Canon's plans for VR in 2024
At CES 2024, DeoVR learned about Canon's future plans for VR, including the new foldable camera, a new short-angle 3D lens, and an affordable VR180 lens. We also have information about livestreaming and wider compatibility with the RF lens, from the 2023 VR conference in Amsterdam.
Canon foldable VR camera: 360/180 hybrid
This is the third time Canon has displayed the prototype of this foldable camera. The specs are 8K photo with 8K30FPS video and it’s aimed at the consumer market, with an expected price point of under $1000, making it a strong rival to the popular CalfVR camera. It’s described as a “capable of shooting both 360/180 3D VR images and video” and compact, lightweight and simple to use.
The release date hasn’t been announced yet, though it’s rumored to be coming to market in 2024.
Folded, it will work as a 360 camera with two 180 lenses on opposite sides capturing everything in view, spherically. When unfolded, the two lenses will be side-by-side. It looks similar to the Insta360 EVO, which records 360 footage when folded and 3D content when unfolded.
APS-C Stereoscopic 5.2mm VR Lens
This concept crop-sensor VR lens is priced at around $400. It's designed to work with APS-C image sensors, unlike the existing dual fisheye lens, which only works with full-frame sensors. Despite having a smaller sensor, the image from these cameras is of much better quality than that of smartphones or compact cameras.
This also means this new VR lens can be smaller, as shown in the image below - the width is the same (to match human eyes), but the depth is shorter, making it more portable and easy to carry.
Full details have yet to emerge, but this cheaper lens would open up the world of VR video creation to a much wider market.
Short-angle 3D lens
This new lens seems to tie into Apple’s spatial video and spatial photo functionality, which we explored in our coverage of the iPhone 15 Pro. The lens distance is much smaller than the human IPD, so it won’t offer full 180-degree stereoscopic visuals, but will give a great impression of depth.
Similar to the APS-C VR lens, this prototype was shown attached to the APS-C camera, EOS R7, again, opening up 3D content creation to a wider market. However, it isn’t certain that this is the specific aim of this lens - it could be for 3D macro shots.
News from Amsterdam VR Conference 2023:
Canon VR lens compatible with more cameras
The Canon EOS R6 Mark II is compatible with the RF 5.2mm dual fisheye lens. That's big news because previously, the only camera bodies the lens worked with were the R5 and R5C, both costing around $4000. The R6 Mk II, however, costs just $2499, making top-quality VR accessible to more people.
However, it's worth noting that this rig can only record 4K quality resolution, which lags behind current VR standards. It could be useful for beginners, as it records 60FPS, but the costs of both camera and lens means there are more affordable options for those looking to start creating VR videos.
VR Livestreaming
Live streaming VR 180 content seems to be a priority for Canon, with a panel explaining a conceptual solution using the EOS R5C. This explains: “As proof of concept, a prototype Canon drive is used with UNITY to enable a real-time conversion of a video output from the EOS R5 C. The output could then be sent as a live stream to a mass audience for live events or to users across the globe for live training.” The specs given are:
- HDMI output from a supported Canon EOS camera with the RF 5.2mm F2.8L Dual fisheye lens
- Up to 4K / 60P
- Prototype Canon driver
- UNITY application support
It's worth noting that this is still in the prototype phase and is only available in 4K for now. However, this feature would be enormously popular for streaming sports events and live music performances and VR tech is progressing fast, so we expect this to be implemented soon.
Keep checking back for the latest news. Live streaming VR is a major priority for DeoVR - you can read more about live streaming VR in our dedicated 8K livestreaming VR article at the DeoVR blog.
