Canon Handheld Vlogging Camera Patent: What Can We Expect?

Like with any major manufacturer, product development is a constant and lengthy process. Often research and development proves fruitless, but what public displays companies engage in can indicate what the manufacturers are prioritizing - such is the case with this recent Canon patent.

In a Japanese application made in late August, Canon seems to be patenting a new design of interchangeable-lens vlogging camera. This report comes to us via Canon Rumors, who spotted the patent application - though that comes with caveats. Canon have applied for similar patents in the past, and nothing has come of them. And the patent application process is one measured in years, we don’t think we’ll get anything substantive regarding this handheld camera.

All this to say, none of this confirms at Canon vlogging gimbal any time soon, instead being merely evidence of a potential product further down the line. As Canon Rumors’ own post highlights, little comes of patent applications, and they should be taken with a grain of salt.

Canon Handheld Vlogging Camera: Patent Highlights

From the outset, this does look like a promising design. We find it curious that whilst Canon seem to be muscling in on DJI’s territory, DJI is possibly muscling in on Canon’s with the potential of a mirrorless camera on the horizon. This patent bears some notional similarities to the Osmo Pocket 3, though there are only so many shapes a gimbal camera like this can take. Canon already has a pocket-sized vlogging grip, and an array of compact camera designs, so it makes sense to attempt to pair the two.

The design seems fairly standard, with a handle to hold onto the camera and what will likely be Canon’s RF or RF-S mount on top. Canon Rumors speculate on this being the same sensor found in Canon’s PowerShot range, and we’re inclined to agree. The bridge camera range boasts some impressive resolution for its compact 1” sensor size, so to see it in an interchangeable lens model would be an interesting combination.

In terms of other features, it is too early to say anything concrete. Plenty of features are labelled in the application, ranging from the horseshoe mount on the top of the camera (ideal for microphone placement in a vlogging setup) to the button layout. The mission statement - or “Abstract” - of the patent is as follows:

To provide an imaging device that can be made lighter and smaller while ensuring accurate gimbal control.
Source: J-PlatPat

Following that, there is an extended description of the device’s purpose, which we’ve done our best to translate - fluent in Google Translate as we are:

Conventionally, as a device that can reduce camera shake or intentionally change the imaging angle of view, there is a so-called gimbal device that can rotate the camera unit on three axes [...]. In such a gimbal device, the camera unit may be a zoom lens barrel that can be changed from wide angle to telephoto in order to adapt to various shooting scenes. In this case, if the position of the center of gravity of the zoom lens barrel moves depending on the focal length, it affects the accuracy of the gimbal control, so for example, the technology described in [separate patent application] prevents such a situation from occurring.

Specifically, the technology described in [separate patent application] moves a balance member in the opposite direction to the movement direction of the center of gravity of the zoom lens barrel, thereby suppressing the change in the position of the center of gravity of the zoom lens barrel and preventing the occurrence of a situation that affects the accuracy of the gimbal control. 

However, the technology described in [separate patent application] adds a balance member and its movement mechanism to the zoom lens barrel, which are not actually necessary for the camera's functions. Therefore, the technology described in Patent Document 2 has the problem of hindering weight reduction and size reduction.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems. The present invention aims to provide an imaging device that can be made lighter and smaller while ensuring precise gimbal control.

In order to achieve the above object, an imaging device of the present invention comprises an optical lens, an imaging element through which the optical axis of the optical lens passes, a zoom lens barrel that changes the focal length by moving the optical lens in the direction of the optical axis, a connection section that supports the zoom lens barrel, and a first drive device having one end to which the connection section is fixed and that rotates the zoom lens barrel about a first axis substantially perpendicular to the optical axis via the connection section, wherein, in the direction of the optical axis based on the imaging element, as the center of gravity of an assembly made up of everything connected to one end of the first drive device moves due to the change in the focal length, the connection section moves in a direction following the movement of the center of gravity.
Source: J-PlatPat

Though the majority of the patent document is fairly technical, it highlights the same fundamentals: a lightweight and versatile handheld gimbal for vlogging purposes. The patent claims seem to steer towards stability as the main selling point, so perhaps we can expect some hefty IBIS within the compact model?

As we say, this is a very early stage of product development, so we aren’t expecting Canon to come up with anything concrete in the near future. But the prospect of a new handheld Canon system is definitely of interest, and we’re curious to see what the future holds.