# Patent: The Next Prosumer DSLR to Get Illuminated Buttons?



## Canon Rumors Guy (Nov 18, 2017)

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Will Canon finally add illuminated buttons to the back of their prosumer DSLRs? This latest patent seems to show that they just might.</p>
<p>Nikon and Pentax have had illuminated rear buttons for quite some time.</p>


<p>Could the EOS 7D Mark III be the first Canon DSLR to get this feature?</p>
<p><a href="https://www4.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/eng/tokujitsu/tkbs_en/TKBS_EN_GM101_Top.action">Japan Patent Application JP2017-147019A</a></p>
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## Mikehit (Nov 18, 2017)

I wonder how you can patent illuminated buttons? There must be some fancy stuff going on in there - a miniature genetically engineered glow worm, perhaps?


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## dolina (Nov 18, 2017)

Cue people hating this innovation


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## Mikehit (Nov 18, 2017)

Why? It's damned useful.


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## Bennymiata (Nov 18, 2017)

It's about time too!


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## ahsanford (Nov 19, 2017)

Long, long overdue. I welcome this on all models (provided you can turn it off when you want to).

- A


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## amorse (Nov 19, 2017)

This is awesome, I just wish I had it on my 5DIV! But yes, provided that you can turn it off.


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## nostrovia (Nov 19, 2017)

amorse said:


> This is awesome, I just wish I had it on my 5DIV! But yes, provided that you can turn it off.



It'd be great if it was just activated when you hit the button to illuminate the top panel lcd.


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## Click (Nov 19, 2017)

Bennymiata said:


> It's about time too!



+1


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## Chaitanya (Nov 19, 2017)

Olympus also had illuminated buttons on their entry level DSLR E-620. illuminated buttons are such a life saver when working in dark.


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## -1 (Nov 19, 2017)

So the invention patented is that this will now available on Canon cameras? Like, if you can turn them of....


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## zim (Nov 19, 2017)

nostrovia said:


> amorse said:
> 
> 
> > This is awesome, I just wish I had it on my 5DIV! But yes, provided that you can turn it off.
> ...



Wouldn't be able to find it, wouldn't be illuminated  ;D


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## -1 (Nov 19, 2017)

zim said:


> nostrovia said:
> 
> 
> > amorse said:
> ...



pppp


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## midluk (Nov 19, 2017)

zim said:


> nostrovia said:
> 
> 
> > amorse said:
> ...



They can add some (always) illuminated arrows to the housing to lead you the button.


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## Memirsbrunnr (Nov 19, 2017)

What no one seems to commend on is that this seems to imply there is not going to be a titly flippy screen on the 6D mark 3.. this has me disappointed a little


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## Yasko (Nov 19, 2017)

Mikehit said:


> I wonder how you can patent illuminated buttons? There must be some fancy stuff going on in there - a miniature genetically engineered glow worm, perhaps?



German manufacturer Leica has a patent on illuminated controls of superresolution microscopes, prohibiting the competition to e.g. use illuminated keyboards (standard market components) or wheel controls... anything is possible in the fucked up world of patent rights.


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## whothafunk (Nov 19, 2017)

About time. Atleast something Nikon done right years ago (1, 2?), wish Canon would follow sooner.


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## IglooEater (Nov 19, 2017)

I'd say this is 15 years over due. Otoh, I can't recall not finding a button just because I couldn't see it- Canon had them all placed exactly where they ought to be.


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## BeenThere (Nov 19, 2017)

Have too hope they do it right with no internal light leakage to the sensor with high ISO and long exposures (minutes}. Of course ability to turn it off would negate this, but at night you would want it turned on.


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## rrcphoto (Nov 19, 2017)

Memirsbrunnr said:


> What no one seems to commend on is that this seems to imply there is not going to be a titly flippy screen on the 6D mark 3.. this has me disappointed a little



wrong camera model. this is either a 5D or a 7D chassis.


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## symmar22 (Nov 19, 2017)

Memirsbrunnr said:


> What no one seems to commend on is that this seems to imply there is not going to be a titly flippy screen on the 6D mark 3.. this has me disappointed a little



My guess is the 6D3 will keep the tilty screen but won't have the illuminated buttons, they'll make the feature available on higher end models only (7D, 5D, 1D). That means that these cameras won't have a tilty screen either, unless Canon found a way to combine tilty screen and button illumination.


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## KeithBreazeal (Nov 19, 2017)

Those of us that do a lot of night photography know where the buttons are.
Knowing your camera is part of the fun.


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## zim (Nov 19, 2017)

With a properly designed touch screen I'd expect (want), top plate excluded all those buttons to disappear to make room for a bigger screen. No need for backlight.


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## applecider (Nov 19, 2017)

KeithBreazeal said:


> Those of us that do a lot of night photography know where the buttons are.
> Knowing your camera is part of the fun.



This.


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## Memirsbrunnr (Nov 19, 2017)

symmar22 said:


> Memirsbrunnr said:
> 
> 
> > What no one seems to commend on is that this seems to imply there is not going to be a titly flippy screen on the 6D mark 3.. this has me disappointed a little
> ...


 Dammit typo I meant of course 7D mark 3, rather have the flippy then illuminated buttons


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## vjlex (Nov 19, 2017)

It would be even nicer if they offered this as a hardware upgrade. This is long overdue, and not enough of a selling point in and of itself to upgrade from a 5D IV to a V. But I would be willing to pay a reasonable price for the upgrade.


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## slclick (Nov 20, 2017)

I have never had an issue with this after 28 years with Canon dslrs. Now, any other mfg? Yeah, no one has the ergonomics and sensible layout that Canon has. Don't get me started on menus either.


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## djack41 (Nov 20, 2017)

Nice but a tilting LCD touch screen would be far more useful. Get with the program, Canon. The 7D3 had better match or exceed the features and performance of the awesome Nikon D500.


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## Ozarker (Nov 20, 2017)

Yasko said:


> Mikehit said:
> 
> 
> > I wonder how you can patent illuminated buttons? There must be some fancy stuff going on in there - a miniature genetically engineered glow worm, perhaps?
> ...



I highly doubt other manufacturers can't incorporate illuminated keyboards or controls on their products. They just have to be designed differently enough to not infringe on Leica's design.

Look at all the different mice, keyboards, motherboards, memory chips, batteries, cpu's, or a million other products that are similar, but with different patents held by many different companies and sold on the open market.

I don't see how that is messed up. A person or company that designs a product ought to have their intellectual property protected. This does not stifle the market. Instead, it breeds variety and competition and creativity. Allowing somebody to pirate a design destroys those things. Does Leica manufacturer the controls? Does Leica have an exclusive license to all manufactured illuminated keyboards? I doubt it. Just look at all the hundreds of choices of tires for your car. Each choice is patented. Every design is a little different. Patents are held by dozens of different manufacturers for thousands of different designs.

It isn't that Leica owns all patents to all illuminated keyboards. It sounds more like the competition is lazy or unable to innovate.

Closer to home, just look at all your lens choices. That is made possible in large part due to patent protections.


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## Ozarker (Nov 20, 2017)

djack41 said:


> Get with the program, Canon. The 7D3 had better match or exceed the features and performance of the awesome Nikon D500.



Or what? Gonna jump ship? : : :

Something some folks are missing is that the patent is for the way Canon designs the hardware and implementation of the buttons. As such, the patent doesn't need to show which body they are on or even where they are on the body.


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## eosuser1234 (Nov 20, 2017)

I want the focusing scale to light up.


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## rrcphoto (Nov 20, 2017)

CanonFanBoy said:


> djack41 said:
> 
> 
> > Get with the program, Canon. The 7D3 had better match or exceed the features and performance of the awesome Nikon D500.
> ...



doesn't need to. agreed. however this patent definitely shows a 7D or 5D camera body because of the button layout and the AF joystick.


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## SkynetTX (Nov 20, 2017)

KeithBreazeal said:


> Those of us that do a lot of night photography know where the buttons are.
> Knowing your camera is part of the fun.


Have to agree. There's no need to illuminate the buttons if you know your camera and know where they are. If Canon adds this feature to any cameras it should be turned off by default and turned on only in the settings menu. By the way, are you sure that the illumination won't disturb you in composing the pictures?


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## Don Haines (Nov 20, 2017)

Lit up buttons at night? I’d use that.....


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 21, 2017)

KeithBreazeal said:


> Those of us that do a lot of night photography know where the buttons are.
> Knowing your camera is part of the fun.



While I agree, I also have little feeling ability in my fingers, zero is a better description, so I sometimes hit the wrong button or just lose the right one, and find myself wishing they were lighted.


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## James Larsen (Nov 21, 2017)

I'm really hoping they start to implement this. Would LOVE to see it!


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## Hector1970 (Nov 22, 2017)

I'm sure it will drain batteries a little but i'd welcome illuminated buttons.
If its a 7D3 hopefully they'll focus on image quality first.


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## whothafunk (Nov 24, 2017)

Hector1970 said:


> I'm sure it will drain batteries a little but i'd welcome illuminated buttons.
> If its a 7D3 hopefully they'll focus on image quality first.


with the 7D3, they need to focus on AF and ISO. D500 (albeit newer) smokes it out of the water, too many people had issues with 7D2's AF inconsistency, including myself and I'm really glad I got rid of that body. Not looking at crop sensors anymore, but would love to see 7D3 really become the king of crop sensors.


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## Ozarker (Nov 27, 2017)

SkynetTX said:


> KeithBreazeal said:
> 
> 
> > Those of us that do a lot of night photography know where the buttons are.
> ...



There's no need for rubber tires either. Just ride the rims. Gets the job done.


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## Mikehit (Nov 27, 2017)

CanonFanBoy said:


> There's no need for rubber tires either. Just ride the rims. Gets the job done.



Rims are designed to have tyres on them so no, it won't get the job done.


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## jolyonralph (Nov 27, 2017)

This is a great move. Illuminated buttons would be a huge help. Not everyone uses their camera so much that their muscle memory instinctively knows where every button is - especially the ones that are used less frequently. In the dark I'm always stumbling around trying to find buttons.


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## Don Haines (Nov 27, 2017)

jolyonralph said:


> This is a great move. Illuminated buttons would be a huge help. Not everyone uses their camera so much that their muscle memory instinctively knows where every button is - especially the ones that are used less frequently. In the dark I'm always stumbling around trying to find buttons.



And then there are those of us who have multiple cameras, none of which have the buttons in the same place.....


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