Patent: A new mirrorless camera body design with integrated grip with pass-through

slclick

EOS 3
Dec 17, 2013
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Hector1970

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Mar 22, 2012
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Well... and why not simply integrate a mechanism that turns the sensor (or the whole cage of the mount) in either portrait or landscape mode (with a button to do so) or would be able to determine horizontal/vertical position by itself with a switch... or a fixed cross shape sensor... or a square sensor... round sensor, etc. ?
Patent the idea quickly (a flipping sensor).
At some point a square sensor might be a reality. Circular I suppose it more wasteful.
 
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InchMetric

Switched from Nikon. Still zooming the wrong way.
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This is the kind of innovation that made me switch to Canon. It feels "futuristic" yet practical and sensible.
  • Liberated from the form dictated by a scrolling roll of film.
  • Not just active thermal, but passive thermal lets the hot stuff be away from the points of continuous firm pressure contact (see "low temperature burns").
  • May be new ways to hold it, including passing the hand or thumb through the hole, allowing odd angles of shooting.
  • It makes me recall the camera used by the moon-walking astronaut in Kubrick's 2001, which seemed to "cock" by a rotational motion. Doesn't look the same, but triggered a memory. https://i2.wp.com/annsilverthorn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2001-1-moon-monolith.jpg
  • Even if a bigger body to provide the gap, it's probably easier to hold, even with a finger or two.
  • It doesn't have to add weight.
Radical design changes get traditionalists worrying, but I'm very enthusiastic.
 
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wsmith96

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Aug 17, 2012
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You probably could store a banana in the gap if you are on a long hike.
If we are going there, it would make a nice hand towel bar too. Or, if made from magnesium, this could be he worlds largest set of brass knuckles...

oh man, if the camera strap mount is really strong, it could double as a zip line handle.
 
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Hector1970

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Mar 22, 2012
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If we are going there, it would make a nice hand towel bar too. Or, if made from magnesium, this could be he worlds largest set of brass knuckles...

oh man, if the camera strap mount is really strong, it could double as a zip line handle.
Good ideas. You could use it as a kettlebell or a new sport at the Olympics to replace the discus. It could be a keyholder.
 
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Aug 9, 2016
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It's the pass-through that is unique and doesn't scream "rudimentary". Though this could just be throwing darts at a dartboard and protecting any and all ideas.
As I work in a R&D company, they just don’t do this, highly unlikely. The costs and prototyping is a huge waist of time unless you seriously are trying to bring something to market.
 
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martin_p_a

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Jul 30, 2019
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This made me wonder something somewhat related… Has there – or why hasn’t there – been interchangeable lens cameras made with a square sensor? This would maximize the used imaging area (when shooting square – popular format for social media nowadays), and although it wouldn’t maximize it if you were to crop for portrait or landscape, with mp count these days, it would still be super usable.

It would negate the need for an integrated grip, and software could provide the option to apply a matte while you shoot to see the proper orientation, all without having to rotate to camera.

My medium format TLR camera shoots square, but the design of the camera isn’t made to shoot with the camera sideway, so I guess it is necessary there. Just wondering if it’s something camera manufacturers have toyed with before?
 
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canonmike

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Jan 5, 2013
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I love that Canon is coming up with crazy ideas, but this one seems odd to me in that it solves a video issue (heat) with a camera feature designed for stills (vertical shooting). And does so by shrinking internal real estate available while simultaneously expanding the camera's effective volume.

There would definitely be a few people who would love it for gripping, though. People following skiers down the slope, etc.

The camera design holds the viewfinder quite a bit away from the hands, which strikes me as a it less stable. But I think this is one of those ideas you'd have to check out physically, with something real in your hands.
But I think this is one of those ideas you'd have to check out physically, with something real in your hands.
I couldn't agree more. I'd have to hold it in my hands, use it for a few hrs or days, then deicide whether I loved it or hated it.
 
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entoman

wildlife photography
May 8, 2015
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That is a radical design. You might be able to free up the real estate with the mechanical parts removed, but I agree it will be a tight fit. Should this be to address sensor heat, wonder how warm it will be by your fingers on this new grip.
It's an interesting concept, and may possibly be more ergonomic and efficient than existing designs. Also of course the pros who this is aimed at are far less concerned about a camera's cosmetics and aesthetics than amateur enthusiasts. By IMO it's just *too* radical to sell - pros are notoriously conservative.
 
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This made me wonder something somewhat related… Has there – or why hasn’t there – been interchangeable lens cameras made with a square sensor? This would maximize the used imaging area (when shooting square popular format for social media nowadays), and although it wouldn’t maximize it if you were to crop for portrait or landscape, with mp count these days, it would still be super usable.

It would negate the need for an integrated grip, and software could provide the option to apply a matte while you shoot to see the proper orientation, all without having to rotate to camera.

My medium format TLR camera shoots square, but the design of the camera isn’t made to shoot with the camera sideway, so I guess it is necessary there. Just wondering if it’s something camera manufacturers have toyed with before?
Some cameras let you pick the aspect ratio in camera. So why not make a square sensor and let the user pick the "orientation" on the fly!
 
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H. Jones

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Aug 1, 2014
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Could heat be a problem with a global-shutter sensor? It would be interesting if this was their solution to cool a global-shutter stills camera, but I do *highly* doubt Canon would risk such unusual ergonomics to come out in their flagship pro camera, especially another attempt at the very-poorly received touchbar.

That said, I wouldn't consider this specific patent's design as the exact look of whatever they're considering, it's lacking the third top control wheel that all other R-series cameras have. 0 chance Canon adds a third-wheel to all their photography, including the R3, and then randomly ditches it for another touchbar. So even if they are considering this design tangibly, there is definitely a lot that could change.

Interesting to me is that there is one AF joystick located at the corner of the screen. Solves the problem of needing one for each orientation, but feels like it's a compromise since it's not in an ideal spot either way you hold the camera, vs having two.
 
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usern4cr

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Well... and why not simply integrate a mechanism that turns the sensor (or the whole cage of the mount) in either portrait or landscape mode (with a button to do so) or would be able to determine horizontal/vertical position by itself with a switch... or a fixed cross shape sensor... or a square sensor... round sensor, etc. ?
I had the same idea (well, only about the rotating 3:2 ratio sensor). Look at all the effort, extra space & cost & weight to make the dual grip even bigger than it was before! If you're going to go to that much trouble for portrait shots without moving your hand position, you might as well just add a 90 degree rotation mechanism to the existing sensor module. Whatever extra space & weight & cost it required to do so would have to be much less than all the extra stuff this patent is adding! I'd expect that a rotating sensor design would be smaller & lighter than the existing dual grip approach once implemented properly. And then they're only be one way to hold the camera as the sensor would rotate as needed, and the bottom could be designed to attach to a tripod without interfering with a 2nd grip and they're be no need for any "L bracket"! I'd pay extra for that in a heartbeat!

Of course, if the cost of a 3:3 sensor (36 x 36mm) could be made affordable in the future (something I don't know, but suspect might be possible), then simply making the existing 3:2 IBIS sensor into a 3:3 IBIS sensor would remove the need for a rotating sensor as well as the dual grip. That'd be the ideal choice if the extra cost of the enlarged sensor & IBIS module & body enclosure could be made to be the same (or less) as the extra cost of the existing bigger dual grip design. This design would work only if there was enough clearance in the existing R mount for the 3:2 portrait image to clear the mount pins at the bottom of the mount (also something I don't know as it'd be a close fit).

*EDIT* : I've since learned that many RF lenses have rectangularish panels at their mount, which would make it impossible to take advantage of a 3:2 FF vertical sensor area. So a 3:3 square sensor or a 90 degree rotating 3:2 sensor would both be worthless for portraits with those lenses. Therefore I now am giving up this idea and know I'll have to rotate by hand or else buy a dual grip body for portraits.
 
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