Rumors suggest that Canon has recently asked customers about their potential interest in a retro-inspired or retro-styled digital camera.
As Photo Rumors and Canon Watch report, it appears that Canon solicited feedback prospective customers about their interest in a Canon digital camera modeled after some of the company’s many famous vintage analog cameras.
Per a post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, which has been machine translated below, Canon has asked customers to vote for one of four Canon film cameras that they would like to see be made into a modern digital camera model.
According to the post, the Canon QL17 was leading the votes at the time of writing, followed by the Canon P, Canon AE-1, and Canon F-1. There was also an option for “other Canon camera.”
The Canon QL17 is a rangefinder camera that has achieved something of a cult following due to its durable, stylish design and sharp built-in lens. The “QL” stands for “Quick Loading,” a feature that Canon introduced to simplify loading film into the camera.
The Canon P is also a rangefinder camera, although having launched in 1958, it is nearly a decade older than the original QL17. Both the Canon QL17 and P models are beautiful cameras that would excite modern photographers.
Digital cameras modeled after retro camera models are not new. It is perhaps a bit surprising that Canon hasn’t already done something like this before.
The Nikon Zfc and the new Nikon Zf are based on a famous Nikon film camera, the FM2. Meanwhile, Fujifilm has released many mirrorless X Series cameras based on old-school camera designs to significant acclaim.
There is something about combining modern features and performance with vintage sensibilities that has proven to be inherently attractive to photographers.
Although Canon is reportedly testing the waters for a retro-inspired camera, there is no guarantee that such a product will ever enter the market and give the EOS R series of mirrorless cameras a stylish vintage twist.
For now, the idea of a retro-styled Canon mirrorless camera is just fun to speculate about, although there is at least a little smoke to give photographers hope.
There are many fantastic, beautiful film cameras in Canon’s storied history. The company has an excellent and detailed digital museum, the Canon Camera Museum, where users can browse the company’s massive catalog of cameras.