The next full-frame RF mount camera will be a replacement for the Canon EOS R

Ozarker

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Jan 28, 2015
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I'd still be happy with 30mp.

A faster continuous focus system, ibis, and animal eye detect would be great. Other than that, I'm very happy with what I already have as a 99.99% stills shooter.

I'm still at a deficit in the RF lens category. I have none. That's a much higher priority for me right now.
 
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entoman

wildlife photography
May 8, 2015
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I'd still be happy with 30mp.

A faster continuous focus system, ibis, and animal eye detect would be great. Other than that, I'm very happy with what I already have as a 99.99% stills shooter.

I'm still at a deficit in the RF lens category. I have none. That's a much higher priority for me right now.
Yes, and I hope you get them, but Canon is a weird company - sometimes as with the R5, R7 and R3 they surprise us with what many of us would regard as near-perfect cameras, but other times they produce cameras with limited specifications that disappoint. They are pretty good at determining the desires of niche buyers though, as well as generalists, so fingers crossed that all of us find a model in the range that suits us perfectly.

When I got my R5, I was determined to hold out and just continue with my EF glass, but having tried some of the RF glass I quickly became converted, but there are a few pitfalls that you might like to check out with other users:

The RF 100-500mm is an improvement over the EF 100-400mm, with longer max focal length, much better stabilisation, closer focusing and a marginal increase in sharpness, although there are downsides e.g. inability to use an extender at focal lengths shorter than 300mm, and a fairly hefty price tag.

The RF 800mm F11 has amazingly good stabilisation, very light weight and is compact and cheap. Downsides are the fixed F11 aperture which can be limiting in low light, and the modest build quality.

The RF 100mm macro is sharper, quieter and focuses closer than the EF version, and better stabilised, but it's a lot more expensive, and has totally different AF characteristics - disappointing early results led me to completely change my AF settings compared to those that were perfect on the EF version.
 
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MrToes

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esglord

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My guess is they dump the unsuccessful touchbar, tweak the sensor but keep ~30MP res, incorporate similar eye AF as R6, leave it at one card slot, no top display, probably include IBIS, RP build quality, only modest video capabilities. Enthusiast stills camera for $1500-$1800. R6 continues to be the better hybrid/stills video camera with price remaining over $2000 as long as they are able. Once supply chain issues ease, they can release the lower margin sub-$1000 entry level full frame as the RP successor which will likely heavily cut corners but sell well anyway.

I hope to buy this or the R6 in 2023
 
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The tinyer aps-c model without viewfinder will be a R100 or even R1000, i think. The replacements of them will be R20, R200, R2000 in a few years.
R8 and R9 will never be used due to the fact a R7 is still aps-c, they won't add a 8 or 9 with fullframe.

I still think a R will not have a successor (there is, R6 and R5, yeah yeah different price, but all prices increased). But the entry level RP will have a replacement to have something in the sub 1000 range.
That naming system guarantees they run out of names after 10 models
I am just getting used to the RF mount
I do not care to switch again
 
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entoman

wildlife photography
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My guess is they dump the unsuccessful touchbar, tweak the sensor but keep ~30MP res, incorporate similar eye AF as R6, leave it at one card slot, no top display, probably include IBIS, RP build quality, only modest video capabilities. Enthusiast stills camera for $1500-$1800. R6 continues to be the better hybrid/stills video camera with price remaining over $2000 as long as they are able. Once supply chain issues ease, they can release the lower margin sub-$1000 entry level full frame as the RP successor which will likely heavily cut corners but sell well anyway.

I hope to buy this or the R6 in 2023
Yes that's possible, but it would be competing directly with the R7 - an absolute bargain camera with 33MP, IBIS, 2 card slots and good build quality.

Which would you buy, and why?

Personally I'd choose the R7, or wait for the R6Mkii (probably 24-26MP) although I don't think that will arrive until 2024.
 
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esglord

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May 9, 2019
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Yes that's possible, but it would be competing directly with the R7 - an absolute bargain camera with 33MP, IBIS, 2 card slots and good build quality.

Which would you buy, and why?

Personally I'd choose the R7, or wait for the R6Mkii (probably 24-26MP) although I don't think that will arrive until 2024.
I'm assuming that the earlier rumor of a camera replacing the RP for cheaper is still possible in which case this camera would need to sit above that price range. Whereas the R was a stop-gap to convince pros not to abandon Canon for Sony, its replacement will probably have limited appeal to pros with the other cameras available and coming. I imagine the R7 having two card slots and smaller size is going to appeal to both pros and enthusiasts and wildlife folks. Since I'm not a pro, dual card slots is not a necessity for me, and I don't really need the reach of APC-C, so I'd probably go with the full frame option unless there are other drawbacks. I'm still very happy with the RP. However, I will eventually pay up for the better Eye AF and bigger battery. You're not wrong though; they could probably get away with not having this camera in the lineup with the other options available.
 
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bergstrom

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Yes that's possible, but it would be competing directly with the R7 - an absolute bargain camera with 33MP, IBIS, 2 card slots and good build quality.

Which would you buy, and why?

Personally I'd choose the R7, or wait for the R6Mkii (probably 24-26MP) although I don't think that will arrive until 2024.
R7 is an overpriced crop. So I'll hopefully buy the R9 if canon don't criple it.
 
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entoman

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I'm assuming that the earlier rumor of a camera replacing the RP for cheaper is still possible in which case this camera would need to sit above that price range. Whereas the R was a stop-gap to convince pros not to abandon Canon for Sony, its replacement will probably have limited appeal to pros with the other cameras available and coming. I imagine the R7 having two card slots and smaller size is going to appeal to both pros and enthusiasts and wildlife folks. Since I'm not a pro, dual card slots is not a necessity for me, and I don't really need the reach of APC-C, so I'd probably go with the full frame option unless there are other drawbacks. I'm still very happy with the RP. However, I will eventually pay up for the better Eye AF and bigger battery. You're not wrong though; they could probably get away with not having this camera in the lineup with the other options available.
I don't think the R was intended to stop pros from switching to Sony - it was clearly an amateur camera with modest build quality, very modest specs, and a gimmicky swipe bar. It was certainly a stop-gap model though, as Canon were clearly caught off-guard by Sony and had very much underestimated the demand for mirrorless and IBIS from keen amateurs.

I do fully agree that the R7 will be bought both by pros and amateurs (although both would probably have been prepared to pay more to get R6-type controls and R6 build quality). I think the R7 will turn out to be a massive seller though, so Canon played their cards well.

The RP is a perfectly good little camera. Simple to operate, very compact, ideal for novices on a budget, and usable as an affordable backup for owners of R, R3, R5, R6, R7 etc. I even know a couple of pros who use them for certain types of work. I suspect that the replacement for the RP will have a better sensor, much better AF and a redesigned body, but it will remain very compact and lightweight, so I think it unlikely that it will have IBIS, twin slots or a bigger battery.
 
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davidcl0nel

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That naming system guarantees they run out of names after 10 models
I am just getting used to the RF mount
I do not care to switch again
Yes, but 10D.. 20D......90D was enough. ;-)
I think there are a little bit slower cycle in the future anyway.
 
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cayenne

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I thought the R was just a stop gap camera. I never expected Canon to continue developing the line.
Same here.

I've been eyeballing getting the Kolor Vision treatment on it and make it into an IR and UV camera....seemed it would be great for that, but I'd not want it for my "main" workhorse camera.

I'd get R5 or maybe R1 for that.
 
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mxwphoto

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Jun 20, 2013
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I would think the naming will be dependent on which sensor they stick into this camera. If they keep the R sensor unchanged, my guess is R8 or Rn(new or next) like how 1D had a 1Dn. If they stick the R6 sensor in there, then perhaps R6L(lite).

I concur on the digic X, single card slot, no IBIS, smaller buffer, and little weather sealing build with pricing estimated $1799
 
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esglord

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May 9, 2019
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I don't think the R was intended to stop pros from switching to Sony - it was clearly an amateur camera with modest build quality, very modest specs, and a gimmicky swipe bar. It was certainly a stop-gap model though, as Canon were clearly caught off-guard by Sony and had very much underestimated the demand for mirrorless and IBIS from keen amateurs.

I do fully agree that the R7 will be bought both by pros and amateurs (although both would probably have been prepared to pay more to get R6-type controls and R6 build quality). I think the R7 will turn out to be a massive seller though, so Canon played their cards well.

The RP is a perfectly good little camera. Simple to operate, very compact, ideal for novices on a budget, and usable as an affordable backup for owners of R, R3, R5, R6, R7 etc. I even know a couple of pros who use them for certain types of work. I suspect that the replacement for the RP will have a better sensor, much better AF and a redesigned body, but it will remain very compact and lightweight, so I think it unlikely that it will have IBIS, twin slots or a bigger battery.
Even though the R won't stack up to the pro cameras coming out now, I suspect it was intended mainly for Canon-loyal, early adopter pro buyers who would keep using their DSLR's as their workhorses but didn't want to wait to try the high end glass. Canon put out eyecatching RF glass early to entice pros to try Canon mirrorless or at least convince them to wait before investing in a competing system. The R had to be good enough to appeal to pros in order to buy time to catch up on eye tracking and IBIS for the R5, etc. Anyway, that's my sense of their strategy which is obviously pure speculation. Only Canon knows for sure. Put out the high end stuff as early as they can develop it, fill in "budget" options along the way to gain market share at the lower price points, and then start to fill in with mid range product more in the next few years.
 
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entoman

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Even though the R won't stack up to the pro cameras coming out now, I suspect it was intended mainly for Canon-loyal, early adopter pro buyers who would keep using their DSLR's as their workhorses but didn't want to wait to try the high end glass. Canon put out eyecatching RF glass early to entice pros to try Canon mirrorless or at least convince them to wait before investing in a competing system. The R had to be good enough to appeal to pros in order to buy time to catch up on eye tracking and IBIS for the R5, etc. Anyway, that's my sense of their strategy which is obviously pure speculation. Only Canon knows for sure. Put out the high end stuff as early as they can develop it, fill in "budget" options along the way to gain market share at the lower price points, and then start to fill in with mid range product more in the next few years.
Good points, its just a bit weird that they decided to launch exotic pro glass but the only camera it would fit on was a mediocre, gimmick-laden model. My guess is that the main reason why a more hi-end body didn't appear first is that they were having problems developing their IBIS modules. The public, rightly or wrongly were demanding IBIS, but Canon weren't ready, so they just pumped out the stop-gap low-spec R. Another indicator that they were well and truly caught on the hop, is the naming system, which leaves a gaping hole between the R5 and R6, and no clear division of names between the FF and APS models.
 
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esglord

EOS RP
May 9, 2019
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Good points, its just a bit weird that they decided to launch exotic pro glass but the only camera it would fit on was a mediocre, gimmick-laden model. My guess is that the main reason why a more hi-end body didn't appear first is that they were having problems developing their IBIS modules. The public, rightly or wrongly were demanding IBIS, but Canon weren't ready, so they just pumped out the stop-gap low-spec R. Another indicator that they were well and truly caught on the hop, is the naming system, which leaves a gaping hole between the R5 and R6, and no clear division of names between the FF and APS models.
Sometimes it’s cheaper to let a competitor spend all the R&D, innovate, and make mistakes, and then once you know where the demand is, ramp up the spending to catch up quickly and try to leapfrog. I imagine they are extremely frustrated by the supply chain constraints just when they caught up on tech. I don’t understand the naming conventions either, but others on this forum seem to make sense of them.
 
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