Image on top: A Canon mirrorless concept design (not a real camera!)
I guess nobody is surprised to hear via Canonrumors that “Canon’s foray into the mirrorless world will begin in August with an announcement“. Canon is continually patenting mirrorless stuff like adapters (Click here for example) and lenses (Click here for example). Last year Masaya Maeda, head of Canon’s camera division said “We are considering the technical aspects…We will launch an interesting product next year (aka 2012)“.
The only question is how Canon will make a difference from the other mirrorless cameras. Nikon tried his way with a smaller sensor. Fuji opted for a high quality hybrid viewfinder and APS-C sensor. Sony makes super small cameras and large lenses. I re-post an interview from Impressjapan with Canon talking about the mirrorless philosophy. This may help you to guess better what’s coming from Canon:
– Will you be releasing a mirrorless camera?
Well, the C300 is mirrorless; just very big. But as for a real mirrorless, we will look at the market this coming year in order to make the best decision.
– When you say “look at the market”, are you concerned that mirrorless cameras would affect DSLR sales?
No, just that when you look at the current mirrorless systems and how they are used, there are many different approaches.
– For instance?
For mirrorless cameras, being able to change lenses is certainly a big merit. But you have to wonder, are interchangeable lenses really the only point of mirrorless cameras, considering the added size for the lens mount? When you’re taking pictures, a standard camera size is fine, but when you’re not…
– Right, they’re still quite big.
And on either side, we are challenging ourselves to make DSLRs that are smaller, and compacts that have better image quality. So you have to ask if a mirrorless product is really necessary to fill the narrowing gap. Of course, we are more than capable of making a mirrorless camera, if we decide to.
– So you think current mirrorless cameras overlap DSLR and compact markets?
Right.
– But that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t release a mirrorless that overlaps other markets, right? You mentioned you want to release a mirrorless in 2012.
Well, we want to release a mirrorless next year. But next year, the other markets will also change: there will probably be smaller DSLRs and compacts with greater image quality, which might eat into the mirrorless market.
In short, as the quotations from the interview highlight:
“Do mirrorless cameras really need interchangeable lenses?”
“DSLRs and compacts might eat into mirrorless market”
“Big improvement in image quality for consumer cameras than the past year”
The online PDF is cut short, so I can’t tell if any other information was given. But it was not strictly confirmed that Canon will release a mirrorless in 2012; just that IF they decide to release a mirrorless, they want to release it next year.”
Now start with your guesses! 🙂
46 Responses
No ILC is a non-starter, Canon.
Real photographers change lenses!
NEWS SHock: “Fact: mirrorlessess eat into DSLRs and compacts market” not the other way around
What ‘o what will it be !?
A. Just another proprietary mount system.
B. A (high end) surprise to us all.
C. Micro Four Thirds !
I think C will be a long shot. It doesnt make much business sense for a big company like canon.
BTW those designs look horrendous.
Agree, those designs look horrendous…
Concerning C). Canon already has its 4/3 sensor, more or less the one featured in the G1X !
I think this will be the route they go with a mirrorless. With APSC sensor the lenses will be too big and the wide angle lenses will be soft in the corners. Or they may come with both alternatives.
Indeed. Developing a sensor costs a lot of R&D, so i wouldn’t be surprised to see it in their next mirrorless. It is a fine sensor. Plus being slightly bigger it could/would/should even be Multi Aspect Ratio. In that case, it would be both B) and C) ! 😉
Well Canon must be aware that mirrorless has 50% of the ILC market in Japan. If mirrorless eats into DSLR market shares, they can go two ways: Improve the smaller DSLR cameras – or offer a mirrorless camera.
Can they really make low end DSLR more attractive? Can be difficult, they are small, light and good IQ already. = They must do a mirrorless.
The Canon GX1 or 1GX or whatever must be a test of the market. If they sell a lot, they can offer a development with fixed lens and with “internals” that are more cometitive than compact’s performasnce.
Or they go for ILC mirrorless. They will be a very strong competitor. Canon will never join m43! They want to have the full business, including the highly profitable lenses, for themselves. Why deliver a camera housing in m43 so people can buy just that and use Oly and Pana lense?
Nikon 1 is an altenative to m43 that is very well thought through, products are great (being the first in a new system) in quality and performance – just a bit too expensive.
Canob will try for a new niche of mrrorless ILC – or most likely the same niche as Fuji. Why likely? High end products = higher price = higher profits.
Higher price -> less customers -> possible fail of the whole system.
By the way, these concepts are very NEX-like.
And just like Sony, Canon won’t be able to make good lenses for new system as they are not able to make them for their APS-C DSLRs (even plenty of FF L-lenses are mediocre at best). 😉
I really hope they go high-end eating into the Fuji and Leica high profit market.
I would love to see Canon come out with the first full frame mirrorless
The G1 X is obviously the (first) of the large sensor fixed lens models he’s refering to with “But you have to wonder, are interchangeable lenses really the only point of mirrorless cameras, considering the added size for the lens mount?”
My guess is that the sales of the G1 X will have a pretty big influence on what Canon do next. If G1 X takes a significant part of the entry level mirrorless market then he was “right” in questioning the need for interchangeable lenses and Canon might postpone an EVIL model.
Still, in the long run I think Canon EVIL models are bound to be released. There are just too many advantages, particulary when a global electronic shutter is possible and they can get rid of almost all moving parts in the body. And reasonable compativility with Eos lenses, existing flashes etc will almost guarantee that many existing Canon users will choose Canon’s EVIL system too.
The G1X concept is very interesting as it packs a lot of punch in a small camera, but flawed with a rather slow AF, no viewfinder and slow lens at the long end.
For a camera like that to really capture prosumers imagination, they should go for a shorter, faster lens like 24-70 2.8 equivalent, with EVF (or at least an accessory EVF) and possibly faster AF. Now THAT would be interesting…
Make it count Canon.. mirrorless is the future.
With that in mind.. please don’t underestimate consumer’s desire of quality in small package.
Some of the good examples.. Sony’s small NEX cameras and their features(tilt/touch screen, focus peaking and etc) and Samsung’s 30mm f/2.0 pancake lens.
If you can do both(I know you can..!) then you will hit homerun.
It would be nice if Canon use the m4/3 standard, especially that the G1X’s sensor is similar in size. They can make it multi-aspect to better utilize the slightly bigger dimension of it. We (consumers) would benefit, but sadly, this is highly unlikely. Most probable outcomes:
Canon will make another proprietary mount. Considering how many EF-S (APS-C specific) lenses Canon made through the years, not to mention only TWO have an aperture of f/2.8 or faster (less than Sony NEX), they won’t make many lenses for the new system either, and the lenses won’t be that compact, very few will be fast and most will be mediocre in performance. And/or, Canon will make mirrorless body with a fixed bright (f/2 or better) prime lens, similar to the X100 but w/o the hybrid EVF obviously.
Anyway, I’m not eagerly waiting for this to say the least.
Totally agree with you. It seems like Canon tried to limit as much as possible it’s investments in the EF-S line. So Mr.Maeda is not very honest when speaking about making smaller DSLR. Because to have a bright 50mm equivalent on Canon’s APS-C body, one will have to pair it with FF 35mm/1.4, which makes the system humongous compared to X Pro1 with similar lens.
Yes, mirrorless overlaps DSLR and compact, but the gap between these two is not that narrow.
i hope they make it not to slim or small like other mirrorless camera…G10-12 body & dial setup with changeable lens capability, 60D size VF and new sensor (G1X) would be sweet…IMHO 🙂
sorry, wrong reply link 🙂
based on canon’s success in the G series, it’s not surprising that they don’t believe that mirrorless needs an interchangeable lenses.
the fuji x100 was a camera without interchangeable lens that had great success to some degree (though it does not target the mainstream consumers)
anyway, i already got myself an x pro 1 because most companies have released their mirrorless cameras and canon got pretty late in the mirrorless market… so i’m probably not going to care unless they start supporting fuji X mounts! 😀
looks like another sony, but with the name CANON it will sell itself.
Whatever happens, it won’t be a game-changer. I doubt Canon is going to pull a Ricoh or Sigma and introduce skunkwork sensor tech, fluid lenses, unorthodox UI controls or hyper-modularity.
Add to that the relative conservatism of Canon these days and the fact that they have such a large and profitable legacy in DSLR tech. No one is going to be impressed.
Perfectly said; agree 100%. There’s no good reason to be excited for Canon’s upcoming Mirrorless because it’s going to be a predictably ho-hum offering (or worse actually).
I think a key phrase in the interview is “Do mirrorless cameras really need interchangeable lenses?”. The G1X may be in fact be the release that Canon was referring to last year.
Most of the lenses in Canon’s current range are aimed at the 35mm image circle and they seem to have decided that anybody who wants to have a wide range of primes to choose from should buy one of their 35mm cameras.
Judging from Canon’s reluctance to design new prime lenses specifically optimised for its APS-C slrs (e.g. no equivalents to the 18mm and 35mm lenses for the Fujifilm X-Pro 1), I find it unlikely that they will release a mirrorless system with several new lenses.
If Canon release an interchangeable lens mirrorless camera it may well be something along the lines of the Pentax K-01, a camera for people who want to use full time live view with EF lenses. Thus it will have a long flange back distance to ensure direct compatibility with slr lenses (and incidentally, ensure incompatability with a lot of other lenses designed for mirrorless cameras).
I cannot imagine a giant like Canon not getting heavily into the mirrorless market, especially with the sales figures being what they are for all mirrorless cameras relating to DSLR sales. I think it is pretty safe to say that the compact market is going to shrink and be taken over by smart phones. The phones are so immediate and everyone communicates on the web so..that is kind of a no-brainer.
Mirrorless is becoming the next step up from a phone, really. Just look at how inexpensive the low-end MFT cameras cost…It would be kind of silly to buy a compact instead instead if you own an iPhone..no?
So that leaves Mirrorless cameras as an area to exploit the market that you are not in Canon. LOL.
I cannot take the G1X seriously…its a clunker.
Obviously Canon is going to offer something and their is no way they will join MFT. They will keep it Canon proprietary. I just hope that they make a quality system, no larger than MFT, with a breadth of choices…lenses and bodies. I don’t need a camera any smaller than a Pany GX1 (actually slightly larger would be better for my hands). Also…I think a FF Mirrorless offering would be too large and too ambitious for Canon.
At any rate….whatever Canon does…It doesn’t really matter to this photographer. I have a FF system, and a MFT system. If they come up with a system that does not rival MFT…I can just stay where I am..because this is GREAT!!!
Fisheye to 600mm (equivalent). WooHoo..something for everyone.
Considering the Nikon offering ….. I guess your guess is as good as mine as to what Canon will offer. Who knows!?
Canon seems to think that reduced size is an issue, enough to consider forgoing interchangable lenses due to the size of the mount. They have both the G12 and S100, maybe the next camera is an S1X, an S100 with a G1X sensor. Maybe it will be X100 like, with a fixed 17mm f2.0 lens; or, how small could you make a fixed 12-35mm, F2.0-Fnot too horrible?
I am very curious here. Everyone is saying mirrorless will rule the digital camera market in the future.
Apart from size, what can mirrorless cameras do that DSLR cannot? For still photographers that is.
So if it is all about size, would some consumer be happy to forgo interchangeable lens for a slightly more compact package? Especially those who buy the kit lens package and never take the lens off hence.
And if it is about size, wouldn’t it be even more wonderful if manufacturers like Canon keep to the same mount and simply just reduce the size of their cameras and lenses? A bit like the Pentax K01 but with a bigger reduction in size.
In fact, for the sake of the 70million EOS lens owners, I hope Canon would not do what Panasonic and Olympus did. Create a new mirrorless mount and kill their DSLR, leaving millions of 4/3 lens owners with a bunch of obsolete glass.
Jack…the thing is ….it isn’t slightly more compact. It is WAAAAAAAAY more compact…
My MFT kit is so tiny compard to my Canon FF. I love both…but if I could get the image quality and all of the options out of a small mirroless system..I would never haul the huge gear around EVER again!!!! LOL!!
I still have and occasionally use my Canon Pro-1. It has a 7x zoom 28-200mm f2.4 to f3.5 L lens. It fits in a coat pocket and does most of what I need for a snapshot camera. A remake of the Pro-1 with the new G1X sensor would be a success. Most people who buy entry level SLR’s never take off the kit lens.
Maybe they will call it the Pro1X 🙂 to really annoy Fuji.
I will love a DSLRs compact camera! I have the 5D Mark II and hate its size!
Mirrorless market? Olympus OMD EM5… Canon too little…too late… Time to jump ship