A curiosity: Canon Mirrorless MF?

[jrista]

There have looong been rumors about Canon and their mythical medium format DSLR. Canon has mentioned they are "working on something" a few times, but nothing has ever materialized. I can generally understand their reluctance to put much time, effort, and money into developing such a thing, as it does tend to be incredibly expensive. Things have changed in recent times, though, with the advent of mirrorless cameras. They are all small-format right now, smaller than APS-C for the most part.

I'm curious, though, about the possibility of a mirrorless/EVF medium format camera. Looking at the likes of the H4D and Pentax 645, MF cameras tend to be rather hefty and bulky. That could change if someone took the mirrorless approach. Personally, I LOVE the design of DSLR cameras, I like focal plane shutters, I like the size, weight, and ergonomics of DSLR bodies and lenses. However MF cameras just seem to be a tad too large. With smaller size could come reduced cost, and better ergonomics.

Would anyone be interested in such a thing...a mirrorless EVF medium format DSLR from Canon?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Canon has been asked the question many times, but have not announced any MF development. There was a rumor that they were going to buy Pentax, but that never happened. I really expect a mirrorless body this year, There is money to be made and it has caught Canon's attention. I read that 13% of camera sales in Japan are mirrorless, and the number is growing.

I was interested enough to go to our local camera store and try the various models. I planned to buy one for my wife to take to Grandcanyou rather than her G11. I came away pretty discouraged. No really wide angle lenses, the bodies are small, but the lenses protrude too much to be pocketable, and many have no viewfinders. That doesn't stop them from selling, so Canon will jump on the bandwagon. (Those with the pancake lens were pocketable.)

I plan to checkout the G1 X and see if it is practical to carry in a coat pocket or purse.

 

[tntwit]

Panasonic makes a 7-14mm which translates to a 14-28mm equivalent. I believe the widest for and APS-C Canon is 10mm which translates to 16mm. I'm not sure on the full frame bodies. The lens is not cheap (although that's relative), running around $900, but it's certainly competitive in terms of how wide it is.

Having said that, the lack of lenses has been a weakness of the mirrorless cameras, but that is slowly changing as the segment matures.

 

[Caps18]

Yes, the type of pictures I take would be better on a high MP, medium format camera. I don't need a viewfinder most of the time. It is a very expensive hobby now to get in the MF game. If I won the lottery, I would...

http://www.calumetphoto.com/eng/product/phase_one_iq180_digital_back_with_mamiya_rz_mount/pe71614 (+ camera body & lenses)
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2009/9/15/hartbleicam

 

[Ellen Schmidtee]

Panasonic makes a 7-14mm which translates to a 14-28mm equivalent. I believe the widest for and APS-C Canon is 10mm which translates to 16mm. I'm not sure on the full frame bodies. The lens is not cheap (although that's relative), running around $900, but it's certainly competitive in terms of how wide it is.

Sigma makes an 8-16mm lens for APS-C, and a 12-24mm lens for FF. Both lenses are available for Canon cameras.