You know all those
precious lenses you've been stockpiling for your SLR since the 90s? They're still safe for another couple of decades, but in round about 2030, you're gonna be trashing all that glassware and buying yourself a Wonder Camera. Why would that be? Canon is pretty confident that by then it'll have figured out how to do a single lens capable of going from macro shots all the way out to a 5000mm focal length. And yes, apparently it's small enough to fit in a young girl's hands. This non-interchangeable lens is backed by an all-touch interface (say sayonara to your knobs and dials), an extremely
high-resolution sensor, and image stabilization so advanced as to make shooting at that unspeakably high zoom range a viable option. Finally, the whole lurid dream is topped off with video-only capture. Canon argues you won't need to shoot stills when its video is capable of keeping everything in focus
all the time -- you'll just pick out your favorite scene from the movie reel. Go past the break to see the highfaultin video demo.
posted July 6th 2010 2:51AM
looks like a hairdryer :/ cool concept though
@machazna
Keeping everything in focus all the time? With infinite depth of field, photos will look like Dalí's painting. Stupid idea.
@machazna
Looks like a piece of a Stormtrooper fell off.
@InterClaw
Hopefully this camera shoots better than Stormtroppers, cause those guys sucked.
@InterClaw
ahaha LOL
@zzz8zzz8
it probably can't melt things
@InterClaw i belive the StormTrooper look makes it awsome. Specs however....
@machazna Video-only capture?
@zzz8zzz8 agreed. part of today's art of photography is having the ability to determine your desired DOF. with that gone some images will look pretty bad
@Atkins
It would be monumentally stupid to put out a camera that replaces SLR's and to have it not take pictures.
Its just a concept, a statement that says canon can map the future, if you will.
:)
@jamlc1m
I would argue that pretty much all the images will look like Auntie Pat has taken them. Also there is lighting. Lighting for video is a damn sight harder than lighting for photography as a photo is a frozen moment which can be planned for whereas lighting for someone moving around requires a lot more equipment. Also while I can imagine that they may be able to make a lens with a huge focal range (they already have lenses with pretty fantastic focal ranges) I am not sure they would get the quality of a prime in there too. I can imagine a camera like this would be great for point an shoots I can't see the interchangeable lens setup being replaced.
@InterClaw The guy in the bottom left image shows which part.
@machazna Only if it would be running Droid, or had anything to do with HTC Goolge. You all would be praising it like it'll change the world. Can't believe how you makin fun of new innovations.
@Raytem
But these aren't the droids you're looking for.
@machazna
Heres to the future of killing photography.
@machazna
Yep, Canon must have recycled an hair dryer body to host the inner parts. Its white color adds up to the confusion.
@jamlc1m
I'm sure adjusting depth of field will be an option of course. My guess is that this isn't a professional's camera, but rather a camera to capture everyday moments for the average consumer.
@zzz8zzz8 Unless, of course, Canon includes a way to selectively reduce DOF.
@New Reformation
Hopefully... they will loose 1 or two in the bar :D
OK, I can kinda sorta see the point of this, but...
First of all, as has been mentioned before, depth of field is pretty much a necessity for anyone who cares about the artistic-ness of their pictures, so this everything-in-focus thing doesn't really work for me. That being said, perhaps if they made this camera capable of taking stereo pictures (two lenses/sensors) it could figure out the depth of every object in the scene and create the depth of field effect afterwards. This could create some really awesome effects, such as two distances in focus and everything else closer, further, and in-between blurry.
Also, as long as we're creating the perfect camera, how about using a sensor that actually simulates human color vision so that we have a complete color gamut instead of sRGB or aRGB triangles? Again, in post-processing, you could convert to whatever color space you need (if it's even an issue in the future), using whatever conversion parameters you want.
I'm kinda disappointed that Canon didn't think of those ideas when it took me just five minutes to come up with them, actually.
@machazna
http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/design/kikaku/t90/03.html
http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/design/kikaku/t90/05_colani.html
History repeats itself?
Best Camera, ever!!!
@jhs
Oh yes...goodbye depth-of-field and basically everything else that allows folks who have mastered to the art and science of photography to create visually stunning photographs.
@jhs Video-only no shallow DOF, touch controls??? What happens when I want to take a portrait with gloves on?
@Atkins Then you purchased the wrong camera.
@einhanderkiller If it is not the only type of camera in 2030.
@jhs
Clearly this wasn't approved by Canon's marketing department. It's closer to being the worst camera ever than the best. As several have already pointed out, control over depth of field and focal distance is crucial - it's not often that a photographer actually wants everything to be in focus at the same time. Secondly, touch only is a stupid idea. If the camera has a through-the-lens viewfinder (as it appears to in the pictures) then you'd be unable to operate it whilst looking through the lens. Voice control might be an option, but you'd still want controls with tactile feedback which could be operated by hand for occasions when you have to be really quiet.
Also, it looks like a plastic piece of crap, but that's just my opinion.
@jhs
It sound like something you'd design at school.
"Yeah it's a camera that can take pictures of anything anywhere. Oh and when I press this button it shoots rockets and lazers at ugly people in the picture."
@Atkins there are no gloves in 2030.
@collindow Maybe I missed something but where do they say you can't get depth of field in this ?
@jhs
as an avid photographer, i can tell you that this would likely be the worst camera ever. no control over shutter speed and aperture while looking through the VF, no control over DoF, only video (really? no thanks). i would rather use film (although thats not saying much since i still use film....).
@collindow if you need to control depth of field, they blew it.
@owdee
This is a concept for a CONSUMER camera. The average consumer doesn't care about depth of field and other proffessional camera techniques. I'm sure there will be cameras that will be able to control those sorts of things and if not, like the guy says in the video, the whole concept of still photography might change. (with the advent of electronic magazines, most photographs might be video anyway) Maybe still photography will become a hobby where collectors will have 'classical' cameras. Anything could happen, its the future.
I hope that this is just a concept.. it is not pretty at all.
@pavelgr
"And yes, apparently it's small enough to fit in a young girl's hands."
- That's what HE said.
@pavelgr
Concept or not by 2030, we wouldn't need cameras. We'd have figured out a way to pull images out of our brains interface technology.
@Toyzer That would be horrible.
This narrator sounds like he's half asleep ....
@VUnity it's just painful to hear.
@VUnity
Whats worse is that his mic picks up the environment just as good as his voice, so all you hear is this excruciating din.
I bet it plays Crysis
@airbag888
In 20 years Crysis will seem like Duck Hunt...
@New Reformation
You don't like Duck hunt??!
@airbag888
I didn't say that. :D (although I have been having problems with my light gun as of late....)
I just meant that it will probably no longer have the social status or perceived graphical prowess that it does today.
@New Reformation
This is madness
And I'm sure it can transform into a robot too.
Who decided that having an Australian/English accent version of the dry eyes economy expert guy narrating the video was a good idea?
LOL at the size reference. I will have to use that everywhere....
Q- How large is that phone?
A- Apparently it's small enough to fit in a young girl's hands.
Q- How large is the extra long cheese coney?
A- Apparently it's small enough to fit in a young girl's hands.
It is comes off as weird... XD
@New Reformation There was one other question you probably could have added... lol.
let's hope microphone technology advances also the next one or two decades so we can actually hear the narrator of this review.