Now that the cat is out of the bag, we keep hearing (well maybe more Graig then us!) more and more of the high MP camera some dream of being part of the 2012 line up. I think it will come after the 5DX or 5DIII and am sure it will blow the D800 out of the water. My two cents.
Well my to cents concerning the rumor " I have heard there will be a very high megapixel camera some time in 2012, possibly in the 40mp range and it won’t be the “5D Mark III":
This is marketing crap to torpedo D800 sales, e.g. people switching systems from Nikon to Canon. *Developing* a high MP camera is not exactly the same as having it in the release pipeline like Nikon, is it? And the updated primes they just released are not high MP but for video - the segment in which Canon is in ahead.
If Canon would be even in the general vicinity of a Camera of the D800 type, they'd call it 5DIII. If this really is released w/ 22MP, we'll know there's no high MP variant on the horizon.
Really? Are you sure?
For one, Canon has already developed a 100 MP Camera, and that was several years ago.
Huge MP cameras are nothing new, and I am sure BOTH Canon and Nikon have a dozen developmental models that are being R&D of which MOST never see the light and day, but of which features eventually wind up in production lines.
Both Canon and Nikon have product road maps, and these road maps extend out years and years.
These road maps change over time. They are periodically re-evaluated and are one of the most protected secrets a company has.
It is also MUCH MUCH harder to change a product once it is in the release cycle. It is still difficult to change pre-release, but is possible. I suspect some of the delays on the Canon 1Dx are firmware updates to allow for their F/8 AF hole.
The D800 / D800e are not pre-order and starting to enter the release cycle. Pretty much not much new is going to happen to these cameras except bug fixes.
Canon, on the other hand has the time to tweak what ever they had in queue, whether it is improving their AF, adding in another feature, but I expect TWO cameras from Canon that will sit on either side of the D800 in terms of MP. I expect a 2D or 3D series which will be a 39 MP FF Camera that matches or beats ever spec on the Nikon, and expect it to be slightly more expensive like the 1Dx is to the D4. I also expect a moderate MP in the 24 MP range, or possibly 27MP for the 5D MK III which will be a merging of the 5D / 7D lines, so basically the 5D MK II with a little larger resolution, a lot better AF, improved color and ISO performance faster FPS, it will be cheaper than the D800 and the justification will be about IQ. The 5D MKIII will be a better performer but smaller MP. The 2D/3D will be a better performer, bigger MP.
If anything, both of these cameras become Nikon Killers because for the I NEED MORE MP crowd, they get it, and there are a lot of Nikon folks who are not crazy about 36 MP and giving them HIGH IQ, High Performance, and in a MP that is double their D700, it is much much more reasonable.
Why the delays...
I think Canon announces these in tandem.