On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, Apple will be introducing their 48 megapixel iPhone Max/Pro series of super-smartphones that pretty much have everything but the kitchen sink in them photography-wise! Wide angle and telephoto lenses, near-nightvision modes, high-end computational photography algorithms baked right in plus a high-end BEAUTIFULLY-rendered display all within a small form factor that pretty much BRINGS THE BARE TRUTH to Sony CEO's comments that smartphones ABSOLUTELY WILL eventually take over digital photography!
This year 2023 is the first year where the low-end to mid-range ILC/SLR-style cameras lose ground to smartphones! The quality and portability is now that it is a non-sequitur that Canon, Sony, Fuji, Panasonic, Sigma and others MUST begin to rotate their current business models within amateur and professional imaging to take into account that EVEN THE PROS will start using smartphones for high-end imaging! Right now ,Apple is BEST SUITED to take advantage of this role as it has an upcoming cheaper version of its current AR/VR headset that can be mated to its own supersmartphones that will provide a POWERHOUSE of pro-level imaging power at a price point that will start the process of killing anything within the sub-$3000 USD arena of SLR/ILC-style cameras!
Who next will pivot over to the supersmartphone territory? Obviously Samsung has its S-series smartphones and Sony has its xPeria series smartphones which is making a BIG comeback in global sales! WHAT WILL CANON DO? The current rumour mill has Canon adopting a super-thick smartphone disguised as an interchangeable lens camera that kind of looks like the old M-series BUT with a snazzier touchscreen, Android OS and a fixed set of wide-angle and telephoto smartphone-style lenses. What do I expect sensorwise? I have heard the upcoming Canon Smartphone could be as thick as 15mm which means it will LIKELY have an APS-C sensor, but by using out-of-patent Sony HyperHAD micro-lens technology it will SOLVE the focal plane issue AND will be able to ensure the phone looks and feels like a smartphone but TAKES PHOTOS and VIDEOS as good as as say a Canon 6D-series camera! THAT would likely WIN a lot of Canon customers over!
Just like in the world of personal finance, I am seeing a further STRATIFICATION of imaging technologies dividing itself into ONLY two camps: a) Smartphone based stills/video imaging that is less than $2000. b) High end DSLR camera that have APS-H and larger (70 mm) sensors with higher pixel counts into the 200 to even 400 megapixel plus range!
It will be a Poor vs Rich divide of camera imaging power where your camera is either a sub-$2000 smartphone or a $10,000+ 70mm 400 megapixel monster!
Will it affect the general consumer and professional camera photosphere? YES! As another poster on CanonRumors has said: "The best way to make money from photography is to SELL your gear!" If you are a Pro, you either go fully high-end with large-sensor cameras or embrace the coming Super-smartphone plus AR/VR glasses imaging future!
If you are the average consuemr/prosumer, you can DEFINITELY get by with the new iPhone Pro/Max series or Samsung, Fuji, Canon, Sony smartphone equivalent and just buy a stabilizer, a decent smartphone-sized tripod and a good laptop. They will probably MATCH and even EXCEED your current Sony A-series or Canon 5D/6D/7D series cameras in overall image quality IF you have good composition, some decent lighting and some good Lightroom/Photoshop skills!
Again, WHAT IS CANON DOING WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS? How much will Apple EAT into Canon, Sony and other imaging companies' revenue streams? Is there a DARKHORSE COMPANY that can BEAT Apple at its own game and come out with an SLR/Smartphone hybrid that has ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING but at a price point that BEATS Apple?
What do YOU THINK?
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