When I switched from Nikon to Canon (5D Mark 3), the A7/R was fresh to the market and gave me brief pause, but it was not the right decision at the time. Sony FF Mirrorless was not serious until the A9. Now with the arrival of the R5, worthy of the RF-L lenses, I plan sale of all of my EF gear with my first RF lens in the mail, wondering if this AP move is the beginning of a dark era for Canon. How will this account switch change Sony's development patterns?
It has been said time and time again, Sony is pulling on Canon with mirrorless what Canon pulled on Nikon with AF and OIS. This is the seismic result 7 years after the fissures formed.
Today, we have the cameras that Canon really needed much sooner, I don't mean to sound ungrateful but Canon is now paying the price for not responding sooner, maybe they couldn't have responded sooner? EF Legacy was too heavy? Maybe the R5 under it's heavy wraps just couldnt have been developed quickly enough to stem the threat.
Will Canon pick-up up the pace? Or will it give up and lean back on it's other business units to earn profits? They still have only a handful of native RF lenses, the system is not complete while most EF-RF adapters are out of stock on B&H/Adorama/Amazon. Sony has been the talk of the internet for years now, countless enthusiasts have switched now a major account has followed suit. First time camera buyers with some money look no further than A7III, Sony's momentum is now validated and tremendous and this is only the first account that will turn to Sony with video becoming ever more important. All because of Sony Semiconductor.
I just hope our piles of cash in RF lenses is going to a system that will still be growing in 10 years; Sony is required to grow now (or will these major accounts leave them reliable and complacent?). The R5 is a solid statement that Canon will not give up but we need a lot of "R5"-like moves in these next few years. All of the sudden Canon is fast becoming the underdog.
It is a bit disturbing that Associated Press is dancing around like some cheap advertisement supplement for a major corporation. Sony must be shelling some serious money and promises for all of this. And media is in a state of decline right now, money is tight while distrust is ever mounting. Meanwhile, DPR is right there covering this switch like an inauguration, executive interviews and all. It's all just too well orchestrated to seem truly genuine. Just how long will this exclusivity last?