It looks like 2021 will be the last year for the EOS M lineup [CR2]

[josephandrews222]

Idle comments:

(1) It is refreshing to read posts from canonnews here. Kind of contrarian. I like that. I also like it that canonnews has seen sales figures
(2) I really wonder how many of the M naysayers have ever used an M-format camera
(3) A post I quoted earlier included an aside along the lines of 'the higher quality of a full-frame image (compared to one acquired using an M-format camera)'...yes bokeh and light-gathering ability are superior with the larger sensor. But for many of my own shooting situations, the APS-C sensor in any of the modern Ms is good enough...and the M6MkII's sensor...my oh my it is wonderful and, I think, is the exact sensor found in the 90D...a body that, based on some comments here, people love to death
(4) For my needs, for everything except attaching a large lens (in which case I go full frame), the M6MkII is superior (or equal to) the 90D. So I purchased the M6MkII
(5) I hope Canon affords me the opportunity to buy the M6MkIII...presumably after the R5 and its glorious sensor and spectacular low-light and auto-focus abilities

 

[LDS]

I believe all camera makers are planning a strategic retreat while camera sales are crushed by different events. Coalescing everything into a single mount and with many more shared components across the lineup (electronics allows for easier segmenting) has clear advantages when it comes to costs - and then planned profits - which is what shareholders look at.

If this plan works really is yet to see - what cameras and lenses will become available, and if target users will buy them as hoped. But the whole future camera market is quite foggy. Maybe even this APS-C line will be wiped out by new generations used to take photos with phones - so cutting R&D and tooling may look good.

 

[Andy Westwood]

I get Canon wanting to develop the R line and adding APS-C sensor to the range such as 7D and 90D replacements.

What I don’t get is killing off the extremely popular M range of cameras they are obviously very sought after going by the sales figures, small, compact, and light, the M50 M6 II and M200 are fab little cameras. OK not the best glass but do most M series buyers really care so much about that, we might in here but not so much most M buyers they want affordable lenses.

 

[dickgrafixstop]

I personally don't care if the M series lives or dies. I do wonder however how Canon intends to replace the revenue stream for the Rebel series. The SL 1-2-3 series are wonderful and small cameras at the low end of the price point. Hard to imagine a more cheaply built R series than the RP could fill in those price gaps.

 

[adrian_bacon]

I get Canon wanting to develop the R line and adding APS-C sensor to the range such as 7D and 90D replacements.

What I don’t get is killing off the extremely popular M range of cameras they are obviously very sought after going by the sales figures, small, compact, and light, the M50 M6 II and M200 are fab little cameras. OK not the best glass but do most M series buyers really care so much about that, we might in here but not so much most M buyers they want affordable lenses.

exactly. Again, the EF-M mount flange depth is deeper than RF right? Making an RF mount APS-C camera that is as small and light as the current M system and simply taking the existing EF-M lenses and putting an RF mount on the back with the added flange depth tacked onto the back of the lens and maybe a slight barrel re-housing since the mount is a larger diameter is something that would require no new lens designs and would let Canon get to one mirrorless mount for both sensor sizes.

From there, they're free to make a pro-level mirrorless 7D, and further upscale rebel class cameras while still maintaining a replacement/upgrade path for EF, EF-S, and EF-m users. When your EF-M camera dies, or you want something new, just buy the new small and light APS-C RF camera with matching lenses. Yes, you have to buy new lenses with that switch, but since it'd be a switch to RF, you won't have to buy new lenses for a really long time, and you have a great upgrade path to full frame, and... if you really wanted to, you could put your RF APS-C lenses on your full frame camera, no problem.

The way I see it, the alternative is, maintain RF as full frame, and EF-M as APS-C. That only works if APS-C is to not have a pro-level body, as Canon has never released a pro-level EF-M body. I don't see canon not having a Pro-level APS-C body as that's a market that is very popular, so the future is make an APS-C RF camera, then decide what to do about consumer APS-C class cameras. As I described above, it'd be extremely easy to simply take the existing EF-M lenses and re-release them with RF mount with little to no other changes. Putting it on a full frame RF camera would be no problem because the camera would automatically go into crop mode, and it'd work just fine on an APS-C RF camera.

Given that Canon just did the M6II and M50II, we still have at least a year before they really have to address it, and they can release a pro-level APS-C RF camera in the meantime as the pro users would expect to use bigger more expensive glass. As I said before, how to communicate the difference to the consumer would take some working out. I doubt they could strictly keep it all just "RF". You have to have some way to communicate that the lens is meant for a crop sensor.

 

[Sibir Lupus]

I get Canon wanting to develop the R line and adding APS-C sensor to the range such as 7D and 90D replacements.

What I don’t get is killing off the extremely popular M range of cameras they are obviously very sought after going by the sales figures, small, compact, and light, the M50 M6 II and M200 are fab little cameras. OK not the best glass but do most M series buyers really care so much about that, we might in here but not so much most M buyers they want affordable lenses.

The EF-M 22mm f/2 and EF-M 32mm f/1.4 are incredible little lenses for the money . Lightweight, tack sharp, and great bokeh. Though I do wish Canon had updated the EF-M 15-45mm lens to make it a bit sharper in the corners.

 

[Ale_F]

No one has talked about the best for M-line
Price!

 

[CanonGrunt]

I wonder if they will use the EF-M lenses on that OSMO looking thing...

 

[Richard CR]

I believe all camera makers are planning a strategic retreat while camera sales are crushed by different events. Coalescing everything into a single mount and with many more shared components across the lineup (electronics allows for easier segmenting) has clear advantages when it comes to costs - and then planned profits - which is what shareholders look at.

If this plan works really is yet to see - what cameras and lenses will become available, and if target users will buy them as hoped. But the whole future camera market is quite foggy. Maybe even this APS-C line will be wiped out by new generations used to take photos with phones - so cutting R&D and tooling may look good.

canon sold less DSLR's during film then they do now.

also;

you get 0 sales and 0 profits when customers pick up and go to Sony or Fuji.
While profits are good, sales are also very much something stockholders look at. as well as marketshare.

 

[dtaylor]

The idea that all they need is a crap zoom and a wide angle. When it is the 22mm pancake and the size & quality combination of the 11-22 that make it worth having.

It's very hard to match, much less beat, an M body + 22mm or 11-22mm on a bang-for-buck or bang-for-size/weight basis. Either is just an awesome and highly portable combo. Canon was never going to fill out the M lens lineup in a way that would compete with EF or RF. But I wish they would keep it around along with 2-3 good but affordable primes and a couple good but affordable stabilized zooms.

 

[Rocky]

Canon should give us a better (sharper) EF-M 15-45 lens. It is much easier than develope a APS_C R mount camera. By doing that Canon can keep the M line going for a while with or without any additional new body. Most complain ( from the owner) is all the zoom lens are not that good.
It is crazy to kill off the best selling Line ( the M system). The strong point of the M ( including M6 II, M50II, M5 etc) are small, resonable price with okay optical performance.

 

[PureClassA]

LOL. I said this would happen nearly a year ago and some folks in here thought that was crazy. Well.... here we are. It was absolutely inevitable that if Canon would make RF Crop in similar sizes to M, then M line would DIE. Makes no sense to maintain production on two MILC mounts if a singular mount could cover all bases. Glad Canon is going this way finally. The M was wonderful, but it’s time has passed. Im grateful we had it because it led to the RF.

 

[Madbox]

This has the stink of Microsoft killing of their products. Microsoft dumped their loyal customers, so I replaced my discontinued products with Apple. If EOS M is going to die, Canon shouldn't count on customers automatically switching to their other products. Since my lens collection will become increasingly worthless, I have a prime opportunity to chose a different camera manufacturer. Other camera makers may not have the market share that Canon does, but they are more innovative and competitive. When you burn a customer, they rarely comeback and they tell their friends.

 

[SnowMiku]

I was waiting for an EOS M5 MkII with a Vari-angle screen since that would have been the only M that would suit my needs but it looks like that is not going to happen. The M50 was nice but the lack of cable release port forced me to stick with my older DSLR. I was also reluctant to get an M because of the lack of lenses and no compatibility with RF lenses.

To me it makes sense if Canon want to keep it simple and just have R cameras with RF lenses. I'm looking forward to a APS-C Rxxx or Rxx and I'll probably be upgrading to one of those in the future.

I can see the future of R APS-C being Rxxxx, Rxxx, Rxx and R7, this will replace everything EF and M.

Some people say whats the point of an APS-C R? The point is not everyone is a professional photographer, or needs or wants to spend the money for a Full-Frame, and if your a birder or need to crop too much of the image regularly you may be better off with APS-C with the increased pixel density and less cost.

 

[Czardoom]

I think it is likely - since the M6 II cam out at the very end of 2019, and the M50 II came out this year - that Canon will wait until their 3 or 4 year life cycles are complete before deciding anything. So, by 2023 or 2024, Canon will probably have released some small and cheap RF APS-C mount cameras that will be selling along with their existing M cameras and lenses, and will have the numbers and market research to decide how to move forward. I doubt anything wil be decided before then. So, I don't think any existing M owner needs to start panicking or decide whether to jump ship. For pete's sake, if you bought an M6 II or M50 II in the past year, why even think about getting a new replacement? You - and Canon - will have years to decide.

 

[speg]

I don't really see how this would work without crop RF lenses. A 10mm wide full frame lens is never going to be remotly cheap - L or not. The EF-S 10-18mm lens is £200 compared to £3000 for the EF 11-24L. The cost of glass elements rises exponentially with size so full frame lenses will always cost considerably more than APS-C crop lenses. This approach only really makes sense if you only consider a crop RF body as a companion/backup to a full frame RF body. On it's own a APS-C RF body makes very little sense without RF crop lenses.

they will have to find a way to make a cheap RF wide angle. Use an adapter if you must.

there is no way we are having the lens lineup divided again. I will not allow it!

 

[woodman411]

I do wonder however how Canon intends to replace the revenue stream for the Rebel series. The SL 1-2-3 series are wonderful and small cameras at the low end of the price point. Hard to imagine a more cheaply built R series than the RP could fill in those price gaps.

From Canon's 2019 Financial Report: "In Imaging System, we expect sales and profit of interchangeable lens cameras to decline, due to the continued impact of mainly entry class DSLR market contraction. However, in the area of mirrorless cameras, where we are focusing our energy, the effects of expanding our lineup will continue to lead to sales growth."

Translation: Rebel sales have collapsed, and have been for some time. I don't think Canon wants to fill in the sub-$500 market because there is no profit there, they did that before because they sold over 100 million of them, but those days are over thanks to the mobile phone, and they know it.

 

[landon]

Maybe Canon will release an R50 lens kit, and twin lens kit, just to confuse the M50 users to switch over

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I agree.
That is how Canon usually does things.
They make a new camera and if it sells and the old one stops selling then they will replace the old one.
If they both sell then Canon will keep selling both because who wouldn't?

While that is officially the case, Canon pushes sales by offering better prices and probably incentives for sellers to push the newer ones. That usually seals the fate of the older one. EF lenses and DSLR cameras are a example. Sales are dropping as buyers move to the R series bodies and lenses. It may take years, but the low price of the R and RF bodies had the desired effect, then, the specs of the R5 / R6 and better IQ RF lenses pushed a lot more into buying. It will be several years before EF lenses stop selling, but buyers are being nudged toward RF.


The same could happen with a "M" replacement, a new and even smaller RF body with a low price. That's been rumored. Then the sales gives Canon the reason to move to the newer model. It will take years, of course.

 

[jam05]

Same crappy rumor for 3 years in a row. Um not buying it. Its not credible, its not logical. And it doesnt even make good business sense. Canon is going to release another M series in another couple of months.