Last Updated on 04/06/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
If Canon starts listening to what the faithful want they could begin to win the fight against Sony in the Full Frame Camera wars.
Just a few short years ago there was a major shift in the camera marketplace. DSLR’s were being replaced at a rapid pace; Mirrorless technology was becoming cheaper and easier manufacture. But it wasn’t Canon leading the charge. After years of being at the top of the pack, out of nowhere, Sony came and pulled the rug out from under Canon’s tripods, and Canon has been playing catch up ever since. Just what will it take for Canon to be able to climb back to the top of the camera world?
It seems as though Canon has a game plan, and it revolves around a few things. A recent article on Mirrorless Rumors talks about an interview held between two Canon managers and DPReview. There were a few key comments made during the interview that will no doubt delight the Canon faithful. Yes, the “pro level” Full Frame camera Canon fans are expecting is on the way. The RF mount is proving to be much more versatile that Canon originally thought it would be, and Canon plans to continue the M series.
There are certainly some things to be excited about here, but there was one snippet of info that really caught my eye in the full interview. Yes, a new pro level, Full Frame camera will be great. Yes, the new RF Mount Full Frame camera lenses will no doubt be optically magnificent, and news that the M series and production of DSLR cameras will continue in conjunction with the new Mirrorless releases which is great to hear. But several times in the interview Canon said they are listening, and for the first time in what seems to be a lifetime, I believed them.
For the longest time Canon knew they were king of the Full Frame camera castle, and for years they let their name carry them on to success after success, even though their new camera releases were really just rehashes of old technology. They were oblivious to what was going on around them, and the advances that competitors like Sony were making, and then the bottom fell out. Mirrorless was here and Sony was suddenly on the attack.
One of the biggest differences between the two companies is the way Sony has listened to feedback from its customers and from the industry as a whole. They have been pretty open to new ideas and in tune with the needs of photographers everywhere. This is what has made them so successful over the last five years or so. Canon and Nikon relied on their past to try and catapult them forward, but that simply hasn’t worked. The Canon EOS R Full Frame camera was quite underwhelming, and the EOS RP is, again, a rehash of older technology and has done little to instill confidence. But the wording in the interview seems different this time in regards to listening; Canon seems ready and willing to do that.
A new, pro-level, Full Frame camera would be great. New technology is fantastic. New lenses are always a good thing. But, knowing that a company cares is a whole different ballgame. Knowing that the company you are handing your money over to is going to be there to support you, and make life easier by listening to the wants of its fan base is huge.
If Canon truly wants to compete with the likes of Sony in the Full Frame camera market (actually any camera market), then they need to come down off of their high horse and realize their users are hurting after being let down so many times over the last decade or more. Show us you have our best interests at heart, open up your ears and listen to what we want, and then pour all of that love into a camera that will blow the competition away.
Put some effort into what you do and you will find that you’ll be clawing your way back to the top. It’s not just about the cameras and the lenses, it’s about the soul of the company, and what the company stands. I really hope you will indeed start listening, Canon. Get this figured out and it will bring people back into your fold.