Canon EXPO was mostly a demonstration grounds for Canon's latest and upcoming products, but the company offered at least some looks into its vision of the far-off future. In addition to the 4K concept camcorder, Canon also showed off some non-functional concept mock-ups of possible products. While the display model offered little information about the technical aspects of Canon's long-term plans, it gave a good view of how the company thinks the future will look: white, smooth, shiny, and with few physical controls.
Here's why Canon's future cameras would fit right in in Mass Effect.
We previously saw this concept digital camera a while ago, when Canon was promoting its "Wonder Camera" as the future of photography: a single-lens camera that can zoom very close, take very wide shots, has a very high-resolution sensor, and can pull stills from video, effectively letting the user capture anything in frame without worry about focus or timing. Canon was much less vocal about the concept at Canon EXPO, simply describing it as an "SLR Style Concept," noting that it "combines ultra-high-definition picture quality with high magnification."
Besides the Wonder Camera/concept SLR, Canon showed off a pair of unique digital cameras for more casual use. One mock-up was of a compact 3D camera, equipped with a pair of lenses for taking three-dimensional snapshots. Another was an "Image Navi Cam," another compact camera with GPS and network functionality. According to the display, it could provide additional information about locations while shooting.
Canon already had a working set of "
Mixed Reality" glasses at the expo to demonstrate the company's augmented reality system, but it still had its eyes on future designs. This non-functional mock-up is a combination pair of goggles/hairband, all in silver, white-grey, and blue. Canon only noted that the system will be wireless and intended for home use.
The least impressive high-tech item was Canon's "Image Palette," a touchscreen-equipped digital photo frame that lets users rearrange photos and videos. Considering the technology is already available on portable devices, the only real futuristic aspect of the device seems to be its smooth, white aesthetic.
