture, it also notes that it would work well in a vlogging situation given its small form factor.

The lens is constructed of nine elements in seven groups and contains one aspherical element. It features Canon's Super Spectra lens coating, has a front filter diameter of 43mm, and features a seven-bladed aperture diaphragm. The lens itself has no image stabilization and will instead rely on built-in stabilization from Canon cameras like the EOS R5.

The 16mm f/2.8 uses a Canon gear-type stepping motor and also offers full-time manual focusing capabilities. It is an electronic ring system that has no physical limit to the ring rotational angle. It does feature Canon's dual-function manual focus and control ring system which is selected via a switch on the lens. Swapping between autofocus and manual focus cannot be done on the lens though, as it lacks a switch. Instead, this feature must be activated from the camera menu.

The 16mm f/2.8 has a minimum focus distance of 5.11-inches and a maximum magnification of 026x. It will be available in October for $299.

100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM

The Canon RF 100-400mm is a hand-holdable super-telephoto zoom lens that is compatible with Canon's RF 1.4 and 2.0x tele extenders, a first for a non-L-series optic. Touted as a gateway lens for wildlife, nature, and sports, Canon says that its optical quality is akin to the 70-300mm f.4-5.6 IS II USM for its DSLR EF-mount.

The lens is constructed of 12 elements in nine groups and features one UD-glass element and one aspherical element as well as Canon's Super Spectra lens coating. It has a 67mm filter diameter and a nine-bladed circular aperture diaphragm.

The focusing system is a rear-focusing Nano USM that Canon claims is both smooth and nearly silent for use in video applications. The lens also features a built-in image stabilizer that Canon claims offers up to 5.5 stops of optical image stabilization and six stops of coordinated image stabilization.

The lens offers Canon's programmable control ring which offers 58 clicks per revolution. Clicks can be removed by a Canon service center for a fee as well. The manual focus system is electronic, full-time manual focus is possible, and there is no physical limit to the rotational angle.

The lens weighs 22.4 ounces (about 635 grams) and measures 6.48 inches long by 3.13 inches in diameter.

The Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM will be available in October for $649.

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Ricoh Unveils the HD Pentax-DA 16-50mm f/2.8 K-Mount Star Series Lens

Ricoh has announced a new wide-angle zoom lens that is classified under its "Star" series optics: the HD Pentax-DA 16-50mm f/2.8ED PLM AW lens. Ricoh says it promises the highest imaging performance available and is designed for use on K-mount DSLRs.

This new lens can be used on both APS-C and full-frame Pentax cameras. When attached to an APS-C crop sensor camera, it has an equivalent focal length of 24.5-76.5mm.

The company says that the new lens incorporates a new optical system and for the first time in a large-aperture Pentax lens, what it calls an advanced "pulse motor" (PLM) that Ricoh claims will assure smooth, high-speed, and high-precision autofocus with minimal noise. Additionally, Ricoh says the lens has been fine-tuned to still provide excellent manual focus operation and includes a "quick-shift" focus system that allows it to quickly swap between autofocus and manual focus.

As a note, the PLM is a type of autofocus motor developed by Pentax Ricoh that other manufacturers call a "stepping motor."

The HD Pentax-DA 16-50mm f/2.8ED PLM AW lens is constructed of 16 elements in 10 groups, features a nine-bladed circular diaphragm, has a maximum aperture of f/22, a minimum focusing distance of 11.76 inches (0.3 meters), and has a front filter diameter of 77mm.

Pentax "Star" series lenses are designed by Ricoh to provide greatly improved resolving power to accommodate high-performance digital cameras both now and into the future. In this particular case, Ricoh says that this lens reduces various aberrations to a minimum to deliver sharp, clear images not only in the middle of the frame but also out to the edges of an image. It uses one extra-low dispersion element, one anomalous glass optical element, and two extra-low dispersion aspherical elements to reduce chromatic aberration over the entire zoom range.

Ricoh says that these optical elements combine with what it calls a "high-grade, multi-layer high definition coating" which the company says reduces the average reflectance of the visible spectrum to less than 50% of conventional multi-layer coatings. In short, Ricoh says it effectively minimizes flare and ghosting of images even in complex lighting conditions while also delivering high resolving power and excellent contrast.

The new autofocus PLM engine is attached to a lighter and more compact focus lens group and Ricoh says it is able to drive it smoothly, quickly, accurately, and with minimal noise. The PLM also is used in the lens's electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism which Ricoh says allows it to smoothly track focus combined with "flawless" exposure control while also reducing "annoying" noise that is generated by focus and diaphragm control operations normally found in video applications. Pentax says the integration of both systems allows the lens -- when attached to a camera like the K-3 Mark III -- to assure quality video capture in environments that have rapidly changing lighting conditions. Not all Pentax cameras support electronic diaphragm control, though and this feature is only available on the latest firmware for the Pentax K-3 Mark III, K-3 II, K-3, KP, K-70, K-50, K-S2, K-S1, K-1 Mark II, or K-1.

The HD Pentax-DA 16-50mm f/2.8ED PLM AW lens is designed to be dustproof and weather-resistant, so when combined with an equally weather-resistant Pentax camera, the system can perform in rain or mist as well as areas prone to splashing water or flying dust.

The HD Pentax-DA 16-50mm f/2.8ED PLM AW will be avaialble in August of 2021 for $1,400.

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