Canon Unveils Unprecedented "Analog Concept Camera"

[Vaughn]

It is called cropping.

Duh…
But it would give the square format the full use of available pixels. Which I think is cool.

 

[wiltw]

50k Yen is only US$322 at current exchange, 100k Yen would still be dirt cheap compared to mirrorless or dSLR prices! So 36x36 sensor would be a bargain by any measure.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I Google translated this from CNET Japan...

Canon unveils unprecedented "analog concept camera" - waist-level digital camera, commercialization yet to be decided

I believe if Canon released that as a 35mm half frame film camera, it would be more interesting to the retro crowd.

 

[xkaes]

Why stop at 35mm half-frame? Sharan made a tiny Hasselblad replica for Minox film.

 

[Pieter12]

lifetime behind me

50k Yen is only US$322 at current exchange, 100k Yen would still be dirt cheap compared to mirrorless or dSLR prices! So 36x36 sensor would be a bargain by any measure.

DSLRs are still being made?

 

[gbroadbridge]

lifetime behind me


DSLRs are still being made?

Canon still sell the EOS 5D4 brand new. Still plenty of demand.

EOS 5D Mark IV

For photographers in pursuit of the perfect shot

www.canon.com.au

 

[wiltw]

lifetime behind me


DSLRs are still being made?

In 2025 just under 7,000 were shipped, per CIPA. While dSLR volume continues to slip, mirrorless are hardly 'the rage'...2025 shipped only 6 Million mirrorless, while 2012 had just over 3 Million mirrorless, and dSLR shipments were about 17 Million. Smartphones have displaced the need for dedicated cameras.

 

[warden]

. Smartphones have displaced the need for dedicated cameras.

I understand the reasons for that, but it does make me sad tbh.

 

[wiltw]

I understand the reasons for that, but it does make me sad tbh.

Back 25 years ago there was an industry analyst who argued that smartphones would erode P&S sales, but not the more professional cameras. And even as late as 2021, industry forecasts such as by Statista projected that camera sales would still exceed 125 Million units, yet the total for 2025 ended up about 9 Million. Indeed, smartphone did erode all cameras, not merely P&S market.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Indeed, smartphone did erode all cameras, not merely P&S market.

I think these days, the devices are more cameras with a phone tacked on, rather than the other way around.
They're quite incredible imaging devices - more than almost everyone actually needs.

 

[wiltw]

I think these days, the devices are more cameras with a phone tacked on, rather than the other way around.
They're quite incredible imaging devices - more than almost everyone actually needs.

Since 'zoom' is merely decimation of pixels used at the outer edges of the frame, and there is resorting to (default, undisclosed) image enhancement techniques to improve the perception of sharpness/contrast, etc. I hesistate to call these devices 'cameras' in the same context as professional grade cameras (or even entry level ones) with interchangeable lenses/zooms.

Some years ago, on another forum, another member postprocessed an image from a smartphone which I had posted which was used to compare smartphone vs. dSLR image, clearly demonstrating the edge enhancement of what should have been a uniformly dark (a.k.a 'black') shape, . This is like the altered image he posted...(what I had later post processed, in effort to validate/disprove his claim), it should have been uniform in density across the entire 'black' shape of the target photographed. I verified his claims...the dSLR image did not exhibit similar characteristics as this...

Yes, they do have image capture capability with postprocessing built in. But smartphones are not 'cameras' in the classic IMHO
Yes, they can do more than most people need.

 

[Pieter12]

I believe Apple demonstrated that smartphones are indeed cameras and can easily replace cameras in certain situations. Apple's ad agency produced full-blown commercial still and motion shoots years ago, with professional photographers and cinematographers and crews, using iPhones instead of the usual professional cameras and lenses.

 

[koraks]

Yes, they can do more than most people need.

That's ultimately the only thing that's relevant. The rest is just noise.

Btw, all digital cameras do a truckload of in-camera image processing using undisclosed algorithms. And all modern film employs technology for recording images on silver halide materials using partly undisclosed technology. Now what? We need to somehow invalidate that, too? What's left that's real? Wet plate? Crayons?

 

[loccdor]

The square that could be made by a 35mm lens (assuming absolute minimum coverage) is 30.59mm on each side.

But since there's no limitation of the squareness of film in this, it could potentially make more sense to have a circular sensor, or a cross-shaped sensor, or a cross with a square in the middle. The variations you can do with digital sensors is amazing. You could even have a central spot of higher resolution for long shots while the rest of the sensor was lower resolution for wide angle.

 

[abruzzi]

The square that could be made by a 35mm lens (assuming absolute minimum coverage) is 30.59mm on each side.

But since there's no limitation of the squareness of film in this, it could potentially make more sense to have a circular sensor, or a cross-shaped sensor, or a cross with a square in the middle. The variations you can do with digital sensors is amazing. You could even have a central spot of higher resolution for long shots while the rest of the sensor was lower resolution for wide angle.

I have one of these:

It can freak some people out. All thoses holes triggers some weird revulsion in some people. The thing can stich the image from 17 different cameras.

 

[madsox]

I have one of these:

View attachment 419320

It can freak some people out. All thoses holes triggers some weird revulsion in some people. The thing can stich the image from 17 different cameras.

Wow! That's really interesting, have you got a thread going somewhere about it? User experience, images you've made with it, other photogs who have one? I have to go learn about this thing. Light L16, if reverse image search is right?

I like the looks, but I like gadgets.

 

[Dan Fromm]

I have one of these:

View attachment 419320

It can freak some people out. All thoses holes triggers some weird revulsion in some people. The thing can stich the image from 17 different cameras.

Review: The Light L16 is Brilliant... and Braindead

On Oct 8, 2015, a completely unknown company announced a new camera which promised to change how we think about photography: "The L16 combines

petapixel.com

 

[abruzzi]

Yes, it’s quite a mixed bag. It can create very good images, but also it has some significant limitations. For one, image quality decreases as you move to the periphery of the image. I also just never liked the cellphone/digital point-and-shoot approach where you hold the camera out in front of you and watch the screen. Nonetheless they are interesting to toy with. The company is long gone, but you can still find them new on Amazon. The problem can be finding and updating firmware to the last version.

 

[polaromar]

There have been some digital cameras in retro designed bodies, such as a Nikon SLR to a Yashica rangefinder, but I don't know if those products actually "panned out" for the makers.

Fuji seems to be doing pretty well with all their retro-themed cameras (X100V, XT5, etc.), I'm pretty sure there is a market if its well done. While out walking with the wife yesterday we ran into another couple, with an X100VI.

I believe Apple demonstrated that smartphones are indeed cameras and can easily replace cameras in certain situations. Apple's ad agency produced full-blown commercial still and motion shoots years ago, with professional photographers and cinematographers and crews, using iPhones instead of the usual professional cameras and lenses.

This is the rub for sure. As an example, both of these music videos (1, 2) were shot on iPhones; the first one was an Eurovision contestant, and the second is a popular Turkish pop singer. With how digital photography obeys Moore's Law vis-a-vis signal processing chips and algorithms, a modern phone is capable of most of the features and quality of a standalone camera, probably only losing in raw IQ due to few pixels and poorer lens optimization.

An interesting scenario to ponder is a future where most dedicated cameras sold are a mix of film cameras, DSLRs, and small quantities of digital MF, as most other cameras will have been replaced by smartphones.

 

[gbroadbridge]

An interesting scenario to ponder is a future where most dedicated cameras sold are a mix of film cameras, DSLRs, and small quantities of digital MF, as most other cameras will have been replaced by smartphones.

Statistically, I think we're already there...

 

[wiltw]

I believe Apple demonstrated that smartphones are indeed cameras and can easily replace cameras in certain situations. Apple's ad agency produced full-blown commercial still and motion shoots years ago, with professional photographers and cinematographers and crews, using iPhones instead of the usual professional cameras and lenses.

In the case of the motion picture, could the iPhone cinematographer preset focus points A and B and have the phone refocus on demand between the two points during filming of a scene?! And do that for take after take?!
'In certain situations' can be a disqualifier!

 

[wiltw]

That's ultimately the only thing that's relevant. The rest is just noise.

Btw, all digital cameras do a truckload of in-camera image processing using undisclosed algorithms. And all modern film employs technology for recording images on silver halide materials using partly undisclosed technology. Now what? We need to somehow invalidate that, too? What's left that's real? Wet plate? Crayons?

OTOH, how many folks consciously choose to shoot RAW and then postprocess apply selected parameters at specific quantities, just because they hate to incorporate the 'hidden' camera-programmed JPG processing embedded by the manufacturer for different styles?!

Don't get me wrong...there are times when I have found that the smartphone in 'PHD' mode can outshoot what I can do with a dSLR on first trial! But there are many things my dSLR can allow me to do, that I would struggle to do with the smartphone. Like any tools, there is a right one and a wrong one for a particular situation!

 

[wiltw]

I have one of these:

View attachment 419320

It can freak some people out. All thoses holes triggers some weird revulsion in some people. The thing can stich the image from 17 different cameras.

Maybe that's also why spiders freak out so many people, too?!

 

[koraks]

OTOH, how many folks consciously choose to shoot RAW and then postprocess apply selected parameters at specific quantities, just because they hate to incorporate the 'hidden' camera-programmed JPG processing embedded by the manufacturer for different styles?!

In the larger scheme of things, less than a handful.

 

[Pieter12]

In the case of the motion picture, could the iPhone cinematographer preset focus points A and B and have the phone refocus on demand between the two points during a scene?!
'In certain situations' can be a disqualifier!

And by "disqualifier," what do you mean? That is doesn't meet your needs? Fine. Can your camera send email and make phone calls? Right now, a smartphone cannot do everything a camera can but it can do many things that cameras are commonly used for, with sufficient quality for most purposes. And it fits in a shirt pocket (well, a big shirt pocket). Given a bit more time, I'm sure much more capability will be added.