Canon Expo reveals the future of photography

The Canon Expo, showcasing the future of photography, takes place just once every five years, and Crave was there to capture the concept technology on show.

Richard Trenholm

Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.

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Richard Trenholm

Oct. 14, 2010 1:16 a.m. PT

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Canon is showing off the cameras of the future at a showcase of concept technology in Paris. Crave jumped on the Eurostar for the prestigious Canon Expo, a showcase of Canon's latest -- and future -- technology. Like a shooting star or a mythical creature emerging from the mist of an enchanted lake, the expo takes place just once every five years. Crave was there to yoke the shooting star of photography and capture the mythical beast of future technology.

Canon acquires over 2,000 patents each year. You may know the company for the IXUS compact camera in your pocket, but it also launches around 100 new products annually. Most of them are photocopiers and boring stuff like that, so we're not bothered with them. Instead, we present for your viewing pleasure the highlights of the expo, a number of concepts that point at the future of photography. Futuretography, if you will.

Click through our gallery to meet a trio of image sensors each more ridiculously high-resolution than the last. They're not designed for consumer cameras, but for Canon's printing, medical and commercial imaging. We also get a look at Canon's vision for GPS, 3D and SLR-style cameras of the future.

GPS may already be on the market in cameras like the Samsung ST1000, and Fujifilm may have the Real 3D W1, but when Canon brings its market-dominating expertise to bear on these innovations it'll be something to see. Enough talk: get clicking.

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This concept is called the Multi-Purpose Camera -- catchy -- which shoots stills and video. Nothing too future-y about that, you say.

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But the Multi-Purpose Camera -- snappy -- shoots a whopping 4k resolution video, 4 times the size of high definition.

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This is an omnidirectional camera. The 50-megapixel sensor is allied to the mirror at the top to create complete 360-degree panoramic shots, with pin-sharp high-resolution detail.

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This CMOS sensor packs a whopping 50 megapixels.

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If '50 megapixels' rocks your socks, wrap your seeing units around this monster: a 120-megapixel CMOS.

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On the left is a standard-sized CMOS sensor, and on the right is a behemoth -- beheMOS!

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This concept technology cuts out the subject from the background instantly, even cutting out fine detail such as hair. It's like an in-camera green screen that works on any background.

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Canon has a bit of a thing for augmented reality. Instead of holding up your phone to view AR, you wear these snappy shades.

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Here's some AR in action. This chap is playing a game that involves creating 3D environments, showing the potential of AR for 3D computer-aided design.