The global pandemic led to more people working from home. It seems that Canon is taking this in account by releasing a new concept camera called the Posture Fit.
The Canon Posture Fit, Canon’s latest concept camera, recognizes when you sit down at the desk the Posture Fit is placed. From there it will periodically check how you are seating. After an hour it advises to stand up and to take a break.
The video below tells the story of Canon’s concept cameras and which ideas and concepts led to them. If you want to just see the presentation of the Posture Fit jump to minute 24:20.
Says Canon about their concept cameras:
Our relationship with cameras is radically transforming. Canon designers work hard to experience the mindset of customers, and with a strong commitment to understanding, have come up with many innovative new designs. This video seminar tells the story of how designers in charge of the IVY REC, PowerShot ZOOM and Posture Fit Device developed the design of these products by understanding users’ passion through opinion gathering at trade expos and other activities.
More coverage of Canon concept cameras is listed here.
Canon has released an app for the most indecisive photographers out there: the new Canon Photo Culling app.
Currently available on Apple iOS, the Canon Photo Culling app uses Canon’s new AI known as PHIL (Photography Intelligence Learning) to help determine your best photos based on scores against four models: sharpness, noise, emotions and closed eyes. The app will also suggest deleting duplicative photos. Whether you’re looking to trim down your photo gallery to save precious space on your phone or just trying to find the best of the best, Canon’s Photo Culling app will make your photo management a better experience.
Available for download via the App Store, the Photo Culling app has two subscription options: $2.99 per month or $14.99 for the year, each with a three-day trial. For more information, please visit, usa.canon.com/photo-culling-app.
Canon press release:
Need a Digital Photo Assistant? Canon U.S.A. has you Covered with the Company’s First-Ever Photo Culling App
Canon Also Publicly Debuts “PHIL,” the Company’s Computer-Vision Artificial Intelligence Engine
MELVILLE, NY, February 11, 2021– According to a recent report from Keypoint Intelligence, 1.4 trillion photos were taken worldwide in 2020 and 7.4 trillion images were stored1. With these staggering numbers, it could be overwhelming for the average consumer to decide what photos are best to keep and store. Delivering expert photo advice in the form of an app, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announces its Photo Culling app. Compatible with iOS devices2, this brand-new app helps determine a user’s best photos based on scores against four models: sharpness, noise, emotions and closed eyes, using Canon’s Computer Vision Artificial Intelligence Engine known as “PHIL” (abbreviated for Photography Intelligence Learning) 3. Additionally, the app will suggest deleting duplicative photos, making it easy for the consumer to free up space on their smartphone.
“In today’s ever-changing and overwhelming world, where thousands of photos are captured and stored in a person’s smartphone, consumers need an expert, reliable and intuitive photo tool to help them decide the best photos based on years of trusted knowledge and technology,” said Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, executive vice president and general manager of the Imaging Technologies & Communications Group of Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Canon U.S.A.’s new Photo Culling App is the answer and we are proud to see how the company’s Computer Vision technology within this app can assist consumers with finding and keeping their best photos of their fondest moments.”
The Photo Culling app features two culling options:
Whole Culling: Determines the best photos based on the absolute best scores against the four models: sharpness, noise, emotions and closed eyes. If the score is over the threshold the user sets, the photo is considered to be the best. The remaining images would be suggested as deletions.
Similar Culling: Determines the best photos based on score comparison among a similar group of photos. The highest-scoring photos within the group are considered the best photos. A second photo may also be selected as the second-best photo within the group. The remaining images would be suggested as deletions. The app is also able to find similar photos and group them together. For example, If a user selects 10 photos of a dog and 10 photos of a sunset, it will break the photos into two groups and find the best photo of each; one of the dog and one of the sunset.
In addition to its culling options, the Photo Culling app also features:
Photo Counts and Storage: Shows the number of photos a user has as well as the amount of phone storage on the Home Screen
Event Album: Categorizing and placing photos in albums on the Home Screen. These are dynamic albums based on events/date throughout the year and the app will pull events that have a large number of photos and suggest the user review these photos to delete and save space
Features in the Setting Screens: Displaying the number of photos deleted, the current subscription plan (see details below), option for notifications, parameter setting for each score against sharpness, noise, emotion and closed eyes. Users also can adjust these settings, such as changing how much of an impact noise has on a photo versus closed eyes4
Dark and Light Mode Settings Screen Option: Displays screens either as a dark or light mode option
Canon updates its popular Speedlite Transmitter, with the new ST-E3-RT(Ver.2)
London, UK, 04 February 2021 – Canon Europe today announces the ST-E3-RT(Ver.2) – an update of the popular ST-E3-RT transmitter. Enabling wireless flash synchronisation and multiple control of Speedlites – positioned up to 30m away – this new transmitter gives professionals greater creative freedom in both a studio and natural environment. It supports key features of the recently introduced Speedlite EL-1 and also enables new capabilities when using previously launched RT Speedlites – including wireless (radio) second-curtain synchronisation.
Other new features of the ST-E3-RT(Ver.2) include support for the Speedlite EL-1’s low-power 1/8192 micro flash, and for photographers who use manual flash, the transmitter boasts a new FE Memory mode.
High-quality, flexible capture
Through introducing radio wireless transmission and second-curtain synchronisation, the ST-E3-RT(Ver.2) releases the flash at the end of a long exposure. As a result, it helps photographers produce natural looking images when capturing moving subjects. The ST-E3-RT(Ver.2) offers this feature as a new wireless option, giving users flexibility in a range of shooting scenarios.
When shooting with a large aperture and/or high ISO speed, the flash level can often overpower the subject and scene. This forces the photographer to change settings or set up, ultimately losing the look they desired. When partnered with the Speedlite EL-1, the transmitter’s 1/8192 micro flash adds beautifully subtle nuances of light without disrupting the atmosphere and ambient light reflected on set. This feature is perfect for fashion and portrait photographers looking to capture scenes with a natural atmosphere.
Building on the original transmitter’s flexible qualities, the ST-E3-RT (Ver.2) supports FE Memory – offering a quicker and more convenient manual flash set up. Alleviating the need for multiple test shots, professionals now have the option to perform an initial shot in E-TTL mode, capturing the E-TTL flash settings. Users can then switch the Speedlites to manual flash to allow for manual adjustments where needed – all whilst retaining the original E-TTL settings.
Maximising product life span
Canon Europe plans to offer a chargeable service update for existing ST-E3-RT users to include the new additional features and capabilities of the ST-E3-RT (Ver.2). Further information and dates of this service update will be announced later.
Canon Celebrates Significant Milestone with Production of 150 Million Interchangeable RF And EF Lenses
MELVILLE, NY, February 3, 2021– Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today that its parent company, Canon Inc., reached a new lens-manufacturing milestone with the production in January 2021, of the Company’s 150-millionth RF and EFseries interchangeable lens for EOS cameras1— an RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM telephoto zoom lens (released in November 2019).
Production of interchangeable EF lenses for Canon EOS-series AF (Autofocus) single-lens reflex film cameras began in 1987 at the Company’s Utsunomiya Plant. Over the years, EF lenses have gained support from a wide range of users and production has since expanded to a total of four manufacturing bases, including Canon Inc., Taiwan; Canon Opto (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.; and Oita Canon Inc. in southern Japan.
EF lens production passed the 10-million-unit mark in 1995 and crossed the 50-million-unit threshold in 2009. In April 2014, the Company celebrated its first-in-the-world achievement of having manufactured 100 million interchangeable lenses, and now, setting a new world record for the most interchangeable lenses produced, Canon manufactured its 150-millionth RF and EF lens in January 2021. Laid end-to-end2, all of the RF and EF lenses Canon has manufactured thus far would measure approximately 7,736 miles in length — nearly equivalent to the Earth’s diameter, which measures approximately 7,917 miles.
Canon’s proprietary EF lenses, launched in March 1987 along with the EOS SLR camera system, have continued to evolve since their introduction, leading the industry through the incorporation of a wide range of innovative technologies, including such world’s firsts3 as the Ultrasonic Motor (USM), Image Stabilizer (IS) technology, and a multilayered diffractive optical (DO) element.
In 2018, Canon introduced the EOS R system and the RF series lenses, which pursues new heights of quality under the core concept of “Speed, Comfort and High Image Quality.” Today, the Company’s extensive RF and EF lens series lineup currently comprises a total of 118 models4, expanding the possibilities for image capture. In addition, thanks to the extensive lineup of lenses, Canon has maintained the number one market share for digital interchangeable-lens cameras since 2003 — a total of 17 years5— and in September 2019, the Company celebrated the production of 100 million EOS-series interchangeable-lens cameras.
Canon will continue refining its imaging technologies centered on its RF and EF lens lineup, striving to cater to the varying needs of photographers — from first-time users to advanced amateurs and professionals — while contributing to expanding the photographic and video imaging culture.
More details about the Canon PowerShot Pick, a camera with artificial intelligence on board, emerged on the crowdfunding page.
It seems the Canon PowerShot Pick is having a huge success on the Makuake crowdfunding site. They already surpassed the goal by 5,900%. This is how the PowerShot Pick is introduced (machine translated):
Bringing together Canon’s advanced technologies! With optical technology and video processing technology, the camera itself makes smart decisions and automatically takes pictures and videos.
The small and cute design blends into the family circle and automatically records “memories of the whole family” with “natural and rich facial expressions”
The app automatically selects recommended photos and videos. It’s also fun to find the “best shot taken by chance”!
Canon touts the ability of the camera to determine when it is best to snap a picture:
With Canon’s image processing technology, PowerShot PICK itself automatically finds a person’s face and notices changes in the image reflected on the lens, so it automatically determines “now is the photo opportunity” and shoots.
The camera is meant to just stay there, without being noticed, and to take “memories” at the best time:
Small and light, this camera is designed to blend in with your family so that you can forget about it, so you can stay close to your family at home or out.
The Canon PowerShot Pick…
[…] recognizes the faces of people around you and automatically tracks them. The angle of view is automatically adjusted while making full use of pan, tilt, and zoom based on face information such as the number / position / orientation / size of the face using a unique algorithm while observing the state of the subject.
In addition, the characters shown in PowerShot PICK will be registered automatically. If you want to shoot more specific people, you can add a favorite mark to that person to automatically shoot photos and videos with priority.
The Canon PowerShot Pick understands voice commands:
The price in Japan for the Canon PowerShot Pick is 42,900 yen, which amounts to approximate $390. At this price it might become a huge success for Canon.
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