Should Canon do Paid firmware upgrades / features?

[gene_can_sing]

Since it seems like Canon cannot make everyone happy, it seems like they should do paid firmware upgrades.

For example, the new 1Dx still has a pretty weak video codec, h264, and I have a feeling it's going to be a 4:2:0 color space. Personally, I would gladly pay up to $1000 for a 4:2:2 color space. Sony does this with their new FS-100 camera where you can pay (albet way too much) more and get the better video codec "unlocked."

I would also pay extra (maybe $100) to have a 3x crop mode like the Canon T3i, since I like to do lots of Macro shots. There was no mention of this in the new 1Dx.

Modern cameras are basically mini-computers and Canon should treat them as such. As it stands, many of Canon's camera iterations (7D, 60D, T2i, T3i, etc...) are basically just firmware / feature upgrades such as add a histogram in video mode, add crop mode, etc...., and it doesn't really make it worth while to buy a new camera just for a basic feature that could have been done with a firmware update. Plus, I don't want to have a bunch of different cameras for very specific tasks. Rather just have one camera that can do most things.

Would you guys be willing to pay for upgrade features that can be easily done through a firmware type update? Seems to make sense to me.

People are already doing many hacks on the 5D, T2i, Panasonic GH2; but it would nice and safer if Canon did it officially.

 

[kubelik]

I hope not. this is where the gaming industry has gone and, while it's done a few good things, it's done many things worse. the primary thing that ends up happening is, features that you should be expecting to see as built-in-when-sold suddenly become things you have to pay more to receive. also, companies feel OK with releasing not-ready product because they assume it will all be handled after the fact with patches (see Rage, Dead Island, Witcher 2, nearly half of the big titles released in the last year).

I don't think it will be as bad in the camera industry because the majority of it really still comes down to hardware and you can't easily upgrade that. I'd still prefer that when Canon releases a product, it's a product they are confident of and willing to stand behind. I'm pretty sure if they had technology like 4:2:2 or 16-bit RAW or crop mode ready to release, they would do so, but the fact that they have not yet means they clearly do not have the resources at the moment to dedicate to those tasks.

and, at the end of the day, it's also about letting people do the things they are best at. Canon is excellent as an OEM camera manufacturer. the aftermarket modding community (similar to the gaming world) also has some fantastic talent with a willingness to go the extra mile in some very focused efforts, and in doing so, can accomplish certain tasks better or faster than even Canon's engineers might. perhaps the solution, similar to what some companies have adopted in the gaming industry, is a pro-modder stance, where they make code and resources available to aftermarket modders that make it easier for them to root around in the guts of the system and come up with brilliant mods. there's very little downside/risk in this for Canon, as it's not like the majority of its user base runs around hoping to "unlock" their Rebel.