Archive for: evil
Interview with Canon
A representative from Canon sat down for an interview to discuss the mirrorless camera possibilities for Canon.
A few of the key points are below.
- Does a mirrorless camera really need interchangeable lenses?
- Can we make a compact or DSLR that can beat the mirrorless cameras? (they believe they have it)
- Higher sensitivity rather than high resolution (probably refers to quality over megapixels)
CR’s Take
I don’t think Canon needs a sub $1000 mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses. I think they are more than capable of making a “G” series camera that is higher end than the G12, which would satisfy a majority of the people interested in a mirrorless camera.
If Canon went out and made a niche market full frame $3000 “photographers” mirrorless camera, I think they’d have something worth selling there. However, Canon just doesn’t strike me as a company that cares all that much about satisfying niches, they want to sell millions of cameras.
I think we’re going to see a new PowerShot line that is priced up there with Rebels. It’ll give them the segment that doesn’t want a DSLR, but wants image quality. As well as satisfying the desires of 5D Mark II shooters that want a point and shoot with great IQ.
I know LOTS of people disagree with me on this one. :)
Source: [PR]
cr
Canon Consumer Survey – Tell Us What You Think!
Yesterday Canon sent out emails with a customer survey. Canon does this once or twice a year if I remember correctly.
3 interesting questions came up in the survey.
The gallery of questions after the break.
Thanks Austin & Michael
cr
Lots came in
I have received a lot of small rumors throughout the week. There’s till life out there, even if there isn’t anything overly exciting.
I’ll break them down.
DIGIC V
Apparently DIGIC V will be powering the next Canon DSLRs. We all expect better noise reduction and processing speed, however there is also a “brand new feature”. I’m still waiting to find out what that is.
PowerShot G12 Replacement
There will be no G12 replacement in 2011.
2011 DSLR?
Most information I am receiving now seems to suggest there will be no DSLR announcement in 2011. There are definitely a lot of prototype bodies out there, we just won’t be hearing about them until 2012.
It was suggested this was to make sure Canon could meet the production demands that the Christmas and holiday seasons require.
It was also flatly said that “Canon will announce a new camera when it’s done, and not a minute before”. Canon has no desire to announce a camera and it not be available for 2-3 months.
Canon Mirrorless
The R&D is ongoing. There is no prototype cameras out to photographers though.
EF 24-70 f/2.8L II
Apparently in the October 2011 Popular Photography issue, they wrote a reference to an EF 24-70 f/2.8L IS II. I haven’t seen the magazine, but generally dismiss this sort of thing as a typo. I’ve never received solid info that the version II would have IS.
*UPDATE* As pointed out by a reader, any 24-70 with IS wouldn’t be designated with a “II”. I hate missing the obvious. :)
cr
Sony, Panasonic & Olympus knocking at the door
Bloomberg has written an interesting article the higher ups at Canon have certainly taken notice of. That being their dropping marketshare in Japan along with Nikon to the mirrorless segment.
I haven’t had a problem with Canon being last to the game. I don’t personally like any of the true mirrorless options (you don’t count M9), none of them feel like cameras to me. Lots of people do though, and that’s cool. I was eager to see what Nikon came up with, though it doesn’t look too exciting to me.
I’ve always thought if Canon was going to get into it, they’d go all in. We’d see 3 mirrorless camera bodies, one high end mirrorless, a Canon M9 if you will (not a rangefinder). A prosumer middle camera body for the 5D user who wants IQ and portability, and then an entry level variant for the people that want more than a “G”.
I could be dreaming, or wishing. I’d just like to think Canon would be the company that did it right.
From Bloomberg
Canon Inc. and Nikon Corp. the world’s two biggest makers of high-end cameras, may be missing out on the industry’s biggest technology shift since film rolls became obsolete.
The two Tokyo-based companies use mirrors in all cameras with interchangeable lenses, a technique Sony Corp. (6758) is shifting away from. As a result, Canon and Nikon’s combined share of the Japanese market has fallen by 35 percent, while Sony’s share has doubled, according to estimates at research firm BCN Inc.
Read More
cr
The inevitable coming soon?
In an interview with Reuters, the head of the camera division Masaya Maeda says Canon is ”…considering the technical aspects,” in regards to the mirrorless segment.
He also goes on to say that ”We will launch an interesting product next year,” saying that it is “small”, but didn’t specify if it was a mirrorless camera system or not.
Read the full article
thanks m
cr
The First Canon Mirrorless Related Patent?
This appears to be a lens adaptor. EF to something else?
Egami compares it to the Sony NEX to alpha mount adaptor.
Publication number: Patent 2011-53437 (P2011-53437A)
Release date: March 17, 2011 (2011.3.17)
Title of invention: Lens adapter apparatus and system
Google Translated Link (egami)
CR’s Take
I don’t read japanese, so I’m relying on the job the translator does to the site. It looks like a lens mount adaptor. If/when Canon enters the mirrorless market, I am pretty confident they will have an EF adaptor for such a system.
This is the first patent I’ve seen that has even a remote chance of being about a mirrorless camera from Canon.
cr
Collaboration with Apple?
I’ve received a few pieces of information about an upcoming collaboration between Apple and Canon. What that collaboration is hasn’t been spelled out to me. It could be with the upcoming Final Cut Pro 8, or maybe something more.
Canon Wants a Medium Format Company?
I’m not sure if stuff I’ve written in the past is getting recycled, but I’ve had a rash of comments recently about Canon’s desire to purchase a medium format company. We’ve heard before they’ve had talks with Hasselblad. It could be more of the same.
Canon Mirrorless
I’ve received emails recently saying we’ll see an EVIL announcement in May. I rate that CR negative 5. The best information I have is that Canon is still in the exploratory stages with a mirrorless solution. There’s no rush to get something to market.
Latest Photographer Profile
We’ve added another photographer profile. This time Alex Johnson from Minnesota. Check it out.
cr
Announcements
A few people have told me there will be nothing on March 1 as far as DSLR’s go. April is going to be the announcement month. They were told the same thing at NL via Thom Hogan.
18-200 II
A suggestion of a redo of the 18-200 already. This time with USM. Big grain of salt here, though I don’t think Canon’s version of this lens sells as well as Nikons.
5D Mark III
More people saying to expect a 5D Mark III before a 1Ds Mark IV.
No EVIL
“No new system camera” in 2011. I’m going to assume a mirrorless solution is what was being talked about.
Canon Mirrorless next week?
I received an email this AM stating that Canon will announce the Canon QL-D1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera.
There were no specs or any other information given.
CR’s Take
This is the first mirrorless information I have been given in months. If there’s an announcement coming next week, I can’t see this being all that gets sent my way.
The model name given is nostalgic and creative.
“QL” was used by the Canonet, a film rangefinder that didn’t have interchangeable lenses.
*UPDATE* A reader wrote in and gave me a bit of a history lesson (I love em). “QL” actually stood for Quick Load. As in how film was loaded into the camera. There was also an FT-QL SLR. Thanks!
“D1″ is a model used by Epson with their digital rangefinder the R-D1 and RD1x.
So while a creative little bit of information, I am going to say it’s highly unlikely. It would be so great if it were true.
cr
Beyond 2011?
It’s said Canon has introduced a 3rd camera category to its internal designations; DSLR, compact and mirrorless.
However, there is no current timeline or product to fit into the mirrorless category.
We’ve heard in the past that any mirrorless solution would be in the distant future i.e. 2012.
Source [NL]
cr
![Bodies and Lenses [CR1]](http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/themes/magnet/scripts/timthumb.php?src=http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IMG_0403.jpg&a=t&h=100&w=200)
