Patent for Canon camera with EVF shows up in Japan

Canon has patented a DSLR-like camera with a built-in electronic viewfinder and a Sony-like translucent mirror instead of an optical viewfinder and reflex mirror.

DSLR cameras are using reflex mirrors and optical viewfinders. However, Sony’s A-mount cameras are using translucent mirrors and electronic viewfinders to frame and to capture photos.

Canon has been rumored for a long time to choose a similar path for its lower-end DSLR cameras. However, the company has not made the switch from DSLRs to DSLTs, yet.

Nevertheless, it appears that the gossip talks have a solid foundation. Egami has discovered a new Canon patent that is describing a DSLR-like camera employing an electronic viewfinder and a translucent mirror.

Canon has patented a new camera with a built-in electronic viewfinder and a translucent mirror.

Canon patents DSLR-styled camera with electronic viewfinder and translucent mirror

The patented Canon camera with EVF will employ a fixed translucent mirror. The mirror will allow some light to pass through it in order to hit the image sensor, while the rest of the light will be redirected to the autofocus sensor.

Having such mirror will allow the camera to display what is in front of it at all times on the electronic viewfinder or on the screen located on its back.

According to the patent application, this system will provide a faster continuous shooting mode. This means that action, sports, and wildlife photographers will surely give the camera a chance.

The patent was filed on November 15, 2013 and it was approved on May 21, 2015 in Japan. It is worth noting that this is just a patent and that further information is needed before getting to the conclusion that the Canon camera with EVF is coming to the market.

Canon camera with EVF could serve as Rebel SL2 / EOS 150D successor

Canon was already rumored to be working on a DSLR-like camera with an electronic viewfinder before this patent leak. The product which was said to have this feature was the Rebel SL2 / EOS 150D.

Its predecessor is world’s smallest DSLR, while the new generation is said to become even more compact and lightweight. Getting rid of the optical viewfinder will certainly help with that, but the latest rumors are not promising.

In May 2015, an initial specs list of the Canon Rebel SL2 / EOS 150D was leaked on the web. It said that the camera will employ a 24.2-megapixel APS-C sensor with an optical viewfinder and a reflex mirror.

This does not sound similar to the patent description, so this leaves us with three possibilities: the rumor mill is wrong, the Canon camera with EVF is not the Rebel SL2 / EOS 150D, or the company is testing multiple versions of Rebel SL2 / EOS 150D. Either way, stay tuned to find out the truth!