Noted camera maker Canon has joined the artificial intelligence bandwagon and has emphasised that they would now focus on making cameras that would “create great shots for the millennials”.

Kazutada Kobayashi, president and CEO, Canon India, told a news wire, “We are on the right path when it comes to infusing artificial intelligence into cameras. The experience of the last 80 years has helped us catch new trends early — be it in chips, designs, smart functions or controls. Software development is the key to stay ahead.”

Cameras are facing tough competition from the smartphone segment, with brands making phones especially designed to take as well as share great pictures. The professional camera market has caught on to many of the trends such as using smarter chips, WiFi support, smart functions, superior speed and enhanced performance.

Canon had announced the launch of the new 470EX-AI camera in February this year. This camera is equipped with technology called Auto Intelligent (AI) Bounce. The camera is thus equipped to find the optimal bounce angle for lighting the subject.

Canon had said, “It’s a revolutionary new flash system designed with entry-level and enthusiast photographers in mind… The Speedlite 470EX-AI Flash could help alleviate the stigma attached to flash photography as being too difficult, while serving as a gateway for photographers looking to expand their skill set, especially those who recently stepped up from smartphone photography.”

Not only the noted camera makers, but tech giants have also sensed the future of AI-enabled cameras and are making use of the situation. For example, Google had launched Google Clips, a camera which uses ML to detect and identify faces and continuously checks for any photogenic moments to record.

“The relationship between a smartphone camera and a real camera is interesting. With smartphones, more and more people are now clicking pictures which have given us a thrust as people are now keen to have better image quality with AI embedded into it. This is a good takeaway from the smartphone market to build Next-Gen cameras,” Kobayashi said. He also added that the Indian camera market is growing in both the B2B and B2C segments for Canon.

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