The Canon EOS R3 will be officially announced in September

canonmike

EOS R6
CR Pro
Jan 5, 2013
494
419
There is no doubt that Canon is placing a high premium on their R5/R6 bodies, a policy of which is certain to continue with R3 series, not to mention RF lenses and other accessories. I don't like paying exorbitant prices for my gear either. However, upon further consideration I will try and cut Canon some slack, given their product track record ever since the introduction of the aforementioned camera bodies. Extensive R&D would not happen if it were not for the potential profit to be made down the road. Customer demand has little to do with R&D. The bottom line here is any company is in business to make money first. Big corps are not running a charity, albeit they would sometimes have you believe they are giving this stuff away. We are now seeing a plethora of new product offerings, granted with slow delivery due to market conditions but I am thankful to see Canon aggressively creating new gear, eventually with adequate inventories of same. Profit is the driving force that makes all this new gear possible. We have to allow mfgs to make a profit and I participate in that strategy when I purchase one of their new offerings. If I feel like any given product is priced way out of line, I just don't buy it or wait for the price to come down to a level I am then willing to part with my hard earned money for. Judging by CR members' commentary, referencing Canon gear owned, one can see that you believe in this capitalistic way of doing business, as well. Judging by my purchase habits of late, I seem to have embraced the ritual with unusual vigor. I have not had this level of enthusiasm for new Canon gear in years. It is certainly a great time to be a consumer across all Mfgs lines and offerings. Now, bring on that R3 boys.......
 
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john1970

EOS R3
CR Pro
Dec 27, 2015
971
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They certainly seem to have done a 180 on their marketing strategy......you can see and feel the frustration this is causing in the marketplace.
I wonder if these drawn out development announcements that last 6 months are due to supply shortages. For the 1Dx Mk3 I believe the development announcement was in October 2019 and it was released in January 2020.
 
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Aug 7, 2018
598
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So you want a tiny HDTV set (EVF) for less than the price of a mirror? . It may well cost more to make.
Yes, the mirror and the mechanism that can flap the mirror 12 or more times a second should cost a lot more. Even the Powershot S1 IS, which I owned, had an EVF. Of course modern EVFs have a much higher resolution, but costs should have gone down a lot in the last 17 years.

Digital cameras are already quite old and the digital SLRs always were the high end and came with a premium price. Now suddenly cameras got rid of the mirror and they still cost a premium price.

It is the old discussion "Is it a bug or a feature". Many products come with features that have downsides. What freaks me out about EVFs is the exposure preview. So the EVF gets brighter or darker depending on where I point my camera. I prefer this exposure compensation to be done with my own eyes, which of course will also adjust to the brightness. However an EVF only has a certain maximum brightness even in bright sunlight. So it always has to adjust. I hardly even had any problem with my exposure with my DSLR, so that exposure proview is a big bug and not a feature for me. Especially at very low light that exposure preview can become very grainy, even if that problem gets smaller with newer cameras.

And of course the other major downside that you have to turn on your camera and use battery power just to look through the viewfinder. It reminds me of the difference between new and old phones. When I was a kid, the phones worked even during a power outage. Now that is no longer true, because the always need power. Turning something that did not need power into something that needs power is a big step back.
 
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koenkooi

CR Pro
Feb 25, 2015
3,569
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[..] When I was a kid, the phones worked even during a power outage. Now that is no longer true, because the always need power. Turning something that did not need power into something that needs power is a big step back.
The 'old' phones also needed power, the big difference is that the power was supplied over the analog phone line by the Central Office.
 
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Joules

doom
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Jul 16, 2017
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The 'old' phones also needed power, the big difference is that the power was supplied over the analog phone line by the Central Office.
I thought they talked about old mobile phones. Those with buttons and tiny, dim screens and the type of chunky construction people jokingly say could survive nuclear blast. Nokia bricks and their peers.

Which of course still needed power, but consumed less simply due to being much, much less capable than modern smartphones. Consuming more power is only a downside for use cases that either can't (at least partially) leverage the additional capabilities of modern devices, or have no means of providing the power when necessary.

The latter especially is a much smaller concern than it used to be with quality power banks, quick charge, USB power outlets and wireless charging pads in trains and cars and standardized charge ports (with the exception of one brand... :cautious:) leading to pretty good odds of having the option to charge quickly when necessary.
 
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koenkooi

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Feb 25, 2015
3,569
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I thought they talked about old mobile phones. Those with buttons and tiny, dim screens and the type of chunky construction people jokingly say could survive nuclear blast. Nokia bricks and their peers.

Which of course still needed power, but consumed less simply due to being much, much less capable than modern smartphones. Consuming more power is only a downside for use cases that either can't (at least partially) leverage the additional capabilities of modern devices, or have no means of providing the power when necessary.

The latter especially is a much smaller concern than it used to be with quality power banks, quick charge, USB power outlets and wireless charging pads in trains and cars and standardized charge ports (with the exception of one brand... :cautious:) leading to pretty good odds of having the option to charge quickly when necessary.
I remember sitting in a ferry on the water outside Hong Kong, next to a family who realized that all their phones had run out of power and had no way to take pictures of the trip to the islands in the bay. They were very happy with the powerbanks our group had brought with us, they could charge up their phones quite a bit during the 45 minutes of the trip.
I had an EOS M with 4 spare batteries, enough for a morning of outdoors :)

That was 2019, I bet odds will have improved for finding power on the road, when travel will become feasible and popular again.
 
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Aug 7, 2018
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It seems my 1D X is really dead. I thought it was the battery. So I bought a new one for 135 Euros, just to realize that it was NOT the battery. I hope that the oreorder price of 7299 Euros for the R3 is just a placeholder. It would make it even more expensive than the 1D X III, which is at 7114 Euros. My only other option with built-in battery grip would be the 1D X II for under 5000 Euros. Those are hard times for me as a photo enthusiast, who does not really generate a lot of money out of his hobby.
 
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The fact that in two years Canon caught up to Sony in terms of AF tracking and in three years is offering a BSI stacked sensor clearly shows that Canon is technically on par with the competition. Moreover, for me they offer unique lens, e.g. a 100 mm macro with 1.4x magnification, and professionally designed bodies with integrated grips and superior ergonomics. Before you complain current prices I suggest you look at historical prices. In 2007 a Canon 1Ds Mk3 listed for $6999 (or $9086 in today's dollars)!

The R3 will not be inexpensive, but then again this is camera aimed at professionals. In USD I suspect the pricing will be between $5500 to $5900.
Like I said: Overpriced.
 
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Aug 7, 2018
598
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It is sad that some things like a built-in battery grip are only available in very expensive bodies. It reminds me of the time when SSDs were only available in very expensive notebooks, where the SSD only made a fraction of the addional costs. The problem is that people have very different budgets and therefore manufacturers need to find a way to get the maximum amount from everybody, that he is willing to pay. That's why additional storage in an iPhone is ridiculously expensive. There are the people who can hardly afford the cheapest iPhone and those who are willing to pay a hight price for any additional features. And then are those who could pay almost any price. That's why it often is a good advice to only buy the "second best" of anything. Stay in the second best room category in the second best hotel for example. Or buy a 5 series BMW instead of a 7 series. As the R3 might be that second best camera after the R1, I had high hopes that it would not be priced over the top, but this time the second best might be as expensive as the former best. Just look how much Canon charges for the second best RF wide angle zoom: More thatn 1800 Euros in Germany. For the second best!
 
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Joules

doom
CR Pro
Jul 16, 2017
1,801
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Hamburg, Germany
It is sad that some things like a built-in battery grip are only available in very expensive bodies. It reminds me of the time when SSDs were only available in very expensive notebooks, where the SSD only made a fraction of the addional costs. The problem is that people have very different budgets and therefore manufacturers need to find a way to get the maximum amount from everybody, that he is willing to pay. That's why additional storage in an iPhone is ridiculously expensive. There are the people who can hardly afford the cheapest iPhone and those who are willing to pay a hight price for any additional features. And then are those who could pay almost any price. That's why it often is a good advice to only buy the "second best" of anything. Stay in the second best room category in the second best hotel for example. Or buy a 5 series BMW instead of a 7 series. As the R3 might be that second best camera after the R1, I had high hopes that it would not be priced over the top, but this time the second best might be as expensive as the former best. Just look how much Canon charges for the second best RF wide angle zoom: More thatn 1800 Euros in Germany. For the second best!
If budget is an issue, maybe going for an Apple or BMW isn't the best idea in the first place.

I understand that the rise in prices is upsetting, but it is to be expected. The market is shrinking, so seeing such a great pace of progress both with the performance of the latest bodies and the glass that goes along with it is something that should be appreciated in itself. But as that R&D has to be payed for by fewer customers and the current world economy causes a bunch of issues from production, over logistics to inflation, a new price structure is inevitable. There's no point in complaining about a corporation wanting to stay in business.
 
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Jul 21, 2010
31,088
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It seems my 1D X is really dead. I thought it was the battery. So I bought a new one for 135 Euros, just to realize that it was NOT the battery. I hope that the oreorder price of 7299 Euros for the R3 is just a placeholder. It would make it even more expensive than the 1D X III, which is at 7114 Euros. My only other option with built-in battery grip would be the 1D X II for under 5000 Euros. Those are hard times for me as a photo enthusiast, who does not really generate a lot of money out of his hobby.
I would suspect a PCB failed. That’s a common cause of a ‘dead’ camera, and a repair would certainly be far cheaper that an R3 (probably 500 +/- 100 €), if the 1D X is otherwise able to meet your needs.
 
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Sep 20, 2020
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The 'old' phones also needed power, the big difference is that the power was supplied over the analog phone line by the Central Office.
I still have a landline for that reason.
I was very disappointed when a hurricane knocked out the power and my cell phone worked but my landline did not.
The cool thing was that any Verizon store with power would charge my cell phone.
 
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Sep 20, 2020
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It is sad that some things like a built-in battery grip are only available in very expensive bodies.
It is supply and demand.
Most people buying cheaper cameras have no desire for battery grips.
You can always get another 1DX Mark I or 1D.
On the other hand, Walmart still lists the 1DC at $12K.
 
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It seems my 1D X is really dead. I thought it was the battery. So I bought a new one for 135 Euros, just to realize that it was NOT the battery. I hope that the oreorder price of 7299 Euros for the R3 is just a placeholder. It would make it even more expensive than the 1D X III, which is at 7114 Euros. My only other option with built-in battery grip would be the 1D X II for under 5000 Euros. Those are hard times for me as a photo enthusiast, who does not really generate a lot of money out of his hobby.

Get it repaired.

If you don't want to do that, sell it for parts and buy a 1DX II used. The price on those has dropped quite a bit, with the 1DX III available, and so many people switching to mirrorless. It would still be an upgrade for you.
 
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Aug 7, 2018
598
549
Yes, I will call the Canon service and ask them how much it would cost if the mainboard has to be replaced. I probably would not buy a used camera, as I do not know how it was treated. I thought my camera would live much longer, as the shutter count is under 60,000. I wish there was an R6 in a large and heavy body, but not for twice or more the price.
 
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Dragon

EF 800L f/5.6, RF 800 f/11
May 29, 2019
1,222
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Oregon
Like I said: Overpriced.
It may be overpriced from your perspective, but if they get more orders than they can fill, then you could say it is actually a bit underpriced. The market, not one individual perspective, determines what is over and under priced.
 
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H. Jones

Photojournalist
Aug 1, 2014
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Get it repaired.

If you don't want to do that, sell it for parts and buy a 1DX II used. The price on those has dropped quite a bit, with the 1DX III available, and so many people switching to mirrorless. It would still be an upgrade for you.
Once the R3 is in my hands, it's going to be real tough to sell my 1DX mark II for a third of what I paid for it, but at the same time, I got my money's worth out of that camera many dozens of times over.


I know we don't even know the actual price of the R3, but it'll be interesting to see how the used prices of the R5 and R3 change over the next five years. On one hand like you said, I think the mirrorless switch is driving down the price of the used DSLRs more than they naturally would have, but on the other hand, mirrorless tech is still so new and evolving so fast, so I could imagine big changes in the next few years could drive down the prices of the current mirrorless models in a similar fashion.
 
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