David Riesenberg (Click here) used his skills to create a wonderful Canon mirrorless camera concept: “Like many others, I too have been waiting for quite a while for Canon to release its mirrorless system. There are speculations and indications that they may very well do so this year, but I personally grew a bit restless. Because of this, I decided to put to paper, or rather to CAD and rendering software, my vision of such camera. After about a month of learning, debating, modeling and rendering, the Canon AE-D came to life.“
His images are now spreading all over the web! The first image you see on top of this post goes in the same direction of the Olympus E-M5. The second rendering gets rid of the viewfinder.
Great work David! Now let’s hope Canon isn’t that far away with the real thing that will be shown at Photokina!
39 Responses
I certainly hope Canon goes for a bit of a more contemporary design. I also hope they are closer to a Canonet than to a AE-1 in concept.
I’m not a fan of a modern design for itself. If it looks as nice as a retro design great, but if it looks like current DSLR elephant crap, no. Anyway David Riesenberg did a great job.
As said in the post…very OM-D… Which I think would be the wrong direction from Canon…The don’t want to be labeled as a copier…
That being said…great work!
Whole Canon was built on copying other cameras. Everything started by copying Leica and still continues to these days. 😉
Please NO RETRO, like the EM-5!!
I don’t think Canon will go for a design like this. Their cameras are pretty utilitarian, understated, and without bling, they look professional. I hope they continue on that path, and not some retro-ugly thing (a la OM-D).
Don’t get me wrong, i’m not saying retro is bad per se, a little touch can help, particularly if its on the dials and controls area like, say, leica X-1, but thats about it. Retro for the sake of retro makes no sense (to me at least).
That’s the best design I’ve seen for a removable EVF. Most look like 3rd party accessories mounted atop a hotshoe. They usually dont match at all, but that one looks perfect. I think it could use a thumb rest of some sort (see: thumbs up accessory for the M9), but if Canon made this exact camera with the sensor from the 5D MK III then I’d pre-order on day 1.
Olympus should make a camera like that.
😐
+1
Excellent idea for EVF, E-M5 should have had that.
I’m already reading alot of “it looks like the OM-D”, and “it’s just copying the OM-D” on various forums….sheeesh.
It’s obvious that the designer took design cues from 70’s era Canons/Canonets.
The designer knows that Canon has as much legacy to fall back on for retro design as does Olympus…perhaps more so.
I think this rendering is a brilliant piece of industrial design.
From a design standpoint, it ticks a lot of boxes for me.
It’s proportion suggests that it’s smaller than the XPro 1, yet larger than the OM-D….could be ideal ergonomically.
I like the integrated shutter speed/iso wheel.
I like the removable EV with flush hotshoe.
There’s that mysterious mode wheel on the other side….hmmm?
I like the clean, uncluttered, approach to the top/back portion.
Almost Leica-like, in a way?
“There’s that mysterious mode wheel on the other side….hmmm?”
That’s the pop-up flash: http://davidriesenberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/AE-D_VF_3QR_F_FLASH_CLOSEUP.jpg
Thanks Jonas!
Up periscope! (I never even guessed it was the built-in flash)
The mirrorless world NEEDS more retro.
/s
I know it’s just a rendering but…we could at least count on Canon to put 1080P/30/25/24FPS in this thing from the get go.
(that would mean lots of happy folks…)
Congrats to David Riesenberg for a job well done!
Fun exercise, but I hope Canon does not go in this direction, but more in the Fuji X/NEX7, with integrated viewfinder without any “legacy” prizm bump or separate viewfinder. Given they didn’t take this route with the G1X, and given they’re really into the “continuity” of their design/interface lineage, I think its likely the new camera, if any, will likely be in the G series style
The design would look but not handle great, as it’s mighty simplistic for what cameras do these days. After all, look what happened to SLR’s after the mid-eighties. Button-like lesions started growing on them!
The designer just basically retrofitted mode handling onto the dials of yore. Hah, I wonder what the battery check button does!
But I must admit, I do like removable EVF, even though it would stop me shooting TLR style like I sometimes do with my GXR for added stability.
Something I’ve thought about for a while because of the longtime “modular Olympus” rumours would be a low-profile compact that could be expanded upon via fast-bus interfaces on the top and bottom plates of the camera. That way, you could connect a grip with added SD or even CF expandability and double-up on that grip again for an added battery and portrait shooting control (a la EM-5). The top plate could allow a bolt-on EVF, flash, auxiliary display or even a separate AF scheme.
I hate Canon
This is nothing.
Check out http://cargocollective.com/iovokitangra/Snima-Iris-concept-camera
WOW!
I’m sorry, but the handgrips on both of these bodies are useless for anything other than shooting pancake lenses.
Canon, please fire the guys who design G series and hire this guy instead. Your G cameras are ugly like sh**.
ugly shit.. i hope canon has better designers….
Just look at 5D Mk3 and you can clearly see they hasn’t..
hoping for the rumored aps H sensor and ibis 🙂
that’s more a Leica X1 with an OM-D viewfinder to me.
For heaven’s sake NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Not another retro looking ugly camera. I really hate that stupid retro design. If you want retro look go and fucking buy Leica M9 or an ancient film camera! I absolutely do not understand why everybody is so keen on that crap. Provided it has a very good EVF I even do not need an OVF. I would even more appreciate a swivel lcd and an EVF.
Sure all plastic is not nice too but please no such retro design, please…….
We are in 2012
Does that mean that camera body should be a plastic crap? AE-D looks to be a quality camera.. not made in china shit.
Yes, you are perfectly right Helena. I really can’t understand all those people crying for retro designs. It looks so old fashioned and in case of the presented design studies not even practical without a handgrip.
By the way I really like your picture 🙂 Greetings to Spain.
I have a Leica M and I am disapointed that anytime I’m out I get comments like: wow…your camera is cool! You’re fashionable person!
Sh**……I don’t have a M with me just for ‘fashion’ GEEZ………
I even had comments to ask me if my camera works and can efffectivly take pictures or if I just use it as a fashion accessory… -_-
Can’t wait until this ‘retro’ trend stops…and so people just continue thinking I’m a weird guy shooting with oldies instead of a fashion victim.