Canon seemed to be in its element when the camera giant recently announced its flagship, the Canon EOS R1, and video-centric device, the Canon EOS R5 MK II. However, soon after you glance at the specifications, you realize the cameras seem to be falling behind their competitors. And now, with many issues at the center of Canon’s logic and strategy, we have come across interesting and troubling updates. One pertains to third-party battery use, while the other is a tidbit that we found fascinating about Canon’s strategy. Let’s dive in.
Canon And Its Third-Party Battery Dilemma
Canon users often complain about their cameras’ lack of third-party battery compatibility. From the device refusing to start to the sudden drop in charge levels, there have been many issues around the matter. While the tale is as old as time, it doesn’t negate the fact that users turn to third-party batteries to cut costs. Although the camera giant has not addressed the issue, a new report notes that Canon EOS R5 MK II cannot function with third-party batteries.
The information, officially released by Canon Rumors, also states that the manual of Canon EOS R5 MK II does not mention anything on the subject. This could be a serious issue for those who rely on third-party batteries, such as wedding and event photographers or photojournalists, but do not wish to invest $80 every time they need an extra battery at hand. Although Canon has not released an official statement on the matter, the report means users must stick to the official LP-E6P from the company, which was recently launched specifically for EOS R5 MK II’s features. Similarly, while one can utilize LP-E6NH/LP-E6N with the R5 model, they will have some shortcomings. Users of competing brands Sony and Fujifilm have been depending on third-party batteries. However, their experiences seem more positive than those associated with Canon.
It must also be mentioned that third-party companies have been making LP-E6NH/LP-E6N batteries for a while now, but the current report highlights how Canon wants to halt that escape route for the moment. Despite third-party batteries being the subject of much debate and controversy, whether you choose to opt or not entirely depends on your preference and budget allocation. As we have mentioned earlier, one will think twice before purchasing two additional $80 batteries.
It is hard to comment on whether Canon’s policy regarding this subject will change anytime soon, especially when reports of LP-E6P supply shortage have been revealed. One can, perhaps, pre-book extra batteries or simply wait to see what Canon has in store for the EOS R5 MK II.
This brings us to the second part of our article, which, as we mentioned, is an extra nugget for Canon users.
Canon And its Hopes With Its Lower-End Cameras
In an interview with the French publication Phototrend, Manabu Kato, Unit Executive, and Tomokazu Yoshida, General Manager of the Image Communication Business (ICB) division at Canon Japan, discussed the newly launched EOS R1the EOS R5 MK II. Kato revealed that the EOS R1 was created to “surpass” another flagship, the EOS-1D X MK III; he added that “for some customers, the EOS R3 is still the best option.”
The EOS R1 received a lot of criticism from the photo community, with our Editor, Chris Gampat, opining that Canon “isn’t doing any of the things that matter most to photographers.” He highlights how “in a time when AI is having a Goldilocks moment”, Canon is “trying things and trespassing into a space where it does not belong.” Although their strategy seems unclear, Kato revealed an interesting piece of information that could, perhaps, put things into perspective.
When Kato was asked whether the EOS R6 MK III matches the EOS R5 MK II, he noted that Canon wants “each camera to compete with the others and always try to surpass the higher-end models.” The company hopes the EOS R6 MK III will perform better and intends that “EOS R5 MK III will come along and bring things back into balance.” Considering that the number of mid-range camera buyers outnumbers the niche segment of high-end camera users, it makes much more sense for lower-end models to do better. Moreover, with mirrorless now being adopted by some factions over DSLRs (CIPA 2023 over 1.2 million mirrorless {non-compact} cameras were sold), a lower-end camera will still be pocket-friendly. Those who are enthusiasts will not even require the garage of tech updates that higher-end models come with.
With both updates, it seems Canon doesn’t know what it is doing. The third-party battery issue may lead some to switch to other competitors or older flagships. After all, their cameras don’t exactly match what their contemporaries offer. As for their bet on the lower-end models performing better indicates that Canon should take the time to update its flagship models according to the photographers’ requirements and not create something because they need to match the production rate of Sony or Nikon. If Canon doesn’t change its way, it just may be left behind.