From the Fujifilm X-T5 to the Nikon Zf to the OM System OM-3, a number of mirrorless camera manufacturers have embraced the 1970s film SLR look in a digital format. But there’s one major camera brand that has steered clear of the retro trend: Canon.
The Canon AE-1, one of the most popular models in Canon’s long and varied history, turns 50 years old in April 2026, a milestone that has fueled rumors of the brand finally launching its own retro mirrorless in honor of the AE-1.
But a recent interview with a Canon executive hints that those hopes are just that: hopes. In an interview with French photo publication Phototrend, Canon’s head of the imaging business operations in charge of products, Manabu Kato said that the company doesn’t (as of February 2026) have any plans to celebrate the milestone.
“Honoring tradition is very important, but it’s not the only thing,” Kato said, translated by Google. “We also need to adapt to the changing times and continue to evolve. This is important to us because it will contribute to the evolution of the entire photography industry.”
That may dash the hopes of Canon fans hoping to see a digital remake of the AE-1. But Canon not having any plans around the anniversary of the AE-1 doesn’t necessarily mean that Canon doesn’t have any plans at all to embrace the retro camera revival. After all, Canon did display a prototype camera with a waist-level finder at CP+ this year.
The Canon AE-1, launched in 1976, was a ground-breaking camera at the time because it used a microcomputer to set the exposure value, which helped Canon to eliminate 300 parts and launch the SLR at an affordable price. The camera was so popular that Canon launched one with an automatic shutter and aperture five years later, the Canon AE-1 Program.
Canon is one of the few brands that doesn’t have some sort of retro SLR camera in its catalog – yet the company's founding in 1933 gives it plenty of historic cameras. Nikon has the Zf and Zf c, OM System has the OM-3 and (in some regions) the PEN. Fujifilm has, well, most of Fujifilm's lineup feels a bit retro. Sony hasn’t embraced the retro dials, but has the rangefinder-inspired A7C II.
Retro-inspired cameras have risen in popularity in recent years – alongside other retro tech like record players – and many see the rise in retro tech as a way to escape the increasing amount of technology integrated into modern life.
Of course, doing something just because it’s trending isn’t a good idea – particularly considering the amount of time that it takes to develop a camera could mean the trend is dead by the time the camera even makes it to market.
And, if there’s a brand that doesn’t need a retro camera, it’s Canon, who’s had the number one global share for interchangeable lens cameras for 23 years in a row. Last year, the company’s imaging sales grew by 7.9 percent, thanks in part to the R6 Mark III as well as the success of its compact cameras.
Still, the interview may dash the hopes of many Canon fans – and should help squash the rumors of a digital AE-1.
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