Canon Launches New Camera Cloud Platform – image.canon

[Canon Rumors Guy]

MELVILLE, NY, February 12, 2020 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced its parent company, Canon Inc. will launch image.canon in early April 20201, a new cloud platform that connects select Canon cameras with compatible PCs, smartphones and external web services. image.canon will enhance post-production workflow and provide a new way to experience the joy of photography.

Serving as a hub for users’ content, image.canon allows the transfer of image files from connected compatible PCs, smartphones and external web services. The service will provide new ways to enjoy photography and will cater to a wide range of photographers seeking to improve their post-production workflows, including professionals who want to enhance their creative process, enthusiasts who want to streamline image editing and entry-level users who want to enjoy casual photography and share their images on social media.
The Functions and Features of image.canon include:

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[gdanmitchell]

They've had photo upload services like this for years. Does anyone actually use them? I took a look at one of the earlier once and could not see a reason to do so, especially since I have cloud storage from other sources.

 

[sanj]

I would be using this. Nice!!!

 

[BeenThere]

Cloud storage is a commodity that competes on price. If the Canon implementation of special features is not of significant value, then they will be competing with other platforms based on price.

 

[Chines]

What interests me is this part of the announcement:
"Giving photographers the tools they need to keep up in a 5G and artificial intelligent-enabled world"

As far as i can tell ONLY the R5 will support this service for now. This means it is not done with a simple firmware upgrade. Maybe they will put cellular connectivity in it? Even if the cellular only uploads previews and adds full raws in WiFi in post, you got a central place where all your photos appear instantly. I imagine a wedding/event photographer would be quite happy about instant sharing of photos and an off site backup (in case of camera theft).

 

[bellorusso]

Why force us to use Google for this? Does Canon want us to switch our cloud services just because it says so? Screw Canon!

 

[Somervillain]

Finally!!!! If I am reading this correctly, they are closing the convenience gap between cameras and smartphones. This is one of the main reasons people don't buy Cameras anymore. It's a pain in the ass to get out a cable or cardreader and put it on a computer then upload somewhere. My wife hates it when I take photos with my camera. Despite having far superior image quality, she doesn't want to wait until that evening when we get home to upload it to facebook or instagram. All their connected solutions up until then have been garbage.

I am very excited and have wanted this since I bought my first DSLR 8 years ago.

I have a 6Dmark2...pretty state of the art, but terrible software!!! It has to setup a private wifi network to see photos on my tablet....and even then, I can't do much with them if they're in RAW. Also, why does running GPS make the battery run out 10x faster? It's so bad I can't use it for more than an hour or 2 without switching batteries (and I have new ones). Cloud upload and GPS are things we just take for granted with our phones.

Canon (and their competitors) need to get serious. The newest Pixel/iPhone take much better photos than previous generations. The difference is a lot less obvious that it used to be, especially when viewed on a phone. I've mistaken quite a few iPhone portrait mode pics for shots taken with a nice prime lens recently. This is eroding the amateur market. If their new cameras can get auto cloud upload like most phones, that will go a huge way to closing this gap and maybe even cause a boost in ownership.

People like cameras. They want to use them...but when you make it painful to use, they just default to their phone. I'm surprised it has taken this long!!!

 

[Somervillain]

Why force us to use Google for this? Does Canon want us to switch our cloud services just because it says so? Screw Canon!

Who cares? You only need a few gigabytes. Write a script to migrate it from Google to the platform of your choice...it's very easy to do....if you hate it that much. I don't use Google Drive, but will gladly deal with it if it means I can stop using cardreaders and actually post my DSLR photos online with little delay. They'll probably support more providers if the service is popular. Maybe they'll even provide their own hosting service....if they did a good job, it could be interesting (although I have little faith in Canon to write decent software/web apps)

 

[cayenne]

Who cares? You only need a few gigabytes. Write a script to migrate it from Google to the platform of your choice...it's very easy to do....if you hate it that much. I don't use Google Drive, but will gladly deal with it if it means I can stop using cardreaders and actually post my DSLR photos online with little delay. They'll probably support more providers if the service is popular. Maybe they'll even provide their own hosting service....if they did a good job, it could be interesting (although I have little faith in Canon to write decent software/web apps)

Not sure it would do that much good for me.

I can't imagine sending out any of my images that I have had time to sit down and process...I used to use LR, but now I'm working with On1 RAW, and each image I take requires dedicated attention as to what corrections/enhancements, etc I'd do to it before letting other s see it.

I can't think of a single image I have ever shot that would go out unedited.

I mean, even with my iPhone, before I send a shot out to others I at least used snapseed or the like on it, to process it (contrast, sharpen, brush out areas that need it for things, vignettes if desired etc).....

That being said, I don't do social media, but I do have a lot of friends I text images and such to.....but I almost never send out anything I"ve not edited first.

Just my $0.02,

cayenne

 

[LDS]

since I have cloud storage from other sources.

That's what Canon understood too. If you read the presentation well, the service will work as an "hub" which you send your image to, and then route them to your cloud backend, initially to Google service only, then with Adobe. Maybe other will be added. Canon offers only 10GB of storage, which are little.
It's, in some ways, useful for Canon. Implementing direct access to third party services right from the camera requires firmware updates any time one of the service changes something
Implementing a "hub" let them implement the camera <-> hub transmission only, and any change for the final storage needs to be implemented only at the hub level. Of course, in transit Canon can still give a look to your images to train its AI system (or other uses...)

 

[marathonman]

Finally!!!! If I am reading this correctly, they are closing the convenience gap between cameras and smartphones. This is one of the main reasons people don't buy Cameras anymore. It's a pain in the ass to get out a cable or cardreader and put it on a computer then upload somewhere. My wife hates it when I take photos with my camera. Despite having far superior image quality, she doesn't want to wait until that evening when we get home to upload it to facebook or instagram. All their connected solutions up until then have been garbage.

I am very excited and have wanted this since I bought my first DSLR 8 years ago.

I have a 6Dmark2...pretty state of the art, but terrible software!!! It has to setup a private wifi network to see photos on my tablet....and even then, I can't do much with them if they're in RAW. Also, why does running GPS make the battery run out 10x faster? It's so bad I can't use it for more than an hour or 2 without switching batteries (and I have new ones). Cloud upload and GPS are things we just take for granted with our phones.

Canon (and their competitors) need to get serious. The newest Pixel/iPhone take much better photos than previous generations. The difference is a lot less obvious that it used to be, especially when viewed on a phone. I've mistaken quite a few iPhone portrait mode pics for shots taken with a nice prime lens recently. This is eroding the amateur market. If their new cameras can get auto cloud upload like most phones, that will go a huge way to closing this gap and maybe even cause a boost in ownership.

People like cameras. They want to use them...but when you make it painful to use, they just default to their phone. I'm surprised it has taken this long!!!

This!!!!!!

 

[marathonman]

So, out on a shoot, get to a coffee shop, turn camera on and boom.... Everything uploads and syncs to Creative Cloud without me having to do anything. Lightroom iPad app starts seeing the images and I can begin tweaking / sharing with existing tools whilst enjoying a skinny caramel latte with coconut scratchings. SWEET!!!!

Let's find something to complain about here in a function that, if you don't like, you don't need to use!!

 

[Don Haines]

This is the start. Look for more cameras in the future supporting this, and look for better features in the future.

Now your next camera has an off site backup! If your memory card dies, or your camera gets stolen, you still have the images!

 

[Chavim]

Uploading 2-3gb (or more) through a coffee shop Wi-Fi can be pretty painful though

 

[Sharlin]

They've had photo upload services like this for years. Does anyone actually use them? I took a look at one of the earlier once and could not see a reason to do so, especially since I have cloud storage from other sources.

This is less about cloud storage and more about providing a "staging area" and a real-time offsite backup service, plus replacing the older "iMAGE Gateway" to allow uploading photos to various social media services straight from the camera.

 

[Kit.]

...and using your real life raw images to train Canon cameras' AI algorithms.

 

[marathonman]

Uploading 2-3gb (or more) through a coffee shop Wi-Fi can be pretty painful though

Yes. That was just for comedic value. I assume they will also factor in the ability to only transfer images that you have "rated". Irrespective, this staging area and auto-forward concept could make for some really interesting workflows.

 

[dwarven]

This is the start. Look for more cameras in the future supporting this, and look for better features in the future.

Now your next camera has an off site backup! If your memory card dies, or your camera gets stolen, you still have the images!

The R can transfer to a tethered phone in real time, but they are only small JPEGs. This service will be a nice improvement to that tech.

 

[Shellbo6901]

They've had photo upload services like this for years. Does anyone actually use them? I took a look at one of the earlier once and could not see a reason to do so, especially since I have cloud storage from other sources.

They sent out an email a few days ago or more and said that they were upgrading it, which is what this is. I honestly didn't even pay attention to it much before getting the email about the upgrade. Seeing as the canon camera connect app right now will transfer over raw files to a phone, it still takes the raw image and converts it into a jpeg for the phone. Im still not sure the real difference of the two and why they aren't the same thing yet

 

[Chavim]

I know this is not for everyone, but the CCAPI in all of the newer cameras (starting with the RP) is able to wirelessly transfer Raw directly to your phone/device/cloud with a script.
There isn't an app taking advantage of this right now because it requires the user to activate the CCAPI first.

I'll work on something and post at dphacks.com in a couple of weeks - maybe