Canon’s Full Frame Future [CR2]

There's a lot of random information out there about what Canon is going to do with it's three long-in-the-tooth full frame cameras, the EOS 6D, EOS 5D Mark III and EOS-1D X. One of our sources wants to shed a little bit of light on things, but even admits things are very “muddy” at the moment.

EOS 5D Mark IV
This camera's focus will be high ISO performance over resolution. The camera will use a new DIGIC processor and will share a version of a new flagship AF system. We had heard back in February that an 18mp sensor was in testing in a camera body and that's what could appear here. Are consumers willing to sacrifice 4mp for a few stops of ISO performance boost? I'm pretty sure they would be. I don't believe the resolution of the APS-C offerings has any bearing on how the full frame sensor development will play out in the prosumer & professional markets.

4K? It depends on the day and who's talking. I think it's safe to say that 4K video recording appearing in the EOS 5D Mark IV is 50/50 at the moment. :)

EOS 6D Mark II
This camera is said to be moving slightly “upmarket”, as it will get a better AF system and a few other consumer features like NFC. We're also told this camera could have a higher resolution sensor than the EOS 5D Mark IV. The source couldn't confirm this, but said all signs seemed to point that way. It was suggested that the “consumer” market still cares about resolution and that the EOS 6D Mark II could become the “do everything pretty well” DSLR in the lineup. No resolution number was given, but I can see a 24mp-28mp sensor.

EOS-1D X Mark II
This camera is on its own and the goal is to improve ISO performance as well as “industry leading” dynamic range, we're apparently going to see some C300 Mark II technology in this camera. It will have a brand new flagship AF system and an increased framerate. 4K video is still a possibility, as no one expects to see a follow-up to the EOS-1D C.

We're not very close to an announcement for any of these cameras, so it's very possible there's a lot of misdirection and false information being floated around internally at Canon. I expect things to start getting a bit clearer towards the end of the summer and into early fall.