An EOS Canon Medium Format System [CR1]

[Canon Rumors]

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<p><strong>EOS Medium Format?

</strong>It’s mentioned over at [<a href="http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/canon_medium_format_2ff.html" target="_blank">NL</a>] that a Canon move into medium format would still be branded under the EOS name.</p>
<p>This makes sense, as Canon would have the EOS M line, the EOS line, the Cinema EOS line and a higher resolution EOS MF line. There is reportedly a thought within Canon that there are enough professional photographers out there that would want to “distinguish” their file output from standard DSLR users.</p>
<p><strong>Source: [<a href="http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/canon_medium_format_2ff.html" target="_blank">NL</a>]</strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

 

[Ellen Schmidtee]

This makes me wonder.

Would a MF manufacturer agree to have it's lenses rebranded as Canon? If not, can Canon develop it's own MF lenses, and make a profit off of it?

 

[RLPhoto]

As long as I can true sync past 1/250th with a massive sensor. I'm in.

 

[Sporgon]

I still see this rumour as rather strange, but they say there's no smoke without fire. It doesn't really seem to fit with past Canon strategy. Has the decline of p&s really got them looking at the other end of the market ?

I can see Canon reasoning that 20 odd mp is enough for the 24x36 sensor and that to have much higher mp you need a larger format to make use of it.

Looking at Canon's past I would have thought that if they get involved in MF it is to make this format much more accessible - ie cheaper than current offers, and sell a much greater number of units.

As someone has already pointed out, current digital 'MF' can be anything larger than 'FF'. Would Canon produce a 36 x 36 sensor, still use the EOS lenses and call it 'medium format'. They could easily cripple it in such a way as to make it unattractive as a replacement for the 1Dx / 5D Mkiii, but attractive enough to want one of those bodies as well.

 

[RGF]

As someone has already pointed out, current digital 'MF' can be anything larger than 'FF'. Would Canon produce a 36 x 36 sensor, still use the EOS lenses and call it 'medium format'. They could easily cripple it in such a way as to make it unattractive as a replacement for the 1Dx / 5D Mkiii, but attractive enough to want one of those bodies as well.

Some of the current lens will not work with a square sensor.

Key questions - low large is the market for MF? Will Canons entry increase the number of MF photographers? Why would current MF photographers switch from Leica, Haaseblad, or phase one tomCanon?

 

[Orangutan]

Some of the current lens will not work with a square sensor.

I'm sure Canon's marketing department is well pleased by that. Selling an expensive body is nice; selling a rack of expensive lenses is better.

Key questions - low large is the market for MF? Will Canons entry increase the number of MF photographers? Why would current MF photographers switch from Leica, Haaseblad, or phase one tomCanon?

So far, Canon's marketing department has been doing well enough to make money for them. Sure, everyone's suffering the P&S realignment (loss of market share to smartphones), and the EOS-M was a necessary first step into that market segment. Given the current state of the economy, for every "professional" who wants to "distinguish" his files, there are probably 10 rich dudes who want the best of everything, we probably have some of them on this forum. How many of you non-pros would lay out $50k for a MF system?

 

[Zv]

You know I can see a market for this. I can't even afford a 5DIII let alone a 1DX but then again if there are photographers out there who can spend 5K on a DSLR camera they'll prob pay about that much or a little more for a MF camera if it offers them something they need.

I guess it depend on what level of photographer you are and if you're at the very top of your game then MF is where it's at. Looking at recent trends more and more people can afford DSLRs than before so maybe theres gonna be a shift in that more people will be able to afford the next level up. Maybe Canon want to bridge that gap a little and make it more accessible to those who are ready to take that step.

If I was earning enough from photography I might be interested. But I don't so I stay within my means.

 

[dougkerr]

Perhaps a good "subfamily" moniker for a "medium format" EOS-family subfamily would be "EOS-M".

Oh, no—Canon has already squandered that on the "baby EOS" subfamily.

They could call it EOS-B, for "bigger than full size".

Best regards,

Doug Kerr

 

[c.d.embrey]

This makes me wonder.

Would a MF manufacturer agree to have it's lenses rebranded as Canon? If not, can Canon develop it's own MF lenses, and make a profit off of it?

Medium format lenses are very expensive. The Hasselblad kit lens (80mm f/2. 8 ) sells for $2,595.00. The HC 210mm f/4.0 (=140mm FF) is $4,195.00, the Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM is $1,089.00 (about 1/4 the price of the comparable Hasselblad lens). At these price levels Canon should be able to make a profit.

 

[c.d.embrey]

As long as I can true sync past 1/250th with a massive sensor. I'm in.

The Phase One Schneider 150mm f/3.5 LS (= about 100mm FF) has flash sync settings up to 1/1600. If Canon builds MF lenses with a leaf shutter built into the lens, sync above 1/250 should not be a problem. The problem is that leaf shutter lenses are expensive. The Schneider 150mm f/3.5 LS sells for $ 5,390.00.

 

[c.d.embrey]

I still see this rumour as rather strange, but they say there's no smoke without fire.

I first heard this rumor way back in 2006. A salesman in a Pro Camera Shop asked me if I'd heard anything about a Medium Format Canon and wondered what lenses they would need. Could he have been conducting a survey for Canon?

Has the decline of p&s really got them looking at the other end of the market ?

I think that this is more about the decline of Full Frame DSLRs. A few professionals are abandoning their FF DSLRs for a combination of mirrorless and MFD. If this trend picks up speed Canon will already have a foothold in the market :

 

[LeifHurst]

Anyone want to take a guess at the price point this is going to come in at? You've got economies of scale where a Canon could beat out Hassy and Phase but we're still talking BIG bucks.

How many of you that want this thing are still in at 15-20k?

It's tough for me. I've considered dropping my entire Canon kit (3 bodies, a bag full of L glass) to go with a CPO'd H4D Hasselblad for primary work and a Fuji X for a walk around camera. I'm keeping a close eye on this Canon MF news though.

 

[David]

There is no mirror less digital MF camera to date. I see a market for a small portable digital MF camera, e.g. a 36x36 CMOS square sensor with a fixed central shutter standard lens. This would be a product to challenge the market like Fuji did with the X100 and proved as very successful. The big CMOS sensor tech would be the core competence and distinguish Canon from the current MF brands. If Canon could keep a sophisticated OVF and the great battery life, there would be another advantage in comparison to todays mirrorless cameras. Such a camera could be even smaller than todays 6D because there would be no mirrorbox and no optical prism for the finder.

 

[Sporgon]

I still see this rumour as rather strange, but they say there's no smoke without fire.

I first heard this rumor way back in 2006. A salesman in a Pro Camera Shop asked me if I'd heard anything about a Medium Format Canon and wondered what lenses they would need. Could he have been conducting a survey for Canon?

Has the decline of p&s really got them looking at the other end of the market ?

I think that this is more about the decline of Full Frame DSLRs. A few professionals are abandoning their FF DSLRs for a combination of mirrorless and MFD. If this trend picks up speed Canon will already have a foothold in the market :

Is there any hard evidence to support this ? I don't know any people in photography professionally who have, or intend to move to mirrorless, let alone MFD. I know many who moved from MF film to FF digital, and one who shoots MFD. The versatility of the current dSLR with live view option will take some time to improve upon.

 

[9VIII]

For my one studio camera (a.k.a. the camera that stays at home and shoots random things from a tripod) I would pay up to $5K, maybe a little more but much beyond that and even owning the thing becomes a liability.

 

[swampler]

I think they need a different abbreviation from MF considering other meaning it might have. :

 

[c.d.embrey]

Is there any hard evidence to support this ? I don't know any people in photography professionally who have, or intend to move to mirrorless, let alone MFD. I know many who moved from MF film to FF digital, and one who shoots MFD. The versatility of the current dSLR with live view option will take some time to improve upon.

UK Fashion Photographer Jonathan Posner http://www.jonathanposner.com/ switched from a Canon 5D2 to an Olympus OM- aD E-M5. Check-out his blog post on why he switched http://jonathanposner.tumblr.com/post/40780795719/my-olympus-challenge-10

UK Wedding Photographer Kevin Mullins uses Fuji X-Pro1 http://www.kevinmullinsphotography.co.uk/

HDR guru/author/publisher Trey Ratcliff http://www.stuckincustoms.com/ Why he switched from Nikon D800 to Sony NEX-7 http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2013/07/04/sony-nex-review-nikon-vs/

David Kai Piper is a UK photographer who uses Fuji X cameras http://www.davepiper.org.uk/

Craig Litten is a PJ and Photographer working in Florida http://www.craiglitten.com/home “I wanted to share a recent shoot with you all taken with the Fuji X-Pro 1, 18mm, 35mm and 18-55mm lenses. The shoot was for a company called Sun Bum for their 2014 catalog ...This was my biggest shoot since switching to the X, and after two days of shooting, I didn’t even notice the weight of the cameras. Wondrous! http://www.craiglitten.com/trust-the-bum#1

Rob Knight shoots Travel, Nature and Landscape with M4/3 http://robknightphotography.com

Fashion Photographer Terry Richardson, who is known for his "snap-shot style" photos uses a Hasselblad when the job calls for it http://terrysdiary.com/post/1461509596/me-shooting-with-a-hasselblad-h2-with-a-120mm-lens

 

[c.d.embrey]

I've considered dropping my entire Canon kit (3 bodies, a bag full of L glass) to go with a CPO'd H4D Hasselblad for primary work and a Fuji X for a walk around camera. I'm keeping a close eye on this Canon MF news though.

Same here. But I'll buy mirrorless and rent MFD when needed.

 

[Bjorn]

The largest square sensor that can be used by EF lensens will only be 30,6 mmx30,6 mm.

 

[johnhenry]

I think that if someone could make a 60mm by 60mm digital back that would work with various Hasselblad bodies that used "C" shutter lenses and even on the SWC, and could do it for say $4000, 40+M pixels, they could sell tens of thousands of them.