I would contend it was the first time someone really landed a glove on Canon strictly from the strength of a spec list.
Sony always had these Ferrari like specs, but the various A7/A9 cameras were easy to dismiss:
- Few lenses
- AF was a mess
- Build quality issues, poor sealing
- Limited third party ecosystem of stuff you could bolt on / interface with
- Ergonomics as war crimes
- Specs bristling with asterisks of nasty fine print, especially on compression of RAW files and true working fps
But they systematically attacked each limitation and worked it down to a point where the A7 III -- a comically loaded spec per dollar offering -- was worth trying. There was a mechanical shutter and uncompressed RAW at top fps. The lens portfolio is stronger now. The AF does not suck like it used to. (The grip is still a war crime, but maybe that's just me.)
So the question is, does Canon 'stoop to their level' and get into a spec-per-dollar war, or do they continue to lean on brand, argue 'a better-thought-through less is more' sales pitch, and innovate in the more nuanced (and potentially useful) areas that don't pop on a spec sheet: BR optics, adaptors as rear filtering opportunties, motorized auto positioning speedlite head, clever ergonomic integration of using all those DPAF points, etc.
I'm guessing it will be a bit of both.
- A