Winter 2025/2026
Thanks, Click.Very nice with the shadow. Nicely done, becceric.
For some reason, I no longer see this sylvan soldier with today's snowfall...
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Thanks, Click.Very nice with the shadow. Nicely done, becceric.
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?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.
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?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
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.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.
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.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.
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.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
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.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:
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.
- 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).
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.
Seems like the Sony A7 V has an impressive dynamic range:
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.
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
They would sell at least 1 of those cameras... to meAbsolutely. 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.
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.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.
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
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.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.
Optical correction isn’t perfect, either. I’m not sure why some people think that correcting an image with glass is the gold standard, there is no perfect lens and compromises are made on the optical side, too. I can’t say this is true in all cases, but when I compared the RF 14-35/4L to the EF 11-24/4L at 14mm (where the RF lens has enough barrel distortion that it requires correction to fill the black corners and the EF lens has essentially no geometric distortion), I found that there was no meaningful difference in corner sharpness. Then again, I did not test with astrophotography, a use case where Canon lenses generally perform poorly (though the RF 15-35/2.8 and RF 20/1.4 are exceptions to that, both have minimal coma and astigmatism even in the extreme corners).Yeah, software to replace optics. Which is fine to a point, but if you want pinpoint stars out to the corners, you're not likely going to get it when the software is used to turn the semi-fisheye lens into a rectilinear image.
Mercedes has higher prices across the board for comparable models than Lexus (which are made by Toyota Motor Corporation), and Mercedes does not offer low end models like Toyota. By the (dubious) logic of your assumptions, professional drivers must be driving most of the Mercedes cars on the road.
Anecdotes ≠ data. Assumptions ≠ data. However, anecdotes and assumptions are often used by people trying to convince others that their opinions are facts.
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. 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.I can see a high-MP R5s coming along at some point. I can’t see Canon putting a high-MP sensor in a gripped body. Since they amalgamated the 1-series into a single body that was essentially the 1D with a FF sensor and evolved in a very non-1Ds way, the market has made a high MP gripped body less likely, not more likely.
Look at what Fuji did when they updated the GFX 100 to the MkII:
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black-tailed godwit
R5 + RF 200-800 + 1.4 TC
@ 1039mm
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The male Crowned Woodnymph often appears to be all dark, but when the light hits it just right the brilliant emerald and violet plumage is stunning. I photographed this individual while birding at La Florida, Bosque de Las Aves, at km 18, Colombia, November, 2025.
R5MkII RF200-800mm
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