Canon has officially partnered with Japanese toy company Takara Tomy to produce two Transformers toys that take the shape of Canon’s EOS R5.
Spotted by The Verge, the toy maker will release a pair of Transformers toys — Optimus Prime of the Autobots, and Refraktor from the Decepticons. Refraktor comprises three separate robots; Spectro, Spyglass, and Viewfinder. Both can disguise themselves as Canon’s camera but they are, functionally, still toys.
When they’re not being iconic 80s animated characters, they are an 80% scale model of Canon’s full-frame mirrorless EOS R5. Takara Tomy says that the camera body and lens can be removed, but since these are toys, they cannot actually snap pictures. That’s a pity. There was a ‘Prime lens’ joke in there somewhere.
The lens cap resembles the one found on Canon’s actual cameras. It can be removed and wielded as a shield by your chosen Transformer. Basically everyone is choosing Optimus, right?
Prime focus
Both robots come with a small camera that each can hold when in their transformed state. It’s absolutely adorable, even when the Decepticon is holding it. Optimus Prime ships with a tiny EOS R5 while Refraktor comes with a three-part camera that mimics the Decepticon’s original concept.
The two Transformers are scheduled to be released in Japan on 25 February 2023. Pre-orders for Optimus Prime and Refraktor will open between 10 August and 28 September for about $150 (R2,435). Takara Tomy has not confirmed a global release, so these will probably be an import purchase.
