Last Updated on 12/14/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
As Canon cameras are absent from the top 10 selling cameras in Japan for November 2019, perhaps it’s time for an RF Mount Rebel.
It seems as though things are going from bad to worse for Canon. For the first time in what seems like an eternity, the top-selling cameras in Japan for a given month do not belong to Canon. Not only is Canon’s absence in the top three unexpected, but there are also no Canon cameras in the top 10 for November 2019. Ouch. Canon’s insistence on pushing their M mount is not paying off, so maybe it’s time for an RF mount Rebel camera. Let’s talk about this.
A recent report posted on Canon Watch shows Canon had little to be merry about in regard to camera sales in November. For many months, Canon cameras (the M100 and the M50) have held the top spots in the Japanese market, but thanks to new offerings from Nikon (the Z50) and Sony (the a6600), not only has Canon slipped from the top, they have fallen out of the top 10 selling cameras in Japan altogether.
Given that the fine people of Japan love small, compact cameras, and that they love Canon, one would expect the newly released EOS M6 II and the entry-level M200 to be doing well. But, it turns out nobody is interested, and that’s a massive problem for Canon. Canon’s M series cameras have typically done well in their homeland, so to see support for the platform waning does not bode well.
The top-selling cameras (according to Map Camera) in Japan for the month of November were the;
- Sony α6600
- Nikon Z50
- Sony a7 III
- Sigma fp
- Sony a9 II
- Fujifilm X-T3
- Sony a7R IV
- Fujifilm X-Pro3
- Sony DSC-RX100M7 (DSC-RX100 VII in the US)
- Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III
The interesting thing here is that the top two selling cameras are both APS-C models. It’s also clear Sony is continuing to do well with their various models. One has to wonder what Canon needs must do to turn things around, especially as a camera that has been mocked by many (the Nikon Z50) has piqued photographers’ interests.
To me, it’s clear to see the time has come for Canon to introduce a new Mirrorless version of their Rebel cameras. For years, Canon has enticed new photographers and consumers alike into their fold with incredibly affordable Rebel series cameras. Perhaps Canon wanted M series cameras to take over from the Rebel line, but that has not happened.
Canon’s fractured lineup of cameras needs to be consolidated. As it stands, Canon now offers three different camera platforms, with four different lens mounts (EF-S, EF, M, and RF), which are doing nothing but confusing people.
It’s clear that the end goal for Canon is to get people to step up into their new RF mount cameras, and honestly, there’s no better way to do that than to offer an RF mount Rebel. The Rebel brand is well known, and people know what to expect from Canon cameras when they pick them up, so why is it taking so long for Canon to offer such a camera? Nikon has hit a homerun in their homeland with the new APS-C Z50, which takes advantage of their new glass, so you can’t help but think the boffins at Canon must be looking and wondering why they have been wandering around aimlessly for so long when it’s clear these are the cameras the masses want.
Canon, if you can make a Full Frame RF mount camera like the EOS RP and sell it for $1,299 ($999 on sale), there’s simply no reason why you can’t offer an APS-C camera, with a flippy screen, an easy to use touchscreen, and a packaged lens adapter and/or a cheap kit lens priced between $699 and $799. The camera doesn’t need to have crazy amounts of bells and whistles: it just needs to act as a gateway for RF mount Canon cameras to get into the hands of people who will grow with them.
Pump out an RF mount, Rebel branded camera that can be on display in big box stores, slap a price on it that makes it appealing, and maybe you’ll start working your way back up the charts. Pro-sumer and professional level cameras are great, but the amount of people who need them is tiny compared to the market that wants to step up from their phone camera. What do you think about the latest sales data? Let us know in the comment section below.