I have discussed an RF mount camera with an APS-C sensor many times in the past. I haven't received any information that I would call definitive about such a camera, but more and more information from unknown sources has been coming in over the last little while.
I have been told by an anonymous source that there will be three APS-C equipped RF mount cameras coming in the future. If this is true, this should be the death knell for the EOS M system.
The first APS-C RF mount camera that is rumoured to be announced is the EOS R7. I am told that the announcement for this camera could come as soon as Q4 this year, or Q1 in 2022.
The second APS-C RF mount camera will be the EOS R8, this camera will be designed for vloggers and other types of social media creators.
The third APS-C RF mount camera will be the EOS R9, and this will be the entry-level camera to the EOS R system.
If all of this turns out to be true, it would definitely be the end of the EOS M system.
The EOS M system has a few models that have sold quite well over the last few years, as such those customers need to be retained. Keeping the EOS M system alive alongside the EOS R system probably doesn't make a lot of economical sense.
If all three cameras sported the same image sensor, Canon could definitely keep engineering and manufacturing costs down. Ergonomics would probably be the big difference between the rumoured EOS R7 and EOS R8.
What about EF-M lenses you ask? They may not natively work on the RF mount, but there are always solutions to these sorts of problems. We have seen patents in the past that show Canon moving the image sensor inside the camera body. I'm not saying that's going to happen, but that sort of engineering could keep your EF-M lenses usable on the RF mount.
For now, this is a [CR1] rating, so please treat this information accordingly.
More to come…
Somehow I would expect Rn naming to be reserved rather high-end cameras. Lower end camera like RP could use the Ra naming scheme.
But of course, how can I believe to understand Canon's naming-logic with the limited number of RF cameras released :)
I'd be happy if my Mazda had Bugatti technology, but it isn't going to happen :)
If they make an RF-S 18-150 the size of the EF-M 18-150, a trade might merit exploration just to share glass. I’d be interested to see my RF-85 f/2 0.5 macro do some focus stacking on the M6 MK II’s 32 megapixel sensor.
Those who are in the need for speed or more direct controls will be led to the RF system which is fine. I have my 50mm equivalent bought with the RP, the RF 35mm which is an excellent lens (size, weight, great IQ, good max reprod ratio, image stabilizer + bright aperture as a combination). Hopefully adapters for my EF(-S) lens collection will be available at reasonable prices.
I just will miss the EF-M 32 for these RF bodies but ... now I have two M50 and two old EOS M bodies so I have a quadruple redundancy to use the EF-M 32!
The 32mm 1.4 is one of the sharpest Canon lenses, not just EF-M
But you could use EF lenses on crop sensor cameras without an adapter. Since Canon doesn’t make anything longer than 250 for APS-C, there is an appeal to sharing a mount.