Don’t you just hate it when you pick up your trusty Canon EOS R5, only to discover that it’s actually a sneaky Transformer? Bad news, because this nightmarish future spotted by TFormers will become a reality next year thanks to a collaboration between Takara Tomy (the Japanese company behind the Transformers toys) and Canon (the Japanese company behind… well you get the idea).
The collaboration has resulted in a pair of Transformers figurines that can be folded into surprisingly realistic-looking Canon mirrorless cameras. I say “surprisingly realistic” because at first glance I somehow mistook these for working cameras. But just in case it wasn’t clear from their ¥19,800 (about $147) price, they are non-functional replicas that are only 80 percent the size of the real thing. (The idea that this could be a functioning camera isn’t that wild considering Takara Tomy has produced before working MP3 player Transformer toy).
Probably my favorite detail is the lens cap, which in both cases turns into shields that the Transformers can wield. But a close second are the miniature cameras that seem to include both figurines in some of the promotional images, which is a wonderfully silly addition. One figurine is based on Optimus Prime, the other is Decepticon Refraktor.
Both Transformers are slated for release in Japan next year on February 25, and TFW2005 reports that preorders are open from now until September 28th. It is unclear if they will see a worldwide release.