The last two forum discussions about the M system have had a few viewpoints in common.
- I/we MUST have a 7D II successor based on the M series, but it MUST be bigger, have a larger grip, two card slots, and a much bigger battery. Guys, you are barking up the wrong tree, buy the 90D, it gives you most of what you want.
- Canon is crazy to have two incompatible mirrorless systems. KILL the M system and spend your R&D money on the R system! Reality check; we are NOT TYPICAL camera buyers/users. Many of us own multiple bodies, some of us even multiple systems. And there is a lot of glass, some of it quite esoteric, owned by posters. So however much money we give to Canon we are NOT the consumers they are aiming the M system at.
The early Ms were largely cell phone alternatives with zoom lens options. But with the M5 and its built in EVF there was finally a serious little camera which could appeal to more serious customers. From available market share data it seems that the M is the market leader and sells in far larger numbers than R cameras. And Canon has certainly not stopped development of the system, the M6 II is quite new and rumors forecast two new bodies. Since Canon USA website no longer show the M5, an M5 II seems rather likely. Personal note: I will buy one ASAP.
Another personal note, I am disheartened by Canon's reluctance to develop M primes. But historically that is no fluke, from the introduction of the first Canon APS-C camera, the original Digital Rebel, it took nearly a decade before the rather uninspiring EF-S 24mm f/2.8 appeared. It has since been joined by two macro lenses. The Canon APS-C system is now 17 years old. Rapid, indeed!
When the EF-M 32mm f/1.4 was introduced I thought that was the beginning of a series of fancy primes. Wrong! But of course I realize that consumers looking for M primes are few and far between, few enough that Canon thinks we may be unicorns, i.e. non-existing.
But guess what, it seems Sigma has more faith in us unicorns than Canon does. Last fall they retooled their three f/1.4 APS-C primes (M 4/3 and Sony E mounts) with EF-M mounts, 16mm, 30mm, and 56mm. And, no, right now you cannot get them, Sigma has them all on backorder! So I suspect that more than a few of us unicorns put down our money rather quickly! When I bought my M5 a few years back I bought the three kit zooms, pretty much the same as I had for my Rebel SLs, and the 22mm. It was a small, lightweight kit that gave ME the image quality I needed for most of my personal work. When the 32mm was launched I bought it in a flash and was very pleased with the IQ. So I hoped there would soon be a 53mm f/1.4. Didn't happen. So when the Sigma 56mm became available I grabbed one ASAP and was so pleased that after reading reviews of the 16mm I bought one of those as well. Equally impressive, but bigger, it doesn't fit the M lens form factor. Yet i am gladly willing to put up with it.
From where I started my kit is heavier, but I have gained a lot of photographic capabilities. Compare size/weight with a 5D III/IV and, say, a few Sigma f/1.4 Art lenses (24mm, 50mm, and 85mm) and a Canon 35mm f/2. Then throw in a few FF zooms and you will need a roller bag (at least I do!) But the M kit in a backpack always goes with me.
A Chinese company, Viltrox, showed three non-working APS-C f/1.4 lenses at PhotoPlus Expo in NYC in October 2019, 23mm, 33mm, and 56mm, all with good form factors. If the 23mm reviews well I will probably pick one up, it will reportedly be inexpensive.
I realize full well that MY likes and dislikes and preferences are just MINE and likely are not widely shared. On the other hand, there seems to be other FF photographers who like the M system for its combination of IQ, size, and weight and are perfectly willing to keep it as a second system. With its market share, newly increased support from Canon, and Sigma M mount lenses flying off the shelves the M system is here to STAY!!
Ex model in restaurant, EF-M 32mm at f/1.4, 1/60 second, ISO 800, flash bounced camera right.
B&H held its annual Depth of Field event mid February in NYC. Various photo distributors had set up shooting stations with models, props, etc. This is from one of them. Sigma 56mm at f/1.4, 1/320 sec., ISO 800.
And a more prosaic image, Sigma 16mm at f/1.4, 1/80 sec., ISO 500.
And there you have MY thoughts on why Canon will not kill off the M system. It can be no more than a basic M with a kit zoom or it can be a high end EVF camera outfitted with enough primes and zooms to be a big boy camera, yet still be a (relatively) small and light outfit.
Chris
