UPDATE: The AI-powered Canon PowerShot Pick has gone on sale in Japan via crowdfunding site Makuake, carrying a price tag of ¥40,900 (approximately $391 / £286 / AU$511).
The Canon PowerShot Pick is a PTZ camera that records both video and stills, automatically recognizing subjects and capturing moments you would otherwise miss or acting as an automated camera if you are presenting or content creating.
The name "Pick" comes from the camera's ability to automatically "pick your moments". It and can accept voice commands for hands-free operation (such as, "Hello Pick, take a video!") and can also be controlled via a smartphone app, where you can tell it which faces to prioritize.
According to Makuake, the device has a 110° tilt, 170° pan and 360° field of view, with a 19-57mm focal range (in full-frame / 35mm terms). It features a 12MP 1/2.3 type CMOS sensor and Digic 7 processor, captures images at either 4:3 or 16:9 ratio, and records 1080p video at up to 60fps. It accepts microSD cards and has a USB-C connection for charging, with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Measuring just 60 (W) x 90 (H) x 60 (D) mm and weighing a scant 170g, the Canon PowerShot Pick is a camera that you can take virtually anywhere. No pricing or release information is available for other territories, but we expect this to follow the trend of the Canon Ivy Rec and Canon PowerShot Zoom and see global release soon.
UPDATE (22 January 2021): Canon's new AI camera has been revealed as the Canon PowerShot Pick, and is due to be launched in a crowdfunding campaign on 29 January.
The Canon PowerShot Pick takes its cues from the best PTZ cameras, using artificial intelligence to detect, recognize, follow and photograph subjects in a scene completely autonomously.
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The camera was first revealed at The Photography Show in 2018 and, as you can see in the video below, Canon envisions it serving multiple purposes. It can be "your own little photographer that you can take with you," for example to capture shots with your family. It can also be mounted to the hot shoe, so that a wedding or events photographer can capture extra shots and moments.
Canon had previously stressed that the PowerShot Pick is for stills, with only a possibility for video, but the prototypes and finished products both appear to feature microphones – suggesting that there will be at least some video capability.
According to DC Watch, the Canon PowerShot Pick is set to launch on Japanese crowdfunding site Makuake on 29 January. Specs and pricing will be revealed then, so stay tuned and we'll keep you informed on this intriguing new device.
ORIGINAL STORY (20 January 2021): Canon is set to announce a new AI-powered camera, according to the latest reports – and it's a fascinating concept camera that Canon showed us in person at The Photography Show a few years ago (which you can see in the video below).
In 2018, Canon brought a trio of new concept cameras to The Photography Show, two of which have already made it to market: the Canon PowerShot Zoom and Canon Ivy Rec. It now appears that the third camera revealed is also about to make the leap from concept to reality.
Referred to by Canon Japan as 'Canon Intelligent Compact Camera' when it was later displayed at CP+ 2019, and then shown off most recently at CES 2020, this new device is similar in principal to the best PTZ cameras that have become increasingly popular in recent years.
However, where PTZ cams have been traditionally used for video like webcamming, streaming and video conferences, Canon applies the concept to stills – where it becomes a personal photographer to shoot action with the family, or even capturing shots you've missed when mounted to the hot shoe of your DSLR or mirrorless camera.
"He's fully automated," said Canon UK's David Parry when describing the anthropomorphic prototype. "There's a little camera inside a 360 kind of rig here, which moves around and moves in lots of different orientations, and the idea of this is if you're going out, if you're spending time with your family or whatever, if you've got a party or something like this, you can set this camera up, just put it down, and let it do its own thing.
Watch video: Canon's AI-powered camera
"It's looking for faces, it's looking for movement, and action, and it's moving around and taking various different shots of things that it sees throughout the day. So the idea of this is it's your own little photographer that you're taking with you, so you don't have to be permanently behind the camera."
The camera uses AI programming to find cool stuff within your scene – including when it's mounted to your hot shoe to capture extra images while you're covering an event or shooting a wedding.
"As we know, as photographers, you're spending most of your time looking through the viewfinder, and you can miss lots of other things that's going on… I can see a wedding photographer finding this really useful as well."
According to a report by Canon Rumors these are the specs:
• 12mp 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor
• 19-57mm 35mm equivalent zoom lens (4x zoom)
• Pans 170°
• Tilt of 110°
• Electronic Image Stabilization
• Dust and Waterproofing
• Battery life of about 2.5 hours
• Records data to microSD
• USB-C Port
• Both Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity
With Canon releasing so many innovative new cameras recently, we sincerely hope that this one joins the Zoom and Ivy Rec in making it to market!
Read more:
Canon PowerShot Zoom review
Hands on: Canon Ivy Rec review
Best Canon cameras
