Canon Sends Invitation to Dealers for Major Mirrorless Presentation Next Month

unfocused

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I love this forum. There is a rumor that Canon is inviting a bunch of executives to some mystery reception. CR Guy posts a mockup of the supposed invite. Suddenly everybody goes crazy fantasizing that their dream camera is coming.

We've even revived the crazy "square sensor" crowd.

Meanwhile, some random Sony person makes a silly comment about Canon "bleeding" and Neuro has to jump in with a dose of reality.

You all might want to take a deep breath and ask yourselves a few questions:

Where is this reception being held? One location in one country? Or multiple locations in multiple countries?

Who is it that is being invited? Select dealers and VIPs of what companies?

Has CR Guy confirmed this is an announcement invite? The target audience makes it just as likely to be some sort of appreciation reception or a marketing presentation. Or maybe even (if Canon USA) an announcement of new investment in the U.S. due to tax reforms.

Depending on who is being invited, ask yourselves why they would be invited or even interested in an announcement of a niche market camera like a full-frame mirrorless.

As Neuro has reminded everyone countless times – don't confuse what you personally want with what the market cares about.
 
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jolyonralph

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StoicalEtcher said:
But the next stage then would have to be circular screens, so that my "fit to screen" button would still work - where would it all end? ;D ;D

Another great thing about circular sensors - no need to tilt your camera to switch between portrait or landscape. Just reframe your shot in post.

This thread encouraged me to finish the article I started in 2016 and then forgot about!

http://www.everyothershot.com/whats-better-full-frame-sensor-circular-sensor-course/
 
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ahsanford

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These 'big deal is coming' exclusive invites are generally not for the odd body refresh or new lens, right?

If so, one might argue that this is more likely than not:

  • A new product line that we may not have been expecting (e.g. SL1, XC10, etc.)
  • An non-trivial industry first (e.g. wireless flash control onboard, TTL hybrid VF, etc.),
  • A big first for Canon (4K ILC in crop?)

I'm not trying to make specific predictions with those comments in parens above, but is it safe to say that this won't just be a standard/vanilla M50 + the two EF-M lenses announcement CR Guy has been predicting?

- A
 
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I wouldn't think too much about those invitations being an indicator for a more special camera than previous releases. What I see is something else.

Over the last 3 years I've been very curious about the newest Canon and Sony releases. While having Canon equipment I always looked over to Sony. As soon as the two companies released a new camera I watched an unhealthy amount of videos on Youtube about those new releases. While it is true that Canon has multiple Youtube channels with a lot of videos, they don't get many views. If there is one thing Canon can learn from Sony it is Youtube presence because at some point Sony started to invite Youtube personalities (obviously not only) and let them film their experiences which would result in many clicks on popular Youtube channels. Actually Canon has learned and they kinda did it for the Canon 6D II with Kaiman Wong and Gordon Laing... and we all know how that went... or let's say it wasn't received as groundbreaking. Then there were the just before christmas at almost the same time uploaded videos by Canon-users Jessica Kobeissi and Peter McKinnon (I guess there was even a third one but I forgot who) who talked about the 6D II. Yes, the 6D II release date is long gone, but those big photography youtubers talked about the camera. In my opinion it was a Canon marketing strategy. No, not because of christmas, but more imporantly because they sent out a certain camera to people at the same time.

Therefore my guess is that Canon simply continues their new Youtube game.
 
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Jan 12, 2011
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neuroanatomist said:
dude said:
Yes, Canon must stop the bleeding (they have to have an answer for those leaving the Canon eco system headed off to other systems). How many M lenses are they selling vs FF E mount?

In the largest market for mirrorless, the home country for both Canon and Sony, Canon MILCs are outselling Sony MILCs. Who's bleeding?

Cue market reality check from Neuro. Gotta love the consistency!
 
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docsmith said:
But that flies in the face of a bunch of rumors we heard (just now asking pros for features they would want, etc)

Not really. People assume that Canon asks them for product development purposes, but more often company marketers ask these sorts of questions to better sell products over which they have no control. Odds are that "pro poll" was telling Canon how to sell to them, rather than changing a product.
 
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domo_p1000

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Adelino said:
What was the last product (or last few products or lines) announced this way?

Use of a silhouette teasers... there have been a few, but I can only really remember those that I have. I can't remember whether it was the original 1D X or the Mark II that was teased in this way (and I'm pretty sure that the EOS 3 was teased in this way as well)!

So... EOS-1D X Mark II | Powershot G3X | EOS-5D Mark II | T90

But as for the slick invites etc., not sure!
 
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ahsanford

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LensFungus said:
Therefore my guess is that Canon simply continues their new Youtube game.

One interesting riff on this might be that Canon is considering making a dedicated vlogging/youtube-aimed ILC.

Key parameters would be [Low weight] + [tilty-flippy touch] + [DPAF] + [strong video], which a number of Canon APS-C rigs deliver today. But they are effectively traditional cameras that vloggers/youtubers are fighting through the realities of using in this very specific video application. What if Canon went all-in on a specialty vlogging EF-M platform?

Again, this is pie-in-the-sky brain musings here:

  • No pop-up flash, instead having a series of interchangeable modules that suit vlogging -- LED lighting panel, high quality directional mic, etc.
  • No traditional grip for held-to-face viewfinder-base photography; perhaps instead opting for something to fundamentally facilitate selfie-directed camera support -- integral selfie handle, some self-contained tripod legs for support on a table, etc.
  • Perhaps the conventional tilty-flippy is abandoned, repositioned or a second one is offered that is right on the front of the camera

In a weird analogy, think Powershot N with the smallest EF-M body you can possibly make and some support/mounting/holding options built-in (or planned for).

- A
 

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...showing a silhouette of a camera shaped like the EOS M6 with a hole cut out where the sensor would be.

Apparently only CEOs and higher-ups are allowed to go to the presentation, no sales people are permitted.

I haven't watched this stuff over time so I don't know how Canon operates and they certainly know more about it than I do. It does seem odd that sales people aren't included but maybe that's how Canon does things. For a new product release it just seems like you'd want sales people there with hands on and lots of glitz to get the buzz going.

This seems like it could be an extension of the rumored survey. Maybe Canon is now going to execs and VIPs to discuss the business aspect of FF MILC and how to make it successful for shops and high profile users. Thus the empty shell of a camera, suggesting they want help building it right the first time, not like Sony taking 3 iterations as was suggested.

Either that or Canon is just admitting they got nothing. They are going to apologize to their business partners and admit they have no game and are going to close up shop and stop pretending. They're just going to rip that Band-Aid off (seppuku?) and get it over with rather than letting their demise drag out over years and watching Sony beat them at every new release.

Maybe I don't know anything at all, just don't get it and should shut up and go away.
 
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docsmith

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docsmith said:
But that flies in the face of a bunch of rumors we heard (just now asking pros for features they would want, etc)

Not really. People assume that Canon asks them for product development purposes, but more often company marketers ask these sorts of questions to better sell products over which they have no control. Odds are that "pro poll" was telling Canon how to sell to them, rather than changing a product.

I can buy that.

Of course this is just a preliminary rumor. Hopefully we'll know more with time. The "CEO" aspect is odd. As I recall, the other announcements included photographers, sales people etc, etc.

Also, this is how the 1DX was announced:
http://www.canonrumors.com/canon-announcement-in-singapore-october-18-2011/

That is multiple events in multiple countries and a newspaper ad.

So, I am still really intrigued, but this could be road map/business plan/market assessment stuff as easily as it could be a major announcement.
 
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ahsanford

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Lurker said:
This seems like it could be an extension of the rumored survey. Maybe Canon is now going to execs and VIPs to discuss the business aspect of FF MILC and how to make it successful for shops and high profile users. Thus the empty shell of a camera, suggesting they want help building it right the first time, not like Sony taking 3 iterations as was suggested.

Interesting theory, I suppose, but I'm missing what input Canon would want from the chiefs at B&H, Adorama, DigitalRev, etc. that would warrant this sort of private strategy session. Canon arguably knows the market better than they do, so I fail to see how a discussion of positioning, pricing, target market, etc. would warrant the folks in charge being needed rather than the normal sales and marketing channels they might use.

Lurker said:
Either that or Canon is just admitting they got nothing. They are going to apologize to their business partners and admit they have no game and are going to close up shop and stop pretending. They're just going to rip that Band-Aid off (seppuku?) and get it over with rather than letting their demise drag out over years and watching Sony beat them at every new release.

There's perception and there's actual sales data. I encourage you to find the latter.

- A
 
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ahsanford

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docsmith said:
Of course this is just a preliminary rumor. Hopefully we'll know more with time. The "CEO" aspect is odd. As I recall, the other announcements included photographers, sales people etc, etc.

+1. Bringing in the chiefs implies that Canon is gunning to dangle something exclusive that companies will have to bid for, and that's not Canon's MO at all.

That, or perhaps Canon is considering moving to something tectonically different business-wise, like a volume-based MAP adjustment policy, new/changed restrictions on violating MAP, etc. and that seems inconsistent with the invite CR Guy described.

- A
 
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unfocused

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Mystery solved?

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=34293.msg703450#msg703450

This would be a perfect way to promote this new compact camera to decision makers who will be placing high volume orders for Canon's first affordable 4K camera.
 
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jolyonralph said:
StoicalEtcher said:
But the next stage then would have to be circular screens, so that my "fit to screen" button would still work - where would it all end? ;D ;D

Another great thing about circular sensors - no need to tilt your camera to switch between portrait or landscape. Just reframe your shot in post.

This thread encouraged me to finish the article I started in 2016 and then forgot about!

http://www.everyothershot.com/whats-better-full-frame-sensor-circular-sensor-course/

Yeah, let's just reframe every post completely instead of some slightly. Let's pay an extra few hundreds for that on top :).
 
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