Design Your Own Canon Body

[Jan]

My 700D wishlist:
...
monochrome lcd

Why would a monochrome LCD be beneficial? I understand the exposure value would be easy to determine based on a monochrome, but your WB could be totally jacked up. I don't think there is a cost benefit to manufacturing monochrome displays anymore, it might actually be more expensive than a 65K color display.

+1

Putting something like that on a expensive new camera model would make it a sure failure and lose millions for a company.

Hum, scaleusa? Did I find some irony in there?

Kyle, I like a monochrome display like on 60D, 7D, etc, because they save energy. When you're traveling without electricity around this is very beneficial. I don't care about WB because I'm using RAW.

EDIT: I mean an additional monochrome LCD.

 

[NotABunny]

if you can prove that going to mRaw allows me to comfortably up my ISO say 1 stop without sacrificing anything compared to an equally low res sensor, then...ok

See http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php/topic,255.msg3911.html#msg3911 ; sensor resolution has nothing to do with noise per image (or per subject, if the relative magnification in the image is kept - which is the norm), in the current technological context.

(additional) monochrome LCD

The reason why those LCDs save energy is because the have no backlight.

 

[KyleSTL]

Hum, scaleusa? Did I find some irony in there?

Kyle, I like a monochrome display like on 60D, 7D, etc, because they save energy. When you're traveling without electricity around this is very beneficial. I don't care about WB because I'm using RAW.

EDIT: I mean an additional monochrome LCD.

Ah, I see. You're talking about the top LCD. Here I was thinking you were talking about the rear LCD. I can't see Canon ever stripping that from cameras above the Rebel series, so I think your wish will be granted. Although they have surprized people before (see plastic 60D). Personally, I like the handling of the 60D (I don't owe one, but have played with them multiple times when I frequent Micro Center). The 7D is too big and heavy in my opinion for my use. The Rebel series is a bit on the small side in my hand (although I do love my Rebel XT). The 60D combines the advantages of the 'professional' button layout up top with the medium size of its ancestors (40D, 50D, et al), and the light weight of the Rebel series. Perfect for someone like me, who loves photography and will never make a career out of it.

Now if I got to pick the specs for a camera I would say:
60D-like body (don't care if it has rotating screen or not)
FF sensor
15 MP
100-6400 ISO (higher ISOs reserved for the high-end cameras)
Price: $1500

That way there are still advantages to the 7D (mag body, MP, 12800 ISO, better/more AF), and this wouldn't cannibalize sales too much. Additionally, it would cause more people to jump on the FF format and increase lens sales (more expensive FF lenses, not the cheap 18-55, 55-250, etc). Although, you could bet that some people would grab a 75-300mm III for their tele and expect professional results.

 

[RuneL]

This, nothing else. Maybe a better eye-cup and more viewfinder-options, good focusing screen (I love my manual focus).

 

[Jan]

The reason why those LCDs save energy is because the have no backlight.

They have, but it's not illuminated all the time like on RGB screens. And they have less pixels/segments. But maybe also an RGB-screen would consume almost no energy when backlight is off? The problem is that they are difficult to read from without backlight.

 

[IllegalFun]

I would love a new 1Dc range... a 1D style body with an APS-C sensor
~12Mp
~10 FPS
~51 point AF
Weather sealing
1080p video at above 30 FPS maybe 120 if they can
weather sealing
100% viewfinder
built in battery grip
built in Radio Flash Trigger

I reckon it would sell well with pro wildlife photographers and enthusiasts

 

[ScottTheMacGuy]

My Ideal Canon Body would be a Full Frame square format 1D type camera
- Full Frame 36mmx36mm sensor for still shots (HD video from horizontal center)
- 1D style body
- Dual Digic 5 processors
- 8 to 10 fps
- 16 bit color depth
- Video with sound controls
- Live View button like the 5D Mark II and record button like the 7D (separate buttons)
- Option for Film Style viewfinder (monitor)
- CF & SD card slots like present cameras
- Variable video frames per second from 12fps to 180fps
- Eye-controlled Focus point selection
- Remove AA filter for sharper images
- Flash sync speed up to 1/500 second
I like the single body battery compartment and the second display window on the back of the 1D models.

Price in the $4800-$5500 price range

At least I can wish.

 

[KyleSTL]

36mm x 36mm is too big for the EF image circle. A square format sensor would be 30.6mm x 30.6mm, so you would sacrifice some of the edge 'wideness' in changing the aspect ratio of the sensor.

 

[gabriele]

Since I use a Canon 5D Mark II I could suggest a redesign of it adding what is needed to make it perfect,
even though I think this would be more something like a 1Ds Mark IV...

New camera would have these specs:

- Still 21Mpixel full frame sensor but with better dynamic range, lower noise and 16bit conversion.
- 8-10fps.
- Possibility to use the crop format when needed.
- Configurable auto ISO.
- 1-5Ev exposure compensation and HDR on camera.
- Integrated wireless flash control.
- 64 cross points AF (spread over the whole sensor surface not just the center)and effective and customizable focus tracking system that works also with slower lenses or TC.
- Eye-controlled focus point selection.
- Video modes: 640i, 720i, 1080i, all supporting 24, 25, 30 and 60fps (and why not 120fps at 640i and 720i).
- Continuous AF during videos and liveview.
- Better, larger and brighter viewfinder with 100% coverage.
- Focusing screen with also split screen image (very useful on manual focus lenses).
- Digital level.
- Silent shutter mode.
- Shutter speed configurable for 1-10 minutes of exposure even without a remote.
- Dual SDHC/SDXC and dual CF slot with USB port to save directly also to external USB devices like pen drives and exteranal HDDs.
- Magnesium body alloy with dust/moisture sealing like 1Ds.
- Possibility to add/edit EXIF data on camera and use manual focus lenses without the need of AF chips (as it happens on Nikon cameras).
- Possibility to add a "star rating" system to pictures directly on camera.
- 1/2 and 1/3 steps put together both for shutter speed and aperture.
- In camera view of the actual focal length for lenses that support it (useful for zoom lenses).
- Estimated shots left with actual battery power.
- Full HD HDMI output.
- Very basic video cut/editing on camera.
- Use of real ISO.
- Stitch-assist for panoramic pictures with overlay.

Optional: Tiltable screen and GPS (internal or as an external add-on), these one are no big deals IMHO.

 

[Waleed Essam]

Man, you freaked me out, this is EXACTLY what I had in mind when I read the thread title, even with the wireless radio flash trigger, AF assist beam, 18mpix FF, EVERYTHING!!

I'm glad someone else wants EXACTLY what I wont.

Cheers

JRSJ 7D-Redesign

(Excuse the photoshop.)​

18MP FullFrame w/ Dual Digic IV
ISO 100-12,800
19 Point AF System
24/25/30/50/60 FPS recording modes in 1080p/720p (50,60)
5 FPS (8 FPS with battery grip)
Remove built in flash to make room for 100% VF
Dual CF (or CF and SD slots)
Selectable "Electronic Shutter Mode" to allow flash sync up to 1/500s (at the cost of slower FPS)
AF Assist Lamp (like the one found in the EOS 5 and ST-E2)
Reposition DOF button to the opposite side of lens mount and include another button above it. (Both of which can be customized.)
LiveView/Video Mode toggle switch to include third option: Mirror Lock Up (Represented by blue triangle pointing up.)
Weather Sealing.

Optional: Since the 100% VF would mean the omission of the wireless flash commander, they should include a radio antenna inside the camera body that can trigger Canon flashes. (Of course, only if Canon were to have radio receivers built into their new flash units.)

This would reposition the 7D to the Full Frame tier, and makes pricing hard to judge. If this camera was released instead of the original 7D, I would roughly figure $3200 for body only. This could see a decline in 5DMK2 sales, (due to features and video modes.) and allow the price of the 7D to drop before the 5DMK3 release. When released, the 5D MK3 would need to have enough features in it to allow a retail of $3500+. (Such as more AF points/MP, Dual Digic V, 4K video, etc...)

 

[Waleed Essam]

Although I'd consider it a 5DIII not a 7DII.

 

[Waleed Essam]

There's also a thought in my head if I were to be the Chief Designer in Canon's dSLR division. I addition to the 5DIII above I'll say let's redefine the entry level camera. Basically the idea is to have everyone starts with Canon coz they'll be more likely to stick with Canon.

I'll take an old Rebel, something like the Rebel XSI (450D)
Put an improved sensor in it in terms of low light and resolution, don't add anything else, maybe remove stuff, like removing servo, decreasing AF points to maybe 5 AF points, and of course reduce size dramatically to something like AE-1 film cam.

Strip the camera down greatly to be basically an excellent sensor, an EF lens mount, basic AF & shutter button. And sell it for 200-300$ or something that's very cheap. This will get all wannabe SLR users to buy it as it will be the cheapest new SLR ever.

This idea just came into my mind a couple of months back when I was playing with my wife's old AE-1P I said to myself why not make a very basic camera like this one but with very simple AF and call it AE-1PD.

I think this will sell a lot, I know I'd buy one as an everyday camera. Just a thought.

 

[AprilForever]

The New 4x5D:
-4x5" sensor
-0.5 FPS when using optical rangefinder
-ISO 204,800 looking like my 7D at 800
-New LF lens line up
-Mount interchangable with old lens boards
-Full movements when using ground glass

 

[MathiasVH]

Canon 5D CLASSIC mark II

12MP FF-sensor, with some serious ISO-skills (I'd guess 80% of the 5D mark II owners out there doesn't need more pix.)
5FPS
Updated focus-system (matching the one found in the 60D will be plenty fast)
Dual Digic V
120fps 720p. 60fps 1080p.
Non-articulating screen, with same resolution as 60D
Button-layout as the 7D
Here comes a very personal wish: Enhance the build quality, weather seal it - add more metal if necessary. If this thing could end up weighing 950-1000g. I'd be very happy. Man it'd feel great in my hands!
Even-brighter 100% VF
Wi-Fi connectable. A PC (Mac!! ) suite featuring new features and controls wirelessly to the camera.

Price: 1300USD/EUR


<3 <3 <3

 

[AJ]

Rebel body (plastic + pentamirror = small+light)
In-body IS. Coordination with lens IS (if present) for even better stabilization.
35 mm sensor. Will detect EF-S lenses and switch to crop when one is mounted.
Touch LCD screen, with the ability to select AF points with your thumb when your eye is on the viewfinder.
Radio flash trigger.
Lower-res video options (in addition to HD video) for those times you need to shoot long clips and don't want to fill your card.

 

[bvukich]

35 mm sensor. Will detect EF-S lenses and switch to crop when one is mounted.

Shorter focal length EF-S lenses extend too far into the body to clear a mirror large enough for a 35mm sensor.

 

[tzalmagor]

35 mm sensor. Will detect EF-S lenses and switch to crop when one is mounted.

Shorter focal length EF-S lenses extend too far into the body to clear a mirror large enough for a 35mm sensor.

How do Nikon manage to have DX lenses work on FX bodies ? Do their DX lenses not extend as far into the body ?

[I'm not saying you're wrong or trying to argue, just wondering.]

 

[neuroanatomist]

How do Nikon manage to have DX lenses work on FX bodies ? Do their DX lenses not extend as far into the body ?

Nikon FX and DX lenses use the same mount, but the DX lenses project a smaller image circle. Unlike EF-S lenses, where -S is short back focus, the Nikon DX lenses do not project any further into the body than FX lenses. The Canon design means that EF-S lenses can use even less glass (for the same focal range) than the Nikon DX counterpart, meaning lenses can be lighter, but more importantly from Canon's perspective, they are cheaper to produce meaning more profit...

 

[illuminator55]

great++ ;D

 

[CRforCedarRapids]

Open source UI. More open than CHDK.
They can lock down the image processing but let us change everything that happens before the shutter button.
Let us reprogram all the buttons, customize auto ISO, open up the USB port for GPS or WI-FI, run scripts for time lapse.