By Matt Allard and Dan Chung:

Have you been eyeing up that shiny new 4K Canon C300 mkII? The camera isn’t even available yet, but today Canon announced that they are working on something even better.. a 8K cine camera.

In a technology announcement today Canon said they have a Cinema EOS System 8K camera under development. It has their own Super35 mm CMOS sensor that will be able to resolve high-resolution 8,192 x 4,320 pixel (approximately 35.39 million effective pixels) images. According to Canon, ”the imaging performance even at 60 frames per second will be able to deliver 13 stops of dynamic range and a richly expressive wide colour gamut.”

The image shows a camera that looks nearly identical to the C300 mkII apart from a 8K badge on the side. It will feature an EF mount that offers compatibility with Canon’s interchangeable EF lens lineup. There is no word yet on whether a PL mount will be available, but it is more than likely given that the C300 mkII has interchangeable mounts.

Perhaps more interesting is that the camera is pictured with a whopping 7x 19.7-138mm lens with a maximum aperture of T2.8. This is the same lens we spotted in a glass cabinet at the Interbee show last year. It is also sports a 8K badge and could be a great lens for high end television and movies.

To support the camera, the company is currently developing a 8K reference monitor that incorporates Canon image-processing technology. The ultra-high-resolution 8K reference display will achieve high brightness, high contrast (high dynamic range) and a wide colour gamut. Additionally, with a pixel density exceeding 300 pixels per inch, a level approaching the limit of human visibility, the display will make possible ultra-realistic imaging that enables the reproduction of subtle changes in light that were previously not possible. Canon claims that when used in combination with the Cinema EOS System 8K camera, the display will be capable of conveying truly impressive levels of visual expression.

Also announced today was the fact that they are working on a 120 megapixel stills camera – although quite why anyone would actually need that many pixels is beyond me. According to Canon “The high-resolution images that the camera will be capable of producing will recreate the three-dimensional texture, feel and presence of subjects, making them appear as if they are really before one’s eyes. The camera will facilitate a level of resolution that is more than sufficient for enlarged poster-sized printout while also enabling images to be cropped and trimmed without sacrificing image resolution and clarity.”

Canon have a habit of making these technology announcements months, or even years ahead of when the finished product actually ships. Sometimes the final product looks just like what was seen in the technology announcement, other times it is completely redesigned.

It would actually be more surprising if Canon weren’t working on a 8K camera, but what the early announcement today does is lay down a marker that they are serious about the imaging business and are investing considerable time and money into it. Other big Japanese and Korean manufacturers are already developing 8K technology and I doubt we have to wait long until 8K cameras becoming available.