Tokyo, Jan 1 (IANS): Canon's EOS-1D X Mark III will reportedly be the Japanese company's last top-end DSLR as Canon moves its product line toward mirrorless cameras.

According to CNET, the company's chairman Chairman and Chief Executive Fujio Mitarai announced the news in an interview in the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun and confirmed by Canon.

Mirrorless cameras are the future, at least for those of us who want more image quality and lens flexibility than smartphones offer. The shift toward mirrorless cameras is accelerating, Mitarai said.

Although Canon's move may not be surprising, it's a significant moment in a technology transition that takes cameras another step away from the days of film.

Canon cemented its film-era clout with its EOS line of single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, which use a "reflex" mirror to bounce light into the viewfinder when composing a photo.

The mirror swings out of the way when it's time to expose the film, or in the digital era, an image sensor chip, the report said.

But led by Sony and other Canon competitors, the camera industry is moving to mirrorless designs like Canon's new EOS R3, it added.

Earlier in 2021, Sony ditched DSLRs and moved its manufacturing to an all-mirrorless product line.