Re: Pricing & More Information About the EOS 6D Mark II [CR3]
The good news is, we can come back in four years and see how all the predictions went. If the value proposition for competing products is materially better, it will be reflected in the market. If/when that happens, Canon will move to compete. If not, there's no need for Canon to change course.
I get that people want to see Canon leading the way in everything. I wouldn't be disappointed if it did. But. In the tech industry, it's wise to not use up all your tech just because you have it. If you're leading the industry, dominating market share, it's a waste (and a risk) to dump your best innovations when market conditions don't require it -- especially with technology that is maturing to the point where huge leaps in capability are fewer and farther between. To be
unable to release something new because engineers are still trying to turn patents into something mass-produceable, reliable and affordable (and everything that already was had been released) would be absolutely devastating to a tech company.
Honestly, if the market is so full of "better" options, why waste time complaining? Go and buy them! Unless people do that, Canon will have no need to do anything differently. As a happy Canon shooter, I'd encourage people to go buy the competing products if they feel they are better. That will just result in better Canon products for me down the road.
As much as people seem to complain to the contrary, I think Canon is listening to its customers.
Remember several years ago, after the D800 came out, how so many moaned that Canon didn't release a "high megapixel monster?" They answered with the 5DS -- at 50MP over Nikon's 36. No one else had anything close (not counting medium format).
Remember when people wanted no AA filter? Canon responded with the 5DSR.
Remember when people complained about Canon's AF in the 5DII? They responded with AF nearly as good as the 1DX in the 5DIII...and continued that with the 5DIV having nearly as good of AF as the 1DXII.
Remember when people complained about Live View AF being slow and clumsy? Canon gave us DPAF which is so good that it's changing opinions about AF in the videography world (it also happens to be brilliant for me in-studio for situations when the focus point needs to be constantly and quickly changed).
Remember when people complained about Canon's ever-increasing prices? Then the 70D launched $200 cheaper than all the rumors. Then the 16-35F4 came with reasonable price. Then the M series and lenses all came in lower than people expected. Same with the 24-105F4II and others. Then the 5DIV launched for pretty much the same as the 5DIII, despite the number of intervening years. Now the 6DII comes in cheaper than its predecessor.
I also remember people melting down about the huge leap in price from 5DII to 5DIII and predicting that Canon was doomed. The 5DIII went on to be arguably the best all-around pro/semi-pro body out there and dominated the market.
In this world of short attention spans and instant gratification, perhaps it's easy to forget...
Sure, it would be neat to see Canon drop its best tech into a full-frame mirrorless body or quickly 1-up the competition at every turn and for a lower price. It's just not the way business works, though, for a market-leader. Yes, Sony does that, but it has to. Companies trying to claw their way into market share usually do. At the cost of reliability, customer service, etc.
Everyone will assess the value proposition differently, and as markets move, so will Canon -- maybe not on the bleeding edge, but well enough to remain a solid business with solid imaging products in an extremely competitive industry.
