Held once every five years — a geological age in electronic technology terms — some of the products on show at the 2010 Canon Expo in Paris last month seem to have been created just because it was possible to do so.

Inside the exhibition hall, viewing the dazzling displays of new concepts for the future of imaging, it seemed like the possibilities were endless. New imaging innovations included Canon’s compact multi-purpose camera that supports both video and still image capture with ultra-high definition. It is capable of delivering 4K resolution at 60fps. The multi-purpose camera features a newly developed 5x7.5cm 8-megapixel CMOS sensor and a compact 24-480mm equivalent 20x optical zoom lens with maximum apertures ranging from f/1.8 at the wide end to f/3.8 at full telephoto.

Very popular with the crowds as well was a “Matrix” style Interactive Mixed Reality concept system. This featured a head-mounted display with built-in cameras and a computer, which processes video to blend real and virtual realities. It combines the real and virtual worlds in real-time, creating a visual experience in which users can not only “see” images in a visual space, but also control and create them. The system uses a head-mounted display with built-in cameras and a computer that processes video to blend real and virtual realities, bringing gamers several steps closer to total immersion in a virtual world.

However, the imaging ethos is not all about games by any means. Medical imaging saw a range of new imaging products on show, from Canon’s first fully integrated low-dose digital radiography system to eye-care imaging solutions that enable healthcare professionals to visualize the retina in 3D for quicker and more accurate diagnosis.

There’s still a long way to go from concept to product, but whatever the imaging tools of the future might be, at the Paris EXPO, Canon showed that they are at the leading edge of the R&D needed to deliver them.