Canon rumor points to retro mirrorless camera, with rangefinder designs possibly hinting at fixed-lens future

It seems as though the likes of Fujifilm, Nikon, and Olympus have kicked off a craze with their retro-styled bodies loaded with analogue controls. According to The Federation of Independent Photographers on Weibo (via Canon Rumors), it appears as though Canon has already decided to make a retro body, it is still just busy figuring out which heritage model will inspire the design.

The leaker indicates that Canon has reached out to its customer base, asking them to vote on which heritage model to base the new mirrorless body on. At the moment, Canon appears to be considering the Canon P 35 mm rangefinder camera, Canon AE-1 35 mm SLR, Canon F-1 35 mm SLR, or Canonet QL17 lens-shutter rangefinder camera.

The variety of different body options Canon is considering is particularly interesting, as some of the designs, like the QL17 and Canon P obviously suit a rangefinder-style mirrorless camera better than an interchangeable-lens mirrorless camera. An AE-1 and Canon F-1 would better suit the RF mount without compromising the camera's retro design.

This large variance raises questions about whether Canon is planning more than one retro-themed camera. It could well be that Canon is getting back into the rangefinder camera space with a digital rangefinder, looking to capitalise on the success of the likes of the Fujifilm X100V and Ricoh GR IIIx.

At the time of writing, the Canonet QL17 appears to be ahead in the polls, with the Canon P, Canon AE-1, and Canon F-1 following, in that order. It remains to be seen what Canon's plans are with the information it collects from the poll, but it would certainly be interesting to see another digital rangefinder camera pop up in the space.