5D3 No Longer in Production

[Chuck Alaimo]

It does sound like Canon is clamping down on costs.

Absolutely. Their camera division is still running a small profit despite drops in sales, and that's mainly due to 'operational efficiencies' (= cutting costs).

this is pretty spot on. And to add fuel to the fire, thinking of it like this then makes it extremely unlikely that the have 2.5 years of backstock built up. That is one of the rules of having efficient inventory. An operational efficient company would never keep that much stock in inventory.

 

[YuengLinger]

Doesn't sound right...it must be some kind of mistake.

In fact, if it's Best Buy I'm almost SURE it's a mistake. Don't get me started with them...

Certain b&m big box retailers understandably get aggravated with all the showcasing and price matching. The speculation the clerk was rambling on about in the original post sounds exactly like somebody unhappy with the job, unhappy with the customer, but quite happy to yank somebody's chain.


And here we are dozens of posts later.

 

[mackguyver]

Doesn't sound right...it must be some kind of mistake.

In fact, if it's Best Buy I'm almost SURE it's a mistake. Don't get me started with them...

Certain b&m big box retailers understandably get aggravated with all the showcasing and price matching. The speculation the clerk was rambling on about in the original post sounds exactly like somebody unhappy with the job, unhappy with the customer, but quite happy to yank somebody's chain.


And here we are dozens of posts later.

B&H regularly marks out of stock items as discontinued as well, so it's not just the big box stores...

 

[DRR]

B&H regularly marks out of stock items as discontinued as well, so it's not just the big box stores...

Yes and that's more a failure of the terminology they use rather than the actual system itself. Often "out of stock" means they don't currently have it but there is an expected date when it will be in stock again. "Discontinued" does not necessarily mean "EOL by the manufacturer" it often means the scheduled shipments have been discontinued. In other words it just means, we don't have any and we don't know if/when more are coming because there's no scheduled restock date. Retail stock systems are not meant to mirror manufacturers' terminology.

 

[Loswr]

The now 18 mp ubiquitous sensor first made its appearance in the 7D. Did this next appear in a xxD or a xxxD ? I'm not sure but my guess is that is was an xxD, perhaps the 60D.

In fact, it did appear next in the T2i/550D, but not until the following year, then in the 60D a few weeks later. It's certainly in Canon's best interest to use a sensor in multie bodies across multiple lines.

What's crazy and illogical is to take two separate facts (that the 7DII might have new sensor tech and that there hasn't been an xxxD update this year), and draw a causal link between them. It's particularly crazy and illogical given the existence of a new 20 MP DPAF sensor that's been used in just one body to date. Canon has made APS-C sensors used in only one body, but those have all been xxxD/xxxxD bodies, where the production volume means costs are recouped without needing to 'trickle down'.

Wrong. The 3MP APS-C sensor used in the Canon D30 was never used again.

My mistake. Although, back in 2000 with Canon's first dSLR (their own, that is), there was nowhere in the lineup for any trickling, because there wasn't a lineup, just the one camera. Plus, the D30's $3000 price tag certainly helped them recoup the development costs. After the D60, Canon basically created the consumer dSLR market by launching true 'consumer level' dSLRs.

 

[pablo]

My mistake. Although, back in 2000 with Canon's first dSLR (their own, that is), there was nowhere in the lineup for any trickling, because there wasn't a lineup, just the one camera. Plus, the D30's $3000 price tag certainly helped them recoup the development costs. After the D60, Canon basically created the consumer dSLR market by launching true 'consumer level' dSLRs.

In the same way that god created man, or that Isaac Newton 'invented' gravity?

Canon might have created the camera for the identified market, but they didn't create the market.
Consumer level is really just a price point for many intents and purposes, the Minolta RD cameras preceded Canon by a few years and they were based not on Dynax 9 type bodies, but the very consumer orientated vectis aps bodies and lenses.

Of course Canon were the first to put it all together in an 'affordable', compact system but they were serving a market rather than creating it.

I'll give canon credit for many innovations and for clever planned obsolescence strategies that keep us buying, but one could argue that the prevalance of expensive, small sensor bridge cameras like the Olympus e10, the Dimage 7, Nikon x800, Fuji 600 series bridge cameras etc actually created the market for consumer DSLRs.

I only say this Neuro, because although you caught up with dramatic pace, you were quite late to the party.
'you weren't there man!' and all that.

 

[Loswr]

Created...tapped...exploited...potaaayto...potahhhhto. The 'soccer mom with dSLR' stereotype came about largely due to Canon's Rebel/xxxD line. The 'pro wedding photographer with dSLR', too, when Canon released an 'affordable' FF dSLR.

 

[drob]

I'd venture to say that whatever sensor is in the 7DMark2 will be held to the pro lineup. The 70D sensor will trickle down to the Rebels eventually.

...
The now 18 mp ubiquitous sensor first made its appearance in the 7D. Did this next appear in a xxD or a xxxD ? I'm not sure but my guess is that is was an xxD, perhaps the 60D.

Good pick up!

The order of appearance of the 18MP sensor is:
7D, 550D, 60D, 600D, 650D, 700D.

So maybe we'll see:
7DII, 750D, 80D

 

[Loswr]

I'd venture to say that whatever sensor is in the 7DMark2 will be held to the pro lineup. The 70D sensor will trickle down to the Rebels eventually.

Exactly. I suspect the 70D sensor will be in the next Rebel/xxxD. The 7DII's sensor will get there, eventually, just as the 40D AF eventually made it to the Rebel line.

We still have only vague rumors of this 'new sensor' in the 7DII. In fact, they could just put the 70D sensor in there, with 12 fps and a new AF system based on the 1D X, perhaps with a true RGB metering sensor. Or it could be a 24 MP DPAF sensor, otherwise similar to the 70D's sensor in terms of imaging performance, with 10 fps and improved AF. Either of those would likely be lambasted by the usual suspects (DRones) on CR and elsewhere, but would be very popular with consumers (you know, those people who actually buy cameras instead of complaining about them on the interwebs).

 

[Don Haines]

The now 18 mp ubiquitous sensor first made its appearance in the 7D. Did this next appear in a xxD or a xxxD ? I'm not sure but my guess is that is was an xxD, perhaps the 60D.

In fact, it did appear next in the T2i/550D, but not until the following year, then in the 60D a few weeks later. It's certainly in Canon's best interest to use a sensor in multie bodies across multiple lines.

What's crazy and illogical is to take two separate facts (that the 7DII might have new sensor tech and that there hasn't been an xxxD update this year), and draw a causal link between them. It's particularly crazy and illogical given the existence of a new 20 MP DPAF sensor that's been used in just one body to date. Canon has made APS-C sensors used in only one body, but those have all been xxxD/xxxxD bodies, where the production volume means costs are recouped without needing to 'trickle down'.

Wrong. The 3MP APS-C sensor used in the Canon D30 was never used again.

Hey! That's what we need now...

An modern APS-C camera with 3Mpixels would have pixels three times larger than the pixels on a 5D3 and should beat it by a stop and a half for low light performance! a 2Mpixel (1920x1080) sensor would beats the 5D3 by 2 1/3 stops..... how do we get the rumour started that the 7D2 will be a 2Mpixel video optimized mirrorless wifi touchscreen monster with dual microphone jacks and integrated iPhone?

 

[pablo]

Created...tapped...exploited...potaaayto...potahhhhto. The 'soccer mom with dSLR' stereotype came about largely due to Canon's Rebel/xxxD line. The 'pro wedding photographer with dSLR', too, when Canon released an 'affordable' FF dSLR.

Didn't they just use film rebels?

When you bought your rebel dslr which were you? soccer mom or wedding guy? How very patronising.

Of course modesty diminishes with each dollar soent on white lenses.

I can see from your work you are clearly a pro now.

 

[pablo]

Created...tapped...exploited...potaaayto...potahhhhto. The 'soccer mom with dSLR' stereotype came about largely due to Canon's Rebel/xxxD line. The 'pro wedding photographer with dSLR', too, when Canon released an 'affordable' FF dSLR.

Didn't they just use film rebels?

When you bought your rebel dslr which were you? soccer mom or wedding guy? How very patronising.

Of course modesty diminishes with each dollar soent on white lenses.

I can see from your work you are clearly a pro now.

work kit

 

[Loswr]

Created...tapped...exploited...potaaayto...potahhhhto. The 'soccer mom with dSLR' stereotype came about largely due to Canon's Rebel/xxxD line. The 'pro wedding photographer with dSLR', too, when Canon released an 'affordable' FF dSLR.

Didn't they just use film rebels?

When you bought your rebel dslr which were you? soccer mom or wedding guy? How very patronising.

Of course modesty diminishes with each dollar soent on white lenses.

I can see from your work you are clearly a pro now.

work kit

A stereotype is just that, and they exist whether you or I agree with them or not. Some even capitalize on them, go watch some MWAC Attack videos on YouTube (you might learn something about the P mode on your camera!).

I can see from your words attitude that someone apparently pissed in your Wheaties this morning. How unfortunate.

 

[Straightshooter]

Created...tapped...exploited...potaaayto...potahhhhto. The 'soccer mom with dSLR' stereotype came about largely due to Canon's Rebel/xxxD line. The 'pro wedding photographer with dSLR', too, when Canon released an 'affordable' FF dSLR.

Didn't they just use film rebels?

When you bought your rebel dslr which were you? soccer mom or wedding guy? How very patronising.

Of course modesty diminishes with each dollar soent on white lenses.

I can see from your work you are clearly a pro now.

;D ;D ;D
+1!

 

[psolberg]

pipe dream. there is nothing wrong with the 5DMkIII. As of now it has no direct competitor (that seems to change with Nikon's rumored 2-year newer D750). But even if canon wanted to release it sooner, they are unlikely to do so as they have a lot of RD investment to recoup making the 4-5 year cycle stand.

 

[jdramirez]

pipe dream. there is nothing wrong with the 5DMkIII. As of now it has no direct competitor (that seems to change with Nikon's rumored 2-year newer D750). But even if canon wanted to release it sooner, they are unlikely to do so as they have a lot of RD investment to recoup making the 4-5 year cycle stand.

I'd anxious to see what will be available in the 5d mkiv, but I'm 1.5 years into owning my mkiii, and I wouldn't mind waiting another two years before I'm tempted to upgrade.

 

[Tugela]

Hi Mr.P!

I don't know how Canon is doing and planning their production cycles.
Maybe your information is right, but it's hard to believe.

I suggest, that we'll see a 1DX successor in 2015 first.
And then - maybe in late 2015 - but more believable in 2016 a 5D3 successor.

I don't know, if it's cost effective for Canon to put a camera mordel on stock for at least 2 years.
I think cash flow and so on is speaking against it. But maybe they need the space in their factory to built up new production lines.

My guess:
Don't expect a 5D4 too soon. 7D and 1DX successor will have the stage first.

It depends on how big an advance the 7D2 is. If it is a generation change in terms of technology, you can bet that new versions of the 1D and 5D will be fast on it's heels.

I think that new versions of both the 1D and 5D will be announced in early 2015.

 

[Sporgon]

Oh dear there's going to be terrible anguish, spitting feathers and general sabre rattling if the 7DII doesn't have some sensor fabrication advance similar to the Exmor. But you know I'm not really sure how much pressure there is on Canon to catch up on this. It would seem that 99% of Canon users (generically speaking) are not bothered about that particular aspect of the sensor, including many well respected professionals; certainly judging by sales there are many other features which the buying public seem to want. Certainly the amount of people using variable ISO now surprises me, but on the other hand given the performance of a camera such as the 6D I suppose that shouldn't be surprising. And when using variable ISO who wants their DR to drop by a stop or two between ISO 100 and 800 ?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

However, something else to consider is that the retailers system also showed they only had 11 units of the camera in stock nationwide.


This retailer isn't really known for selling these kinds of cameras and do not even carry any models in their retail stores. If you want to get one from them you have to order it online.


Baloney!! Just check the stock online at the best buy website to see which stores have them in stock. There is the body only, and two kits available. In Los Angeles alone, there are 5 stores with the 5D MK III bodies, and 4 stores with the 5D MK III and 24-105mm L Lens Kit. (No info about how many of each they have). A quick check of New York City shows six bodies and three kits in stores. That already adds up to 18. Miami Best Buy stores have lots more in stock, and I'm sure that if I checked additional cites that there are a hundred likely more elsewhere.


[/quote]

 

[Mr. P]

However, something else to consider is that the retailers system also showed they only had 11 units of the camera in stock nationwide.


This retailer isn't really known for selling these kinds of cameras and do not even carry any models in their retail stores. If you want to get one from them you have to order it online.


Baloney!! Just check the stock online at the best buy website to see which stores have them in stock. There is the body only, and two kits available. In Los Angeles alone, there are 5 stores with the 5D MK III bodies, and 4 stores with the 5D MK III and 24-105mm L Lens Kit. (No info about how many of each they have). A quick check of New York City shows six bodies and three kits in stores. That already adds up to 18. Miami Best Buy stores have lots more in stock, and I'm sure that if I checked additional cites that there are a hundred likely more elsewhere.

[/quote]

I don't doubt that. I am just going by what I saw on their computer system and the sales reps explaination. I am as skeptical as anyone but I found it very interesting and wanted to hear everyone's thoughts. I live in a smaller city and there are no 5D3s in any of the stores within driving distance.

Perhaps the 11 units in their system may have just been the body only units in their warehouse, not including what they have in retail stores.