Neural network technology in Canon apps

Each shot you take is likely to be made up of disparate elements, such as a detailed landscape beneath a broad sky, or a portrait of somebody isolated against a defocused background. To realise the full potential of a RAW file, different areas within an image will benefit from a range of different treatments. That's where neural network image processing comes in, as Canon Europe Senior Product Marketing Specialist Mike Burnhill explains.

"Certain areas within an image can be highly detailed, like a portrait sitter's hair or a bird's feathers. Other areas might have very little detail, like the sky. Based on deep-learned AI, neural network RAW image processing can analyse an image, 'recognising' different types of subject matter in each specific area." The various areas are then processed individually.

"Areas of very fine detail and texture in an image can suffer from moiré patterning and false colour, but the system can eliminate these effects while also enhancing sharpness to really bring out the detail," Mike says. "Relatively undetailed areas don't require any sharpening, so none is applied, thus avoiding the risk of increasing image noise. It's like a painter using a variety of brushes for different areas of an image.

"Deep-learned AI processing sees the bigger picture. Instead of working on a pixel-by-pixel basis, it looks at larger areas within an image. It can pick out elements like diagonal lines and repeating shapes, then automatically apply the appropriate enhancements to refine levels of detail without making them look jagged or blocky. For noise reduction in either detailed or relatively plain areas, selective levels of luminance or chrominance noise reduction are automatically applied, to maximise fine detail and texture while minimising any graininess or colour speckling. In photographic terms, it equates to reducing the ISO setting by about two values without affecting the exposure."

This neural network technology powers the Cloud RAW image processing service in image.canon. The service is based on a monthly subscription fee, covering 80 images a month. Bolt-ons are available for photographers who require greater capacity. The system will accept CR3 and CRAW files but doesn't handle RAW burst images. It's currently available for the Canon EOS R3, EOS R6 Mark II, EOS R7 and EOS R10 cameras, with more to come.

Linking your camera to image.canon is quick and easy. After you turn on your camera and select image.canon from the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth menu, a QR code will be displayed. Scan that QR code with your phone to be taken to image.canon. The first time you do this, the code will work to register your camera for the service.

Once you've registered and subscribed to Cloud RAW image processing, you can select images and upload them to the cloud for processing directly from your camera via Wi-Fi. To do this, go to the Cloud RAW image processing menu, select the capacity that suits your needs, click Add images to process and choose the images you want to send for processing. Once you've sent them, you'll be notified via email when your processed files are ready to download from image.canon. This means you can upload images while you're out on a shoot, and all the processing work can be done for you while you're on your way back to your home or studio.

Canon has developed proprietary deep-learning image processing technology that enables the correction of image quality artefacts inherent to photography, and the upscaling of image files to larger resolutions with virtually no loss of quality.

Every moment is a slice of time – a unique instant that will never occur again in the same way. Capturing these moments on camera is part of what makes photography so compelling – whether it’s breath-taking views seen for the first time, or intriguing events that tell a visual story.

To do justice to these points in time, we strive to maximise image quality and size – overcoming natural phenomena such as digital noise, moiré, softness from diffraction, and light fall-off towards the edge of the frame. We also want the most resolution possible in a photograph to maximise detail and give us the flexibility to crop into a scene without losing image quality.

Many of these phenomena are inherent to photography and can’t be avoided even by the most skilled photographers. But now, Canon’s advanced deep-learning software can correct the previously uncorrectable, tackling problems that are built-in to the principles of photography.

Our online Neural Network Image Processing Tool enhances and enlarges photographs using deep learning AI – a technology inspired by the human brain that involves training a computer using large amounts of data .

Key optical factors that affect photos from 1 to 5

From the light source spectrum:

1. Lens
2. Infrared absorbent/anti-UV glass
3. Low-pass filter
4. Primary colour filter
5. Shape of CMOS sensor opening

The Neural network Upscaling Tool can enlarge images by up to four times while maintaining superb image quality, giving photographers the option of ultra-high resolutions without being weighed down by massive files in-camera.

That’s ideal for sports and news photographers who value the competitive advantage of smaller image files when it comes to transmitting images remotely, but who might want to produce larger prints of final edited images, or crop into pictures for alternative compositions.

For example, the Neural network Upscaling Tool can upscale a 24-megapixel file to 96 megapixels, or a 45-megapixel file to a staggering 180 megapixels. Lower resolution images are transformed too, showing more definition and structure in the final result.

Our deep-learning engine works differently to conventional bicubic interpolation, interrogating the image and drawing on its knowledge of what different materials and textures look like, resulting in fewer artifacts and better fine detail. Unlike other AI upscaling tools, the Neural network Upscaling Tool uses camera and lens information and respects bokeh, preserving the background blur produced by shallow depth of field and producing a faithful result that is truthful to life.

This game-changing approach to high-resolution photography is available to all photographers – not just those shooting with Canon. The tool runs locally on your Mac or PC (running 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11), featuring a simple user interface and compatibility with JPEG and TIFF files. It can also batch process files, saving you time in your digital workflow.

• Try it now – free for 30 days and just £5.99 per month after that. Discounts apply for a yearly subscription plan
• Read more on the upscaling capabilities of Canon’s Neural Network Image Processing Tool.

The image.canon service is also a smart choice for organising your image and video files and storing them safely in the cloud. Compatibility extends to all Canon EOS R System cameras and the majority of DSLRs, including the EOS 6D Mark II, EOS 90D and EOS 850D, as well as a large number of EOS M series cameras and fixed-lens PowerShot and IXUS models.

"Connecting your Wi-Fi-compatible Canon camera enables you to seamlessly upload your images and movies in any file format, where they'll be stored in the cloud for 30 days," says Mike. "After that, lower-resolution thumbnails are retained, with 10GB of available storage space to accommodate even very large collections. Once they're in the cloud, you can access your original files from Canon's dedicated app or any web browser during the initial month, as well as being able to automatically forward them to your macOS or Windows computer and mobile devices.

"To extend connectivity and sharing options, image.canon can also connect to other cloud storage and social media services for long-term storage and sharing. These include Google Drive™, Google Photos™, Flickr, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, as well as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom¹."

Organisational tools enable you to create albums for easy access to collections of themed images. You can also sort images and videos based on individual cameras, file types and other parameters for intuitive cloud-based storing and sharing.

Digital Photo Professional (DPP), Canon's RAW processing and image editing software, is designed to make the most of RAW files from Canon cameras. The latest version introduces a powerful Neural Network Image Processing Tool, which is based on the same AI with deep-learning that powers the Cloud RAW image processing in image.canon.

Also a subscription-based service, the tool automatically analyses different areas within an image, and then applies selective enhancements based on neural network demosaic, lens optimisation and noise reduction algorithms.

The system also improves DPP's correction of lens imperfections. "We've digitally mapped our lenses for their behaviour at different apertures and focus distances, and for the different focal lengths of zoom lenses," Mike says. "But again, the AI in our neural networking system takes things to another level, analysing the image to see exactly what's happening and making the best possible enhancement. Along with enhanced sharpness and minimal noise, it can automatically correct chromatic aberrations, distortion and peripheral illumination."

The Neural Network Image Processing Tool has the added bonus of being able to automatically fix false-colour issues.

Which platforms utilise Canon's neural network technology?

image.canon and DPP utilise Canon's neural network image processing to enhance photos.

Which cameras is Cloud RAW image processing available for?

The technology is available for Canon EOS R3, EOS R6 Mark II, EOS R7 and EOS R10 cameras, and is offered on a monthly paid-for subscription basis. This covers up to 80 images per month, with bolt-on extras for photographers who require processing of larger numbers of images.

What image formats can I send to image.canon?

All types of file formats for still images can be uploaded to image.canon, the choice of which is dictated by individual Canon cameras. These can include RAW, TIFF, JPEG and HEIF file formats for stills, as well as a variety of video file formats.

Can I download my images from image.canon?

Original, full-resolution files are retained in the cloud on image.canon for 30 days after they're initially uploaded. During this period, they can be downloaded to any computer or smart device. You can also set up automatic forwarding so that files are sent direct to your macOS or Windows computer, or to your mobile devices, or to external cloud services.

Which services is image.canon compatible with?

Image.canon is compatible with a wide range of cloud-based storage services and social media platforms. This enables you to transfer original image and movie files (depending on what each service supports) to other systems for permanent secure storage, as well as sharing photos and videos with family, friends and clients directly from image.canon, via your preferred social media platforms. The compatibility list includes the following:

Cloud-based storage services

• Google Drive
• Google Photos
• Flickr
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
• YouTube

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram