Canon EOS-b Images Leak & a New Kit Lens

[c.d.embrey]

does anyone have an idea why Canon released such a camera? who is this small DSLR for?

Canon and Nikon are both losing sales to Panasonic, Olympus and Sony NEX. Theses small/light mirrorless cameras are attractive to people who don't need to impress others with the size of their lens.

[Haydn1971]

Where's the problem here - new small camera to extend the popularity of the EOS brand - ideal for parents to buy their kids, ideal for people with small hands, ideal as a starter camera to tie new buyers into the EOS system.

It will create more profit for Canon to keep the shareholders happy and reinvest in development - a win-win situation in my book.

[c.d.embrey]

By the way the fact that this camera (that none is expecting and none asked for) is coming out before both 70D and 7DII is a clear sign of how unimportant for Canon is the entire Gearhead/Pro-amateur/Semipro/Pro market.. T_T

Gearheads think that they are important, but the truth is that they buy very few cameras vs casual consumers. Casual consumers like small/light. Follow the money.

[Zlatko]

Where's the problem here - new small camera to extend the popularity of the EOS brand - ideal for parents to buy their kids, ideal for people with small hands, ideal as a starter camera to tie new buyers into the EOS system.

It will create more profit for Canon to keep the shareholders happy and reinvest in development - a win-win situation in my book.

Exactly!  Small cameras are delightful.  So many people wish for small cameras that offer good quality photos.  They have plenty of other things to carry and they want to carry as little camera as possible, but they don't want the image quality compromises of tiny point & shoots.  Cameras like this one meet a real need.

Photography forums seem to be crowded with negative people who complain about any camera that doesn't meet their personal needs at this moment. 

[ahsanford]

If this is their stubborn DSLR answer to mirrorless (i.e. a small as they can make something with an optical VF without pitching the EF-S on-ramp to EF glass), this needs a 22mm (35mm FF equiv) pancake in EF-S like the EF-M version.  I'd like to see how small it is, but flange to sensor in APS-C is what it is.  Front to back thickness will still be much larger than small sensor mirrorless.

So.... Meh.  Why.  Not for me.

The old 18 MP APS-C sensor rides again...  It's like Weekend at Bernie's -- it just won't die.   

- A

[bseitz234]

Where's the problem here - new small camera to extend the popularity of the EOS brand - ideal for parents to buy their kids, ideal for people with small hands, ideal as a starter camera to tie new buyers into the EOS system.

It will create more profit for Canon to keep the shareholders happy and reinvest in development - a win-win situation in my book.

Damn, I wish my parents would buy me an $800 camera... But if they did, I'd rather have a refurb 60d or t4i plus leftover cash to put towards another lens...

[Don Haines]

Where's the problem here - new small camera to extend the popularity of the EOS brand - ideal for parents to buy their kids, ideal for people with small hands, ideal as a starter camera to tie new buyers into the EOS system.

It will create more profit for Canon to keep the shareholders happy and reinvest in development - a win-win situation in my book.

Exactly!  Small cameras are delightful.  So many people wish for small cameras that offer good quality photos.  They have plenty of other things to carry and they want to carry as little camera as possible, but they don't want the image quality compromises of tiny point & shoots.  Cameras like this one meet a real need.

Photography forums seem to be crowded with negative people who complain about any camera that doesn't meet their personal needs at this moment.

As a backpacker, after putting tent, sleeping bag, water filter, stove, pot, 1st aid kit, raingear, spare clothing, and a weeks food into the pack, there is not a whole heck of a lot of space left over.... and I am not getting younger. A smaller and lighter camera that still takes decent pictures is VERY attractive. Bigger and better is not always the answer. If you gave me a free 1DX and a free 600 F4 it would stay home on a hike and I'd bring this one instead.

[nazdar]

Canon just freaked out from small Nikon bodies so they made one. They are just trying anything.

[ahsanford]

Looking at all these comments, it's clear that with Canon going the B+ route with APS-C on EOS-M (for non-Americans, that's a good but not great grade as many wanted a FF mirrorless), the sensor is still so large as to drive a good but not great 'small camera'.  Neither the tiny EOS-M nor this new DSLR will be terribly small thickness-wise as a result, and the lenses will still be physically quite long.

I know the mirrorless money is in m4/3 or APS-C right now, but I still believe there is a market in ultra small sensors as they drive thinner products.  There is value in a pocketable camera for those versant with SLR-style controls.

- A

[mb66energy]

Looks a lot more interesting to me than the under performing M series.

Just made this gif, the b is much smaller than the T4i.

A good comparison between both cameras that you provided here.

EOS b opens the opportunity to use 1 or two secondary cameras in
a standard photo backpack - by putting them with a lens attached
into a standard lens compartment. This might be the "intelligent rear
cap" for EF(-S) lenses and makes a really cute combo with the 2.8/40mm!

If I had not invested into a EOS 600D(T3i) it would be interesting ...  if
it has the video zoom mode (3x) with a 100% crop of the sensor center
region (5.6 400mm with 2x TC results in 3840mm focal length!).

[Kuvamastah]

After all they called it "B"? Strange naming for sure.

B like Bébé or baby.
Because that's the smallest size a mirror EOS can probably reach.

They should get rid of the 1100D family, btw.

[sandymandy]

Nooo i like my 1100D T_T First i thought the B will replace them but...799$ eh...

[mrsfotografie]

does anyone have an idea why Canon released such a camera? who is this small DSLR for?

tiny shiny overpriced toy...

'Sorry we can't give you a good Compact System Camera so we'll downsize our ancient DSLR technology'

Sorry to have to say this... 

[bbasiaga]

I have the older XS...how does this compare?  Based on what I know of the T4i it looks to still be smaller than the XS.  That would be awesome for my astrophotography set up.  In a year or two when someone offers the Baader filter mod and I can get a body only of the EOS-b, I will probably be in and very excited.

-Brian

[mrsfotografie]

For me the idea of a small and lightweight DSLR seems quite attractive. I have used and worked with Sonys NEX-5 and have to say that I really prefer to look through the lens and not on a screen to compose pictures. That is why I am not really interested in the Canon EOS M either.

Get a good digital viewfinder and you're set, hence the NEX-6