What did we learn from Canon Expo 2015 in NYC?

First and foremost: It’s Canon to decide when we shall know what they are doing in their labs, and what will go into production in the next 2-3 years. Canon gave us more clues during Canon Expo 2015 than we were able to collect through rumors in the last year. So much about rumors.

So, what can we learn from Canon Expo 2015?

1. The 120MP full-frame sensor, working in a prototype DSLR, is in an advanced stadium of development. Good enough to showcase it to the public and to let people play around with it. It’s safe to assume that Canon will release a full-frame DSLR with such a sensor around 2018. No one saw it come. Educated thougths about Canon’s upcoming full-frame 120MP DSLR at PetaPixel.
2. A development version of Canon Connect Station was on display. This version can wirelessly charge a camera. It’s pretty obvious to assume that Canon will soon produce cameras that can be charged wirelessly. No one saw it come. More about this is here.
3. Canon is clearly committed to being the leader in sensor tech & development. Stuff like the ISO 4.5M camera and the 250MP APS-H sensor may be prototypes, but they are working prototypes. Taking in account how conservative Canon is, if a piece of gear is showcased that way, it means something. There were some patents in the past, but no one saw it clearly come. More about the 250MP sensor here. Info about the ISO 4.5M camera are here and here.
4. Canon is researching and investing in Virtual Reality technologies. While not being directly related to photography, this is a domain where a company that’s leading the camera industry can play well. More about Canon’s VR projects here.
5. Canon clearly thinks further than 4K, researching and developing professional 8K video systems. It appears (to me, at least) that Canon thinks 4K is not worth the effort, 8K comes soon. This is pure speculation, however. More info here.
6. Canon has the skills and guts, and the labs, to develop what they think is worth to be researched and developed. Few understand that technology never is just the hype of the moment. If taken seriously, technology that’s worth the efforts is always a long term affair. Canon and Fuji understand it, Sony not.

Maybe the best lesson we learned from Canon Expo 2015 is that all the Canon rumors mean very little at the end of the day. If it wasn’t for the Canon Expo, most of the stuff listed above would still be unknown to us.

No company nor technology are 100% perfect, but do not tell me that Canon is not innovating. There was more trendsetting at Canon Expo 2015 than we saw in the last 3 years from all other companies in this industry.

Btw, the next Canon Expo will be in Paris, in less than a month. Your thoughts and comments are welcome…