RF Mount APS-C camera coming second half of 2021 [CR2]

Michael Clark

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Apr 5, 2016
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Pretty much what I was thinking. I do wonder how they would handle the marketing though, as I'm not sure just labeling the box would be sufficient. Although presumably, most people buying into the RF system would be sufficiently knowledgeable to understand that a 15-85 RF Crop lens won't have a 15mm field of view on an R5.

I guess the real question is which is more confusing, the way Canon did EF/EF-S or the way Nikon did FX/DX?

I've seen a lot more complaints about folks who bought a DX lens for their FX camera and then were upset when they discovered the full sensor was not being used than I have from folks who bought an EF-S lens and then couldn't mount it on their 1/5/6-Series camera...

There were, however, folks who were upset when they bought third party APS-C only lenses and used them on their FF Canon bodies. So there's that.
 
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Michael Clark

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Apr 5, 2016
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I do wonder about the pricing. To be a 7DII replacement, it really has to have all the features of the R5. Would Canon offer all that with an APS-C sensor at a deeply discounted price? The 7DII had a feature set that was superior to the 5DIII (The model that was current when the 7DII was released). If an R5 is not similarly equipped, 7DII users will scream. But if it comes it at say $2,600 (which would still be a huge bargain in comparison to the R5) will people also scream?

We'll bitch, but we'll probably buy it anyway assuming organized sports is still a thing in a post SARS-CoV-2 world.
 
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Michael Clark

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I still haven't seen a replacement for any of the Rebel series. Don't know how Rebel sales affects the bottom line, but they must be significant volume wise. The M line , particularly those without viewfinders, haven't replaced Rebels and Rp is a single attempt. 2021 will be an interesting year.

EOS M has replaced a lot of Rebel/xx0D sales everywhere except North America and Western Europe. Not so much the xx00D series, which are ridiculously cheap and limited in functionality for markets where most buyers can afford other options.
 
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Michael Clark

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An R7 doesn't have to be cheaper than the RP, R, or the R6. I wouldn't expect it to be.

Probably cheaper than the EOS R was at introduction, but not less than the current price of the EOS R. Maybe a little cheaper or maybe a little more than the R6. A lot might depend on whether it's more of an R7 or an R90 (I suspect the latter, but we'll see).
 
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Michael Clark

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Sure a lot of product design going on here around a CR1 rumor. An R5 with the new AA filter already gives you as much resolution as a 7D II (even though the pixel pitch is 7% coarser) with enormously better AF and a wider field of view so you can find the damn bird. An "R7" with the features dreamed up here would be at least $2500, so what is another 1500 for an R5 if you are already shooing with Big Whites? I think the rumor makes no sense at all and certainly not in the allotted time frame. The 80-100 MP R (R5s?) makes far more sense and that makes the APS-c version even less interesting (and see how that "s" gets confusing). The M line stands on its own as a truly portable ILC system, so this really has no relevance to M other than the note about a "smaller body", which in itself makes no sense for a 7D replacement that has to swing Big Whites.

Though birders seem to be in the majority of 7D Mark II users here, maybe that's only because the primary users of the 7D Mark II have no time to spend on forums such as this because they're spending all of their time editing, posting, and marketing thousands upon thousands of photos of youth/high school/small college sports?
 
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Well, there'd be one big difference. The minimum diameter of such a lens (unless Canon wants to design one with a taper), would be about 77mm. That's based on me eyeballing with a ruler across the 40mm pancake, whose flange is maybe 2mm narrower. So if Canon were to move the M lenses over to an RF mount, they'd end up with what, a bunch of uniform-width lenses with only 58 (or so) mm of innards in them? More likely they'd upgrade them some, maybe wider apertures, maybe fancier IS, or a combo of the two. (with respect to EF-M lens selection, 61 mm imposes a lot of constraints on what Canon can do in a lens; if they *ever* decide on some juicier options, they'll have to relax that limit to do them.)

Edit to add: I just realized even the pancake 40mm widens just a bit--I was measuring the front side and drawing conclusions about the camera side's size. So I should have said 75mm minimum diameter for an RF lens.)

Don't forget, the EF mount has the same inner diameter as the RF. And looking at the EF-`s 18-55, it has a diameter of 69mm. The mount itself seems to be only about 65, so 65mm diameter should be what one needs at the mount. So, with a small taper, quite compact lenses should be possible.
 
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Jun 29, 2016
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I don't believe one birth signifies another's death here. I just hope they keep churning out more bodies as it seems the historical use of taking a common camera such as a 5D or 7D series and making the most of it to fit your skill set is not enough for many users which cry for a very particular feature set to do what they need or envision. Therefore, the more the merrier. Who doesn't love more choices?
I would like the choice of having 5D mark5 and 7D mark3 as well.

But it seems that the OVF days are numbered, everyone goes to EVF. Although there is a solution for the mirror, there are elctronic/LCD haf ways mirors.
 
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Starting out EOS R

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This whole APSC M / RF mount topic is fascinating.

I initially thought APSC cameras were smaller in body size, due to the slightly smaller sensor but then I thought back to the 7D MKII I had which was & is a beast of a body and certainly not a light weight, it's so confusing?

Having moved up from the 7D MKII to the R and now to the R5, I have no intention of moving back or having an APSC as a back up but cant see the long term logic in having 2 APSC bodies with different lens mounts as from a development and maintenance perspective it increases costs which in this day and age seems a weird thing for a company to do, unless there is a solid case for increasing sales by doing so.

I can understanding developing an APSC RF mounted camera as this would allow development to be solely on the RF mount and probably drive innovation of both cheaper end and high end RF lenses.

I am certainly not a marketing or engineering expert but there has to be some logic to these rumours, but I'm blowed if I know what it is lol.
 
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Very interesting - maybe there's some truth to the death of EOS-M then. I guess the crux of the question here will be whether or not the "higher margin" nature of the body will put it out of reach for many traditional 7D buyers.

Any word on a higher resolution full frame body coming with it?
I doubt M series will be canned as this is the entry level to Mirrorless and best selling Mirrorless in the world. According to the rumours the first APSC will not be a budget camera. I think more of a 7D
 
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Doubt this will kill EOS-M, unless Canon plan on relaunching all the current EF-M lenses in RP-S mount which is unlikely.

The RF APS-C camera is a niche product for a small number of people prepared to pay a premium for an APS-C camera to use high quality lenses. Despite what these people think they are in the small minority of Canon's current APS-C customers.


I think essentially what we'll see is an M7 and an R7 essentially identical except with different mounts.

Likely that Canon could rational their line up (APS & FF) into one ML Mount - meaning an user can buy an APS camera in RF mount - add both APS ML RF glass and FF ML glass followed by upgrade to a FF ML camera.

Remember Nikon (with their wrong turn ML compact line) - CX abandoning this - although they didn't invest in doing any more cameras in the lens two years before they can it.

Also Canon did abandon their previous Mount FD before going for Electronic AF E mount in 1987 - however they have good line up of M cameras but don't see them doing much investment lately of EOS M glass and that could be sign they could be DOA EOS M mount and going to one ML mount.

The camera sector is compressing / restricting for past 4 years and may be still contracting going forward - so camera companies need to rational their line up and make cameras that can sell and also make them money. Also the evolution of the Smart phone into all in one jack of trades device doesn't help and punter can pick up decent mobile like Moto G8 Plus for £250 - good mobile for apps, browsing internet, taking video and stills especially decent for sharing online
 
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Steve Balcombe

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Aug 1, 2014
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The EOS M system is exactly what the vast majority of ILC buyers in the 21st Century want: a compact, lightweight, and affordable camera that is easy to take along to family get togethers, parties, and trips that has capabilities well beyond what their smartphone cameras can do.
The disconnect for me is why do such people (who I agree are in the majority) want an interchangeable lens system at all? They are well catered for by the various high end compacts and bridge cameras which do most things tolerably well and some things extremely well indeed. I wonder if the answer is that there's a bit of the gearhead in all of us...
 
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twoheadedboy

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Jan 3, 2018
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This is great news for lot of people.....but how about getting some R5's in stock for now before they start announcing more stuff they can't actually deliver please.

Good news, this is a rumor, nothing is announced yet, and even if it eventually will be exactly as-reported, we're at least a year away!
 
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jolyonralph

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Aug 25, 2015
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Likely that Canon could rational their line up (APS & FF) into one ML Mount - meaning an user can buy an APS camera in RF mount - add both APS ML RF glass and FF ML glass followed by upgrade to a FF ML camera.

This really isn't as important to most camera users as some people here think it is.
 
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