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Last week Sony announced the RX1R III fixed lens full-frame camera to a somewhat of a tepid response. Along with the Leica Q series, Sony and Zeiss are the only manufacturers to produce such a camera, and legend has it that the Zeiss ZX-1 was only made to fight a patent battle with Nikon.
Fujifilm recently launched the GFX100RF, but that camera comes equipped with a medium format sensor. At its price point of about $5000, you could say it's a competitor to both Sony and Leica's offerings.
The Sony RX1R III is full of compromises to reach a more “affordable” price-point such has no IS, a slower lens, much lower resolution EVF, a static rear LCD and no weather sealing cerfication to name a few. These choices were definitely made to keep costs down for Sony, as even they know it won't be a volume product.
Sure, the USD pricing for the RX1R III has been affected by the current tariff issues.
Will Canon Make One?
Canon has never made a fixed lens full-frame camera and they're not going to in the immediate or distant future. While the idea of one is enticing, it's not exactly a volume market. Sure the Leica Q series has done extremely well for Leica, the key part of that is “for Leica”.
Sony does have some history in making such a camera, but they started doing it when they weren't quite where they are in the marketplace at this point in time.
On paper, the Leica Q3 is still the best offering in the segment.
The question has been asked of Canon many times over the years, and the answer has always been “no”. There isn't even the usual “Canon speak” on a topic about a future product.
We have seen Canon walk around the question about a “retro-styled” camera body. Whenever that camera does come, it will not be a fixed-lens full-frame offering.
So while it's a cool idea to talk about, it simply isn't a large enough market for it to be worthwhile for Canon.
I have said in the past that I would love such a camera to come from Canon, but my feelings on that have changed, evolved, whatever you'd like to call it. I am more than happy rolling with an OM-5 for my “small” camera needs at this stage of my photography life.
There will definitely be some fixed-lens PowerShot offerings geared towards photographers coming in the next year or so, but that will be the extent of it all.
Now about that RE-1?
So if you're Canon you're better off selling an R8 and RF lenses and benefitting from economies of scale and mass market reach, than spending a lot of money on an expensive niche one-off purchase product.
APS-C is another story. There's already precedent with the G1X III, if they made a modern version with a faster lens I'd preorder it tomorrow.
A good example of why Canon shouldn't make something similar.
Maybe several STM primes but only a couple of STM zooms... or a single fast "L" series lens 😢 $$$