scyrene said:

I think they chose 3 in the first place knowing it was likely a one off.

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If it was then they would have used a non-numerical name, like the R, Ra or the RP.

If it were $1500 and essentially an R8ii with more resolution but minus some video features, it’d make a nice second camera for me. $2000 would be a bit steep. You can get a new R5i for only $350 more right now

amorse said:

Sure, but the widest I think you can get on medium format for Fuji or Hasselblad X series is 20mm which is going to be around a 16mm full frame equivalent, and I'm using 10mm so it is a ways off of what I'm using a lot at the moment. Absolutely limited on the long end as well - my 100-400 has no real equivalent on either. I don't really want to be running two systems, so I'd rather stick with a higher resolution option in Canon's full frame ecosystem.

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Personally, I have the 10-20 and I rarely use it at 10 because I find it difficult to compose at 10mm: too much stuff in the frame

While it is true that most MF systems are limited at 16mm-equiv, more or less, I find it better because the lenses have a longer fl and behave in a way that I prefer.

Fuji has a GF 500mm lens (~400mm in 35mm equiv) but yes, that's a rarity and MF is not for applications heavy on tele lengths.
In the end, medium format systems are not a jack-of-all-trades. They are used for specific applications and that's why my R5 does the many things my Hassy can't or is ill-suited for

roby17269 said:

To be clear, resolution is more important than grip to me... if I had to choose / vote then higher res it would be for me.

Remember that MF bodies have different crop factors (<1) and lenses behave a bit differently so there is a bit of a learning curve. I was (very pleasantly) surprised by the way lenses behaved with my H5X. Having said that, it depends on your needs, as long tele is where MF bodies have the most limitations.

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Sure, but the widest I think you can get on medium format for Fuji or Hasselblad X series is 20mm which is going to be around a 16mm full frame equivalent, and I'm using 10mm so it is a ways off of what I'm using a lot at the moment. Absolutely limited on the long end as well - my 100-400 has no real equivalent on either. I don't really want to be running two systems, so I'd rather stick with a higher resolution option in Canon's full frame ecosystem.

Some data (with rounded numbers):

• 150,000 US professional photographers (BLS)
• 620,000 YouTube channels with 100k subs (Google)
• 6,600,000 ILCs shipped in 2024 (CIPA)

Extrapolate the US number to maybe 1,000,000 global professionals (big grain of salt, but the US represents ~25% of the population of the 'developed' world).

So if every professional photographer and every 'successful' YouTuber (as defined by a silver play button) bought a new ILC in 2024 (which didn't happen, of course), then that's about 25% of the market. So maybe the 'pro/creator' bucket accounts for 10% of the ILC market. Fully acknowledge there are many assumptions in the above, but even with those it's apparent that someone suggesting that professionals account for the majority camera sales is way off base.

The bottom line is that the market comprises a range of buyers, as Canon puts it they, "...offer a lineup that satisfies both demand for still image photography from professional photographers and camera enthusiasts, and for diverse video recording from social media users."

Be very careful, you're likely going to be disappointed. Even if it's high MP the spec list will still be far less than the R1. People always fall into that trap.

ddixon said:

FYI - for those that use DXO PhotoLab, they have now posted an update that supports the R6mIII.

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Finally!!

neuroanatomist said:

Oh, ok. That totally explains why you stated earlier this year that mirrorless camera prices are exploding and posted a graph that stopped in 2022, even though the data from 2023 and 2024 showing that prices had flattened out were readily available. And now you’re relying on AI to support your claims. I’m not surprised that you’re a former analyst. Nice to see that incompetence is not rewarded with continued employment.

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Were on an interent forum discussing cameras. This is not that serious. Have you ever heard of people getting promotions? Regardless let's agree to disagree. The fact that you interact with people like this says a lot about your character.

CJaurelius said:

Sure you'll have the occassional hobbyis that can afford a Hasseblad or Leica. But the vast majority of non professional's just don't have the income to spend on a $2500+ camera body and $2000 lens. Expecially when for the most part they don't have the skill to take advantage of the more expensive equipment.

Meanwhile if you are a professional, having precapture can be the differnce between getting the shot or not. Who cares if you spend $3000 more for a camera body you are going to use for 3+ years? One good paid job justifies the cost.

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I think you're still making some assumptions. I'd argue that the hobbyist market is going upmarket and that hobbyist are a larger population compared to professionals. While many professionals either rent gear or are given gear by manufacturers / agencies.
Admittedly my evidence is anecdotal: I know quite a few pros who told me so.

foda said:

Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the photos. The Hummingbirds are probably my favorite avian family (and among the most difficult to photograph well).

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Yes, hummers are a challenge to capture well. I have settled on the RF 200-800mm on an R7 as my best choice of gear. Faster glass is not helpful because as I am sure you have found, anything faster than f/8 puts half the bird out of focus if you are close enough to get decent magnification. I suspect your work is more challenging in that you are clearly photographing fully in the wild, whereas my backyard birds are pretty tame.

Click said:

Very nice with the shadow. Nicely done, becceric.

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Thanks, Click.
For some reason, I no longer see this sylvan soldier with today's snowfall...

CJaurelius said:

From the global digital market report:
Content creators posted a 6.8% CAGR and are reshaping the digital camera market size trajectory by demanding livestream-ready features at consumer-friendly prices. Professional photographers still generate the bulk of high-ticket body and lens sales, but creators deliver volume and social visibility.

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Read that again. Carefully. Your point was that prices are going up, and that Sony’s base is mainly content creators and YouTubers. The statement you quoted is that content creators are the fastest growing segment (which doesn’t mean the largest), and that content creators are, “demanding…consumer-friendly prices,” and that creators deliver volume. First, as stated this is an analyst’s opinion and second, that opinion contradicts your prior statements. So again…well done?

Very nice with the shadow. Nicely done, becceric.

Given the C50 + R6 Mark III basically competes FX3 + A7S III to go head to head with Sony, I can see them going head to head with Nikon here with the Z8/Z9 and sharing sensors between the R5II and R3II (if one ever actually goes beyond concept), this way they compete and maintain the lower MP, higher speed, higher iso, higher dr sports body, while giving everyone else the high MP flagship they want.

CJaurelius said:

Here is an analysis from Modor Intellegence on the global digital camera market:
supply-chain shocks from semiconductor shortages and 24–46% U.S. tariffs have nudged retail prices 20–40% higher across leading brands

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Nice alignment between the tariffs and the retail price increases. Did you notice that the reasons suggested by Mordor Intelligence (not Modor, but why bother correctly citing sources?) for the price increases have zero resemblance to those that you suggested are the drivers?

Also worth noting that this and any other analyst reports may contain data and citations for them, but they also represent the opinion of the analyst. So unless the report includes data with a citation, it is best to assume the statements are the opinions of the analyst. Two people sharing an opinion does not make it a fact. The Google AI summary of a report is not the report.

CJaurelius said:

But you would agree that under the scenario you outlined the typical Mercedes buyer is paying more for their vehichle correct? I'm making an assumption that people who pay more for a camera are more likely to not be a hobbyist. You don't have to agree, its just my assumption.

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I would agree that the typical Mercedes buyer is paying more for their vehicle. I think the assumption that that spending more on an item means one is less likely to be a hobbyist is seriously flawed. Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers are far more likely to be behind the wheel of a Toyota than a Mercedes. Enthusiasts who are doctors/dentists/lawyers are more likely to have disposable income for a hobby, and they do not have to aim for ROI on equipment purchases or depreciate them over a 5 year period for tax purposes.

CJaurelius said:

I'm not trying to convince anyone that my opinions are facts. As a former analyst I take the data I do have available and use that to make assumptions for future strategies.

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Oh, ok. That totally explains why you stated earlier this year that mirrorless camera prices are exploding and posted a graph that stopped in 2022, even though the data from 2023 and 2024 showing that prices had flattened out were readily available. And now you’re relying on AI to support your claims. I’m not surprised that you’re a former analyst. Nice to see that incompetence is not rewarded with continued employment.

amorse said:

Fair! If I'd be a potential buyer, but the grip would turn me off of it. I would move to the Fuji system, but the lenses just aren't there for me. I'm really loving the 10-20 f/4 right now, and would be very sad to lose that

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To be clear, resolution is more important than grip to me... if I had to choose / vote then higher res it would be for me.

Remember that MF bodies have different crop factors (<1) and lenses behave a bit differently so there is a bit of a learning curve. I was (very pleasantly) surprised by the way lenses behaved with my H5X. Having said that, it depends on your needs, as long tele is where MF bodies have the most limitations.

Stalwart.

I would think that Canon would produce a new stacked sensor with a faster read out speed than the R5ii if they want to make a high res R3ii and it's unlikely to be higher than 45MP and quite likely a bit lower: say 30-35MP or perhaps a global shutter sensor but better low light performance than the Sony A9iii

roby17269 said:

They would sell at least 1 of those cameras... to me

Fashion photography for sure: it has long been the territory of slow and high-res medium format backs. There's no such thing as too much resolution in fashion photography.

For me the downsides of higher res are:

• the need for better shooting discipline
• bigger file sizes
• longer processing time in post
• lower FPS (the latter not being a factor in some use cases).

Noise is less and less of an issue with modern AI NR and one can always downsize in low light and still enjoy the higher level of details when the light is good.
And after using a 1D X, I had come to love the ergonomics of gripped bodies.

As others I do not see the logic of an R3 II being a fast low(ish)-res body since that would cannibalize the R1 which has some time to go before a R1 II appears.

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Fair! If I'd be a potential buyer, but the grip would turn me off of it. I would move to the Fuji system, but the lenses just aren't there for me. I'm really loving the 10-20 f/4 right now, and would be very sad to lose that.

ThomasTH said:

Seems like the Sony A7 V has an impressive dynamic range:

Photographic Dynamic Range versus ISO Setting

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This was the last thing I was waiting for before I passed judgement on the A7V. More recently the increased sesnor speed has been coming at the expense of dynamic range. With the A7V having an increase in both speed and dynamic range I think this will be a pretty good seller.

"The only segmentation that made even a little sense to me was making it a high-resolution camera body. I mean well beyond the 45mp we see in the EOS R5 Mark II."

Canon's continuing inability or unwillingness to produce a high-resolution successor to my 5DsR is the reason that I'm almost certain to move to a different platform during the next year — most likely Sony.

(I don't care if it is "gripped," in fact I prefer that it not be for my purposes — in the same way that the 5DsR was largely the same body as the other 5D series bodies.)

FYI - for those that use DXO PhotoLab, they have now posted an update that supports the R6mIII.

roby17269 said:

This does not make much sense to me: in my experience, hobbyists are the ones that tend to have the best equipment, even more than pros: pros need to justify the "investment" and therefore look closely to costs v benefits of every piece of gear, and often rent rather than own, or are loaned gear by manufacturers (often the case in fashion photography)... hobbyists do not have to do that.

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From the global digital market report:

By End User: Content Creators Emerge as Growth Engine

Content creators posted a 6.8% CAGR and are reshaping the digital camera market size trajectory by demanding livestream-ready features at consumer-friendly prices. Professional photographers still generate the bulk of high-ticket body and lens sales, but creators deliver volume and social visibility.

Source: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/digital-camera-market

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Sure you'll have the occassional hobbyis that can afford a Hasseblad or Leica. But the vast majority of non professional's just don't have the income to spend on a $2500+ camera body and $2000 lens. Expecially when for the most part they don't have the skill to take advantage of the more expensive equipment.

Meanwhile if you are a professional, having precapture can be the differnce between getting the shot or not. Who cares if you spend $3000 more for a camera body you are going to use for 3+ years? One good paid job justifies the cost.

amorse said:

Absolutely. I struggle to see the demand for a higher than R5II resolution body with a grip, especially given what Fuji did with the GFX 100 - GFX 100 II.

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They would sell at least 1 of those cameras... to me

amorse said:

I could see them putting the 45mp sensor from the R5ii into a gripped body to appease those who wanted a higher-resolution R1, but going higher than that R5 mark ii and you're starting to mix the use cases I feel.
If I think of which use cases would be open to compromises (maybe low light performance, burst speed) to get more resolution than an R5 ii, my guess would be landscape photographers, architecture photographers, and maybe fashion photographers? I'm not sure wildlife, or sports would be willing to sacrifice some low light or maybe burst speed for the extra resolution. Landscape and architectural photographers are more likely to work on a tripod, and at least from a landscape perspective (speaking selfishly here) a smaller body is often advantageous to reduce carry weight and size. A grip seems counter intuitive in those instances to me.

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Fashion photography for sure: it has long been the territory of slow and high-res medium format backs. There's no such thing as too much resolution in fashion photography.

For me the downsides of higher res are:

• the need for better shooting discipline
• bigger file sizes
• longer processing time in post
• lower FPS (the latter not being a factor in some use cases).

Noise is less and less of an issue with modern AI NR and one can always downsize in low light and still enjoy the higher level of details when the light is good.
And after using a 1D X, I had come to love the ergonomics of gripped bodies.

As others I do not see the logic of an R3 II being a fast low(ish)-res body since that would cannibalize the R1 which has some time to go before a R1 II appears.

Here is an analysis from Modor Intellegence on the global digital camera market:

Signaling that the market size is expanding faster than many adjacent imaging categories. Manufacturers have repositioned hardware as purpose-built tools for professionals and creators, allowing average selling prices to climb even as unit volumes trail smartphone adoption. Asia-Pacific’s prominence, Canon’s 22-year lens leadership, and creator-economy dynamics collectively illustrate how premium hardware, AI-powered features, and social-media workflows drive the digital camera market forward. Competitive intensity now centers on computational autofocus and live-stream integration rather than price alone, while supply-chain shocks from semiconductor shortages and 24–46% U.S. tariffs have nudged retail prices 20–40% higher across leading brands. China’s 213% surge in compact-camera shipments, the tourism rebound, and the proliferation of full-frame sensors underscore how the digital camera market is successfully reframing its value proposition as complementary to mobile photography.
Source: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/digital-camera-market

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The Japanese market is moving toward a higher mix of premium cameras as the Chinese start to compete at the bottom. Sony may be dong it the most aggressively but Canon is moving that way as well. Nikon is trying but has had to aggresively price come of their recent cameras in order to try and claw back market share from Canon/Nikon. Panasonic is similar to Nikon as they just don't have much market share. And Fuji is all in on making thier products premium lifestyle choices.