New Canon 8D digital SLR equipped with immersive 3D technology

UPDATE: April Fool's is over folks, so it's time to own up: This post is a prank. Except, of course, for the part about Japan. The folks there need our prayers and support. Japanese companies like Canon enrich our lives immeasurably, and I wish them all the best in the coming months.

This just in: Canon has announced the successor to the 7D, its flagship APS-C sensor digital SLR. The new Canon 8D surpasses the 7D with industry-leading 24-megapixel resolution, a top burst speed of almost 10 raw images per second (to a maximum of 32 images), a swivel LCD screen, full HD video, and, for the first time in a Canon SLR, support for 3D imaging.

Unlike the optical 3D technology offered by existing digital cameras and camcorders, the 8D uses sonar technology to create a 360-degree 3D rendering of a subject. The data can then be imported into surround video systems to create immersive images of landscapes and other subjects that literally wrap around the viewer — much as surround-sound systems envelop the listener in sound.

To display surround images generated by the Canon 8D, consumers will need video systems complying with the 3DS video standard, which is expected to debut in products by Samsung and Panasonic by early summer 2011.

According to a Canon spokesman, the 8D is the company's first camera to utilize a 64-bit quad-core processor, presumably to handle the large raw files and 3D images.

Getting serious
This "announcement" is, of course, an April fool's prank. But there's nothing funny about what's happening in Canon's home country, Japan. The products created by the folks at Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, and other camera manufacturers bring the world untold enjoyment and utility. I thank them for what they do, I wish them well in the coming months ahead, and I encourage everyone to support them and to keep them in their thoughts and prayers.

And yes, I'm looking forward to seeing what the real 8D will offer.