Sony Announces the Sony A7 V

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.
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? :rolleyes::rolleyes:
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Let’s Talk EOS R3 Mark II

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.
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Sony Announces the Sony A7 V

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
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.

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.
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.

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.
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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Let’s Talk EOS R3 Mark II

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
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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Let’s Talk EOS R3 Mark II

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

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.
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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Sony Announces the Sony A7 V

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


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.
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Let’s Talk EOS R3 Mark II

"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.)
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Sony Announces the Sony A7 V

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.

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

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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Let’s Talk EOS R3 Mark II

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.
They would sell at least 1 of those cameras... to me :D
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.
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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Sony Announces the Sony A7 V

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

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.
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Sony Announces the Sony A7 V

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.
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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EOS-M is Dead. So where’s my RF Equivalents?

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.
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).
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Sony Announces the Sony A7 V

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.

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.


Anecdotes ≠ data. Assumptions ≠ data. However, anecdotes and assumptions are often used by people trying to convince others that their opinions are facts.

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. If Sony statred making a bunch of entry level cameras a year from now I wiould be like "Oh wow, I got that wrong".
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Let’s Talk EOS R3 Mark II

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:
View attachment 227083
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.

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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Show your Bird Portraits

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

View attachment 227077

Beautiful shot of this colourful bird. Well done!
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Are New Features Coming to the EOS R5 Mark II & EOS R1 in February?

I’ve been loving my R1. When I had the R5, I had to make too many work arounds to be satisfied with using it. In the end, I sold it. That being said, I have been able to customize the R1 for my needs and to my liking. The only issue that Canon needs to address ASAP in the firmware is to “allow magnify view while recording both internal and externally viewed”. Although I do use a 5” monitor, 8” monitor, and 24” monitor, I am a rare case. When manual focusing, peaking only helps so much especially on the tiny flip out screen. The magnify view is essential to nail manual focus when racking.
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