Canon presents a new patent for new camera

[Juan Zas]

Canon has presented yesterday a new patent in USA for it looks like a new DSRL camera with "some features". The document can be downloaded at:

Image capture apparatus with optical finder (http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20100103305.pdf)

I have only just a quick look, but some features pops up:

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9243/sblock1.jpg

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/6763/sblock8.jpg

There looks like some circuits are internally provided for: Vibration Proof Control (some kind of In-Camera IS ???), Eye control Af ??; Electronic View Finder ?? GPS, WiFi, etc .... I can imagine that the Digital TV turner has to be with generation of HD Video.

I have not time to read the full document, so may by some of you can delivery more light after reading it ...

Just only the title speaks by itself ...

Cheers

[CyberDyneSystems]

Good thing it has that Printer Drive control!!! :)

[krb]

Nothing about this stands out as being different than current Canon SLRs except for the GPS.

[Overread]

Great - I knew they started tracking people with mobile phones - but now GPS in the camera as well! Gah I'm going to need to make a tin hat for my camera to keep them from watching me! ;)

I think the vibration proof control board is some sort of portection for the internal circits of the camera to be protected from shakes/bumps

[PicSniper]

Besides having GPS, it looks like Live View is finally getting live focusing, too. That's my limited understanding of what I've read...

[canonnoob]

Just because they put a patent out does not mean it will make it into a body... Just saying

[krb]

Actually, reading the description more closely it does appear to have in-body IS.

More importantly, it also appears to have a hybrid optical and electronic viewfinder.

[-MasterChief-]

YES! Module #161, Direct Print Button is still there! :)


:( ... sigh ....

[riyazi]

Doesnt seem to be having a "coffee making" function - bad :(

[Overread]

In body Is would be a big shift in canons market position - though it might be a way for them to get IS into all those short focal range lenses (sub 100mmish) without having to re-release the whole line and rebuild the whole line. Into the heavy telephoto chances are they will still say that in lens is superior over in camera.

And I like the idea of optical/electronic viewfinder hybrids - I really hope that we do get to keep the optical viewfinder with electronic extras - I say this because one thing I was worried about was that this move toward electronic would result in us having an even harder image to judge focus upon (in my macro its hard enough with an optical, a video would be a nightmare unless it was very very highclass!)

[mckinleypics]

I think I can shed some light on this. This is a patent application, not a patent yet. In this case, the application was filed in the PCT in May of 2007 - three years ago. It recently entered the national phase in the United States and was published. Though a lot of various embodiments are discussed in the specification, if you look at the claims at the end of the patent, the point of this application is to protect the idea of a camera that allows a digital image to appear on the display, while you are still able to look through the view finder. Not sure why you would want this but that's what they are trying to protect.

[Overread]

It could be used for a variety of things (depending upon the camera and the image) for example a liveview histogram - review of shots in the viewfinder rather than on the LCD - magnification of the viewed image - menu and settings selection display (never have to take your eye away, just flick the menu open and change whilst still able to use the viewfinder).

Though the fact that its a protection patent more than a new release patent means that we might never actualy see this for a considerable amount of time - or that its just around the corner ;)

[mckinleypics]

Good point. After I wrote that I thought about it more and, in a tripod situation where you are taking more than one shot of a static object, it could come in handy. The only time I've ever used live view is when I'm testing the AF on my camera.

[sapearl]

Hmmmm.... I don't know - nothing short of a full blown Faraday cage may give you the needed protection.....:(

Great - I knew they started tracking people with mobile phones - but now GPS in the camera as well! Gah I'm going to need to make a tin hat for my camera to keep them from watching me! ;)....

[Overread]

Good point. After I wrote that I thought about it more and, in a tripod situation where you are taking more than one shot of a static object, it could come in handy. The only time I've ever used live view is when I'm testing the AF on my camera.

I know landscapers and quite a few macro shooters have got atticted to the magnififcation views in liveview for getting the focus spot on. Heck even I like to use the 2* mode on my anglefinder when I do maco (it makes such a difference!)

Hmmmm.... I don't know - nothing short of a full blown Faraday cage may give you the needed protection.....:(

Gah this is getting expensive!

[krb]

Good point. After I wrote that I thought about it more and, in a tripod situation where you are taking more than one shot of a static object, it could come in handy. The only time I've ever used live view is when I'm testing the AF on my camera.
The patent app. says that the electronic VF will function even with the mirror locked up. That means if the light is very bad you can have a grainy electronically amplified view of the scene instead of just a black viewfinder. It also mentions being able to see the IR view if using an IR converted camera. One of the biggest complaints about using a video DSLR is having to look at the rear LCD while trying to hold the camera steady and this viewfinder would allow video guys to hold the camera normally while shooting handheld.

The LCD overlay in the 7D is nice because it can do things like show or hide gridlines and completely hide unused AF points. A true hybrid VF could take it several steps further.

[nphsbuckeye]

Doesnt seem to be having a "coffee making" function - bad :(
It's a "no go", then.

[breathtakingbluesky]

+1. No coffee=no way

[cccc]

7d?