More Medium Format Talk

[grahamsz]

I don't see a "mess" so much as products that are targeted at specific markets. The larger and more profitable Canon become the more they obviously have to invest in R&D(including buying on existing companies) as well so its not an "either or" situation.

My guess would be if Canon take someone over it'll be Mamiya, they have the knowhow with medium format but the brand itself isn't as valuable as something like Hassleblad so rebranding it Canon would be less of a loss.

Well maybe "mess" is the wrong word, but I'd love to see how sales stack up across all the different product lines. I always thought the 60D line was an odd one, if price is a concern then most people seem to go for the rebel (especially since the rebel line gets refreshed more frequently) and if price isn't a concern then the 7D makes more sense.

I agree with you on Mamiya, however my interpretation of the original rumor suggested that the lenses would be in some way compatible with EF. Obviously they can't be mechanically compatible so that means they'd have to be electronically compatible. Imagine the outcry from Mamiya users if Canon changed their lenses to now use the EF connections and protocol instead of whatever they use now.

I suspect that if they dipped their toe in by making sensors for someone else then they could reserve the option to buy that other party outright later.

 

[Bennymiata]

Perhaps Canon see the success of the Pentax 645D camera as something to emulate.
Canon always need to move forward and get people to spend ever larger amounts of money with them, so after FF, where else is there to go except to MF?

If they can do it for a reasonable price, I think there is a definite market for MF cameras and lenses.
Imagine a slightly larger 1Dx that has a 60meg MF sensor for around $10K.
If it could perform like a 1Dx but with MF goodness thrown in, I reckon a lot of pros and well-off amateurs would buy into the system, much as many amateurs, like my father, had Hasselblads back in the film days.

It would also be a halo product.
Even it didn't quite pay for itself, it would rub off on the rest of Canon's line up.

 

[tnargs]

Canon always need to move forward and get people to spend ever larger amounts of money with them, so after FF, where else is there to go except to MF?

So, you're saying there is a huge block of Canon users who have upgraded their way to 1DX and want more camera?

 

[LewisShermer]

Canon always need to move forward and get people to spend ever larger amounts of money with them, so after FF, where else is there to go except to MF?

So, you're saying there is a huge block of Canon users who have upgraded their way to 1DX and want more camera?

Yep.

MF isn't about wondering the streets taking snaps of pigeons or taking photo's of your kids pricking about in the garden, it's a serious camera for serious people. It's a commercial camera for commercial projects, product, architecture & fashion. Imagine cropping an image and it still being big enough to print on a billboard or the side of a building. That's it's practical use. The photographers who do this aren't going out to do weddings at £100 a pop.

Don't get disgruntled because this camera isn't aimed at you. It's great that they're having a go at this market and I can't wait to own one

 

[dickgrafixstop]

You can get a Pentax 645D with lens for about $10K, a Hasselblad starts at about $15K, the Leica at $30K.
None of the above systems are huge sellers, and the whole digital MF market is probably less dollar volume
than Canon will make with the 5DIII. Why bother?

 

[RGF]

You can get a Pentax 645D with lens for about $10K, a Hasselblad starts at about $15K, the Leica at $30K.
None of the above systems are huge sellers, and the whole digital MF market is probably less dollar volume
than Canon will make with the 5DIII. Why bother?

Wonder if the same could be said about the super telephotos and P&S - at least a few years ago. P&S sold like hot cakes while big glass lingered on the shelf

 

[9VIII]

Canon always need to move forward and get people to spend ever larger amounts of money with them, so after FF, where else is there to go except to MF?

So, you're saying there is a huge block of Canon users who have upgraded their way to 1DX and want more camera?

Yep.

MF isn't about wondering the streets taking snaps of pigeons or taking photo's of your kids pricking about in the garden, it's a serious camera for serious people. It's a commercial camera for commercial projects, product, architecture & fashion. Imagine cropping an image and it still being big enough to print on a billboard or the side of a building. That's it's practical use. The photographers who do this aren't going out to do weddings at £100 a pop.

Don't get disgruntled because this camera isn't aimed at you. It's great that they're having a go at this market and I can't wait to own one

I guarantee there will be a segment of the market using these to put funny captions on pictures of cats.

I know that's why I want one, getting action shots indoors is a real struggle (thus, I've never posted any funny cat pictures).
And the Bokeh! crowd will go bonkers.

 

[LewisShermer]

Canon always need to move forward and get people to spend ever larger amounts of money with them, so after FF, where else is there to go except to MF?

So, you're saying there is a huge block of Canon users who have upgraded their way to 1DX and want more camera?

Yep.

MF isn't about wondering the streets taking snaps of pigeons or taking photo's of your kids pricking about in the garden, it's a serious camera for serious people. It's a commercial camera for commercial projects, product, architecture & fashion. Imagine cropping an image and it still being big enough to print on a billboard or the side of a building. That's it's practical use. The photographers who do this aren't going out to do weddings at £100 a pop.

Don't get disgruntled because this camera isn't aimed at you. It's great that they're having a go at this market and I can't wait to own one

I guarantee there will be a segment of the market using these to put funny captions on pictures of cats.

I know that's why I want one, getting action shots indoors is a real struggle (thus, I've never posted any funny cat pictures).
And the Bokeh! crowd will go bonkers.

I am the Bokeh! crowd... why have everything in focus when you can have almost nothing in focus??