On Tuesday morning, a day earlier than the R1 was introduced, I used to be finalizing our protection and looking out over the supplies Canon ready. “The Canon EOS R1 is Forward of the Recreation,” a header within the press launch promised. I scratched my head in confusion. Whereas there are merchandise throughout Canon’s digicam line that I can level to, probably the most related and up to date instance is the R1. Since it’s the flagship — a phrase Canon chosen to explain the brand new digicam, not me — it bears with it the identical expectation all flagship cameras do: it should characteristic the peak of expertise an organization is able to producing. There aren’t any bars held on a flagship and it stands as the instance of what all the opposite cameras in a line aspire to be. Canon’s advertising and marketing claims the EOS R1 is “forward of the sport.” What recreation would that be, precisely? | Screenshot from Canon USA web site “Photographers, for those who ‘make it’ as a professional, you’ll at some point personal a flagship,” is the general public notion of those sorts of cameras. As such, the R1 serves as the right exemplification of a problem: Canon isn’t capable of win relating to worth or expertise. Worse, its choices within the mirrorless period have resulted in it dropping the gang on the stage of public opinion. So whereas I feel Canon’s R5 Mark II is a way more compelling digicam than the R1, taking a look at Canon’s advertising and marketing supplies and the taking pictures alternative that was supplied to us, you’ll see that the R1 was the clear precedence. Earlier than we have been handed pattern items to check out, we got a number of slides value of knowledge, informed the R1 was carrying on the legacy of the 1-series, and that it was the head of Canon’s seize expertise.
After peeling again the layers and forcing ourselves to isolate what it was that the EOS R1 provided, we have been left realizing that there was not as a lot right here as Canon hoped to persuade us there was. Holding the R1 in my arms and eager about what it provided versus how a lot it was going to value, “forward of the sport” have been 4 phrases that felt in direct battle with actuality. Canon Doesn’t Win on Worth Canon isn’t shy about charging excessive costs for its merchandise. Whereas it has some extra reasonably priced digicam our bodies, its lens choice is exceptionally weak relating to affordability. On the one hand, Canon may be praised for specializing in high-end optics when it launched into mirrorless. Attracting and supporting skilled shooters ought to be the precedence. Nevertheless, then again, now years later, the choices are nonetheless largely very costly. It’s taking some steps to deal with this by lastly permitting Tamron and Sigma to launch lenses for the platform, however these might be restricted to APS-C lenses, which means full-frame customers nonetheless solely have one choice: Canon and its costly first-party glass. Canon informed me earlier this 12 months that its option to bar third-party lenses from its RF mount was a “enterprise technique.” Briefly, it might make more cash by making its merchandise the one choice. These phrases saved ringing in my ears and did so once more after I noticed the worth for the R1: $6,300. That’s greater than the Sony a9 III with its world shutter, greater than the Nikon Z9 with its greater decision sensor, and almost as costly because the Sony Alpha 1 which melds pace and backbone in a means that justifies its excessive asking worth. From a “worth” perspective, the R1 is the weakest amongst all the cameras it competes towards. It loses relating to decision towards all the pieces besides the a9 III and regardless that it has what we imagine is the quickest scanning rolling shutter sensor we’ve but seen, the a9 III has a worldwide shutter, making it extra suited for a similar duties Canon is aiming the R1 towards whereas costing much less.
Might Canon cost this a lot for a digicam? In fact — however provided that it has the expertise to again it up. Canon Doesn’t Win on Expertise In the event you look all over the place on the EOS R1 besides on the sensor, it’s jam-packed. It has eye-control autofocus which is unimaginable, it has a greater viewfinder, a sturdy set of customization choices, clever autofocus, two on-board chips to enhance pace and reliability, a sturdy but light-weight physique, and nice battery life. At this level, it appears to be like like the complete package deal. However then you definitely have a look at the sensor, and instantly a lot of what I simply mentioned loses its luster. That’s as a result of regardless of how good the remainder of the digicam is, if it could possibly’t do it at a decision that matches its contemporaries, it falls brief. Proper now, sensor design is one in all only a few spots the place digicam corporations can flex expertise. Sure, Sony manufactures the sensors for principally everybody besides Canon, and in these instances, it’s what’s constructed round these glorious sensors that find yourself promoting a photographer on a specific model — it’s important to get that sensor half proper first, although. Canon did the other and went for the options that will usually excite photographers however uncared for to appreciate it put the cart earlier than the horse. As we’ve mentioned, the EOS R1 is extra like an EOS R3 Mark II than the rest. Canon is charging a worth as if it has a digicam that’s “forward of the sport” when it the truth is solely midway there. Canon appears confused about what it means to have a flagship digicam in 2024. Flagship now means versatile and, sadly, the R1 is extremely area of interest. It’s designed for a really particular, small subsection {of professional} media photographers. Whereas it has plenty of good surrounding options, crucial facet of any digicam now could be the sensor, and it’s there that Canon falls brief in a roundabout way versus each competitor. Even stranger, the R1 targets the very same area of interest viewers that the R3 does, giving Canon two very costly digicam our bodies that assist the identical small subset of customers. I ought to point out, this market isn’t precisely wholesome. Photojournalists aren’t paid properly and the top-shooters aren’t even shopping for their very own cameras — these are supplied by their company like Reuters, AP, or Gannet. You realize, the three main media retailers that already signed offers with Sony.
Picture by Chris Niccolls Canon Doesn’t Win on Public Opinion The 5D Mark III was such a runaway success that Canon was capable of construct up an immense quantity of goodwill with photographers. The Canon model turned synonymous with efficiency {and professional} functionality and that trickled right down to all the extra reasonably priced fashions. I bear in mind searching for my first DSLR and feeling like there was no selection besides a Canon Insurgent. Canon crammed out the top-end of DSLRs properly with the 1D sequence too and from the attitude of so many photographers, it was making the most effective cameras for the most individuals. Canon has been using that wave of goodwill now for greater than a decade. I used to be speaking with a pal {and professional} photographer final week and I requested him to inform me the final time he was excited a few Canon digicam after the 5D Mark III. He paused for some time earlier than saying he thought the unique R5 was fairly good, which I agreed with (I personal one). However over 22 years, he might solely title one digicam? I’m certain there are different examples that some photographers liked just like the 6D or the 1DX Mark III, however for probably the most half, I argue Canon has been feeding on the momentum it gathered means again in 2012. That river has dried up. Canon’s “enterprise technique” within the mirrorless period have resulted in excessive costs and worse expertise, and photographers have seen and sentiment has shifted. Whether or not it’s the locked-down RF mount (Canon is the one firm that selected to shut its mirrorless mount) forcing photographers to purchase costly lenses, the corporate asking you to purchase new cameras to make use of its latest lenses’ aperture rings, or the corporate’s weak renewable power targets, all of it provides up. The result’s a model that appears like it’s squeezing its clients for each final cent. It’s the costliest and most limiting digicam system and that makes folks really feel taken benefit of and unappreciated. Hoping for Change Canon noticed its working revenue decline from January to March of 2024 by 5% in comparison with the identical interval final 12 months. That is the primary time in 4 years that its earnings declined in comparison with the identical interval the earlier 12 months. It cited slower-than-expected digital digicam gross sales and “weak” shipments, which makes plenty of sense — what from Canon was value shopping for?
When the remainder of the digicam trade is trending in the other way and a few rivals are swimming in document earnings, I feel that’s the query Canon must hold asking itself. The R5 Mark II is superb and I count on it to promote properly, however is that sufficient when Sony and Nikon are producing a number of standard cameras — each of them doing so whereas charging much less? It ought to be famous that the cameras the R5 II competes properly towards are not less than a few years previous now, too. What occurs when Sony releases an a7R VI or Nikon pulls out a Z8 Mark II? How will the R5 Mark II look then? No matter occurs, I hope Canon sees that its technique shouldn’t be arrange for long-term success. Some adjustments must be made, and I hope that occurs earlier than it has to chop extra good folks. Canon says it’s “forward of the sport” and if it’s referring to the identical recreation everybody else is taking part in, I’m unsure it is aware of easy methods to learn the scoreboard.
