Is The Future Of Photography 3D?

credits: Canon

At CP+ 2026 in Yokohama, Canon gave a pretty in-depth interview to Phototrend, covering everything from third-party RF lenses to where the company sees things heading next. One question stood out. Go Tokura, Executive Vice President and head of Canon’s imaging division, was asked what single technology could fundamentally change photography in the next couple of years. His answer was the shift from 2D to 3D, which he sees as the future of photography.

According to Tokura, a photograph is always a representation of reality, and the goal is to capture that as accurately as possible. From that perspective, a flat 2D image has its limits, while 3D can add a stronger sense of depth and realism. He even went a step further, pointing out that real-world experiences involve more than just visuals, but also things like sound, temperature, wind, and even smell. In theory, future cameras could try to capture more of that, although he also acknowledged that something like that is still a long way off.

Still, this is not just a theoretical direction for Canon. The company has already been investing in VR and spatial imaging, including dual fisheye lenses designed to capture 3D content for devices like Apple’s Vision Pro. More recently, it also introduced an ultra-wide fisheye zoom that can be used for 360-degree capture when paired with a second lens. So while a full shift from 2D to 3D photography might not happen overnight, Canon is already taking steps in that direction.