Canon Medium Format?
A lot of discussion around the web about whether or not the 1D X is really a unification of the flagship line. A lot of people want that big megapixel studio camera.

[NL] posted an interesting quote from an interview with Canon Japan recently.

While we hear the voices, we want to see what the actual sales numbers will be for the 1D X and so determine how many 10,000s of customers we might be losing if we do not introduce a higher resolution camera and if the projected profitability of a higher resolution 24×36 mm format camera will justify development, marketing, and manufacturing investments , or if there is a sustainable market for the even greater costs of development, marketing, and manufacturing medium format cameras and lenses – an area where we have no internal expertise.

A few people I have spoken to desire a flagship camera that is high megapixel. They would like performance beyond what could be had for $2500 or so in a 5D Mark III.

I haven’t heard of a medium format prototype within Canon, however I have heard in the past that Canon has considered purchasing a medium format company. I’ve personally never understood why they would, they are more than capable of entering the market themselves.

Canon Mirrorless [CR1]
Will Canon target the niche market with any sort of mirrorless camera in the future? That’s what one person told me this week. There’s no interest in the company in releasing an NEX or Nikon 1 kind of mirrorless.

B&H Deal of the day
B&H has the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II in stock and selling for $2074 until January 7, 2012.

cr

The hits keep on coming.
It has recently been suggested to me that there will not be a 1Ds Mark IV at all.

The 5D Mark III (or whatever it’s called) will be aimed to take over the market for 1Ds users.

I know a couple of 1Ds3 users that are using 5D Mark II’s most of the time now. Both folks say if the 5D3 ups its build quality and AF, they’d never buy a 1Ds again. If it’s priced at under $3000, a lot of people will probably feel the same way.

The same person says it’s possible that a new camera at the top of the lineup aimed solely at the medium format market, but not a medium format camera, will come to fruition. The design will be a radical departure (possibly modular).

CR’s Take
We’ve heard rumblings about this in the past.

Canon fans say all the time that they want Canon to be “revolutionary again”. However, when a rumor points to a big departure (which doesn’t happen frequently), it’s generally put down for being untrue or unrealistic.

I have a lot of trouble seeing a point to the 1Ds line as its currently implemented, I’d say a radical departure is a strong possibility.

cr

Bigger!
Received a cryptic email in regards to Canon having some interest in purchasing a medium format camera company. Apparently they’ve moved to the point of actually opening the company’s books.

There was no word on which company that was, but there really aren’t that many of them. There have always been murmurs about Canon moving into the medium format segment. I’m not even sure if it’s a growth market or not, or what use Canon would have with it.

I have been told in the past that Canon had interest in acquiring Pentax, but it fell through. Pentax has now moved into the medium format marketplace with the 645D, the folks in Japan will be paying close attention to its success.

If it is Pentax, I for one would love an orange rebel with a pink lens.

cr

Some predictions from Thom Hogan
Nikon superstar and generally well spoken Thom Hogan has some predictions in regards to the industry in 2009.

This is what he sees from Canon:

1) 50/50 on 1D Mark III Replacement.
2) “A bigger than FX sensor Canon is the one special thing that could show up in 2009.”
3) To retain market leadership at around 40% of dSLR with the sales of Rebels. (Nikon 37%, Sony 13% currently)

I haven’t heard anything concrete about Canon going into medium format. When I do, I’ll talk about it here.

I fully believe the 1D Mark III will get a redo in 2009, it may not be until the end of 2009 however. Everyone I speak too doesn’t think Canon is too eager to release the camera until it is truly ready and proper QC has been done. There is a new AF system in the works but no where near completed.

Thom’s article

cr

From NL
Along the lines of the famed Canon medium format project. There may be a new product on the near horizon for landscape and architectural photographers.

Read more at Northlight

cr

From DPR
You can read about it here….

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read. … e=29510748