Perfect example, thank you. Don't know your son-in-law but a lot of people, who actually could and did hold their jobs felt the same way about movies and music. And yes, it was greed. I happen to know how much the film industry had to change its modus operandi. The production costs, distribution etc. in order to deliver a product at a price people would actually pay.
Now the same is happening to camera manufacturers. I don't really care what it costs to develop and produce a camera, and frankly neither should you, as a costumer. Company the size of Canon has ways to diversify its cost, to optimise them. We consumers don't know what the cost is, and it's not our problem. One thing for certain: high price kills sales volume, in the end it can kill the product - semi-pro HQ DSLR HYBRID with or without a mirror - as well.
I'm a documentary photographer, for me camera is a tool, for some it is still a way to show off. Although, a camera is hardly a fashionable gadget any more. Many hobby photographers are more and more happy to play with their phones. For them good phone does the job and is a cool gadget at the same time. And tbh phones often do a fantastic job! The market is shrinking, the way people consume photography has changed. Make semi-pro
DSLR too expensive you will kill it. Even bellow 3k is still a lot for a lifestyle that's pretty much gone. The likes of Canon should come to terms with this.
No matter what sort of marketing magic you're going to perform (product diversification, changing lens systems etc.) you will lose.