Canon "EOS R5" to be released before the Tokyo Olympics: Will it be a turnaround from the precipice?

2020.02.21 06:00

On February 19, 2020, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun reported that the new full-frame mirrorless camera under development by Canon, the EOS R5, which I mentioned in my previous article, would be released "before the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics at the earliest. "In Canon's February 13 release, Canon 9 new RF lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras was announced to be "targeted for release by the end of 2020," but there was no mention of a release date for the EOS R5.

According to this article in the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Canon believes that "with the introduction of the R5, Canon will be able to capture demand for a sub-machine (for its flagship SLR camera, the EOS-1D X Mark III, which was just released on February 14) and increase the usage rate (of Canon products at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics).

Canon is also aiming to release the RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM, one of the RF lenses announced for development at the same time as the EOS R5, before the Tokyo Olympics. This lens is a super-telephoto zoom lens that is (seemingly) even smaller than the Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS, which was introduced in this article. Despite being a zoom lens, it is also possible to attach the "Extender RF1.4×" or "Extender RF2×," giving a focal length of 140-700mm when the former is attached, and 200-1000mm when the latter is attached.

In this article, I wrote that "the meaning of having a bright lens has definitely diminished compared to the past. This lens has a maximum aperture of 7.1 on the tele side, which is darker than Sony's super-telephoto zoom lenses. This lens is designed for portability, which is unique in this day and age, but there should probably be no problems with autofocusing focusing accuracy and descriptive performance.

In 2019, Nikon appears to have fallen from its regular No. 2 position to No. 3 in the world market share (volume) of digital cameras by manufacturer, while Sony has risen to No. 2. Canon, which has been offering the EOS M series mirrorless SLRs with APS-C sensors, which are smaller than full-size sensors, since 2012, remained in first place in 2019 in terms of mirrorless SLR market share (BCN survey).

Having fallen to third place, Nikon, in my opinion, is increasingly likely to be forced to withdraw from the SLR camera market in the next few years, following its withdrawal from the high-end digital camera market. In fact, in the fiscal year ending March 2020, the camera business is expected to post an operating loss for the first time since the current business segmentation.

If Sony is the only survivor in the camera industry and all other companies withdraw from the market, competition will disappear and consumers will be disadvantaged. It is hard to say without operating the actual camera, but the EOS R5 is a Canon camera that I have been considering purchasing for quite some time. I hope Canon will regain the challenging spirit of the late President Hajime Mitarai's era in order to maintain healthy competition in the camera industry.

first appearance : AGORA