1DX Mark IV

[Czardoom]

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their impressions and expectations. I see a common path regarding the future of the DSLR that even if we still can use a 1DXIII for the next 5, 10, or 15 years, it seems it will be it. If DSLR has a dead-end in the "near" future, we should also expect more lenses to be discontinued and fewer firmware updates. And that is a major problem, sadly so.

Only a major problem for those who - for whatever reason - believe that there is some sort of major difference between a mirrorless camera and a DSLR. I have owned mirrorless cameras since about 2105. For a number of years a had both a mirrorless and a DSLR. I never really referred to them that way - they were just my 2 ILC cameras. The reason I liked the mirrorless was so that I could better see what exposure compensation I needed to make in the EVF, but for the most part, I took pictures with both cameras and usually it didn't really matter which one I was shooting with. Since 2015, EVFs have gotten better and they will no doubt continue to improve. It seems to me, that there will no good reason not to choose mirrorless over DSLR, and in fact, there are now numerous other reasons where mirrorless has the advantage.

Mirrorless is just another way to make a camera. For whatever reason (it's what people tend to do) we have divided cameras into 2 categories as if they were distinct and different. They really aren't.

For those using their DSLRs for the next 10 years - you still have a much bigger selection of lenses to choose from and will have for many years to come. You can also get them much cheaper on the used market. I see no major problems anywhere for DSLR users who want to continue using their existing DSLRs.

 

[SteveC]

Aren't these very different markets? Why would they let any go if they were profitable?

• ...[snip]
  
  
• The M-mount MILCs (and lenses) are much more compact, often with far less controls or an emphasis on emulating a full-frame DSLR or MILC. They're really popular with people coming from phones, who do lots of video for social media, and some photography as well, and don't necessarily want all the buttons for manual control. The M50 and M50 II are amongst the most popular vlogging cameras for this reason.
  
  
• ...[snip]

Don't forget that the M6-II has a fair number of controls on it, and the M5 had even more. They're not 1 series by any means but certainly shouldn't be thought of as "just" vlogging cameras. (I really don't think the 50 should be either.)

As an aside, there are a small (but sometimes vocal) number of people in the APS-C camp who seem to feel personally threatened by the M series...as long as it's there they seem think it's the reason Canon won't make an RF APSC camera. So they root for its demise.

Not going to happen, the M series makes Canon a ton of money. Granted at the moment they're not doing much development of either bodies or lenses, but that's not the same as being discontinued.

 

[cayenne]

But, I would bet that nearly 100% of full frame owners started with a Rebel. So, somehow, Canon needs to get their hooks into that small minority that will progress.

Not me.
I'd not shot a camera in decades, not since the Nikon FA was a new camera.
My first DSLR was the Canon 5D3....and I've moved from there.

Strangely enough, I bought it primarily for video....and later became enamored with stills.

 

[stevelee]

Last week I left the state of North Carolina for the first time since March, 2020. I was traveling by car, so I could have easily taken my 6D2 and some lenses, but was not going to shoot much, and probably would have been OK with just my iPhone. But it was time to charge up my G5X II, which is mirrorless, but not ILC. Its 24–120 zoom range is more than adequate for my travels (except when I need something wider for scenic vistas or cramped interiors, neither of which I expected on this trip). When I bought it, I had considered an M50 instead, but previous experience suggested I really didn’t need a change of lenses for the most part for travel photos.

I took just a few pictures on the beach. It reminded me how good the little camera really is, and handy to have in a jacket pocket. I took over 3000 pictures with it in Italy and then around the western Mediterranean, and then it sat idly for two years, with the battery out. Staying around home, I have used the 6D2 a lot more, and played around with rented TS-E lenses, macro shots, and assignments mostly for our neighborhood newsletter and web site. With really good lenses covering 16–400mm, I can see these two cameras meeting my needs for my remaining years. For me, the DSLR is unlikely to be dead before I am. It doesn’t bother me that there are better cameras on the market. If I thought any of them would help me make better pictures, I would likely buy one. Medium format seems to be the next step for me if I wanted some jump in quality, but I have about 95% decided that I am unlikely to get into more landscape photography enough to spend the money. Maybe that will change in the spring, or if Fuji comes out with a tilt-shift lens that is not too outrageous in price.