Canon and Nikon Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras Coming

Things are about to heat up in the mirrorless camera world. For the last few years, Sony has been garnering most of the attention with their mirrorless cameras, especially the A7 series of models.

I have reported earlier Canon is finally getting serious about their mirrorless line and will offer more cameras and lens this year, perhaps including a full frame model to compete with Sony and the Leica SL. Now it seems Nikon is planning to do the same. The game plan seems to differentiate the line between a prosumer and a 'professional' model. Expect late August or early September to be the targeted month for any announcement. This is to tie in with the big Photokina Show taking place in Cologne, Germany on September 20, 2016

Canon Prosumer Mirrorless Camera With 4K Video Coming

* * *  See how Sony mirrorless cameras stack up against Canon DSLRs  * * *

I have been reporting for some time now Canon's plans to finally get serious about their mirrorless camera line. It is no secret that Sony is ahead of Canon in this field but may not be for too much longer. Even Leica has introduced a full frame mirrorless camera last year, ahead of Canon.

My sources told me Canon will announce the EOS-M4 camera first and then the higher end, full frame mirrorless camera with 4K video some time in the second half of 2016, perhaps around the big Photokina Show in Cologne, Germany in August. This should not be a surprise to most people since Canon has been quite 'vocal' about their ambition since last year.

Canon EOS-M System and Full Frame Mirrorless Camera

Canon is expected to announce the EOS-M4 mirrorless camera and at least two EF-M prime lens some time in the first half of 2016 to beef up their mirrorless product line. This will not be enough to make them a leading player in this space.

When the EOS-M mirrorless camera was introduced in 2012, it was the 'laughing stock' of the mirrorless world. The AF was slow and the camera, 'rudimentary', because Canon was simply not ready for this new technology and was trying to play catch up, in a hurry.

Although Canon's mirrorless cameras are selling quite well in Asia and Japan, they are mostly lower end models and bring in little profits. They need to go upmarket and take a leaf from Sony and most recently, Leica. Canon is a big conservative conglomerate and operates at a glacial speed. They rarely aim to be first to bring 'revolutionary' technology to market but try to be best in their space, albeit coming from behind.

Canon is also working on a full frame mirrorless camera. Since they are already 'behind' in this segment, their next full frame mirrorless camera needs to be bold and different. I am a wildlife photographer using Canon equipment for over 25 years and have followed the company since my first EOS-1 purchase in 1989. My advice to them is bring out a top-of-the-line, full frame mirrorless camera with the EF mount as soon as possible. The new camera must come with a brand new sensor, advanced AF performance, an electronic viewfinder, best in class video performance with pro build quality and ergonomics. It will be a tall order but something well within Canon's capability and technology to manufacture. I think many serious photographers are willing to pay thousands of dollars to see such a camera built. You can see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com.

The fear that a full frame mirrorless camera may 'cannabilize' on Canon's existing full frame DSLR models is overblown. For example, all major luxury car brands have both expensive gasoline and alternative fuel powered models in their lineup. Many professional photographers, including myself, will buy a high end mirrorless camera in addition to their current DSLR equipment, provided it meets the requirements.

In the next few months, Canon is expected to announce more EF lens, the long awaited EOS-1D X Mark II and EOS-5D Mark IV cameras. Although Canon reported less than stellar third quarter financial results recently, they are hardly unique and the company is still profitable and healthy. Management needs to make bolder decisions faster and lead their competitors for a change.   

Canon Patent - 50mm f/3.5 IS Macro Lens for Full Frame Mirrorless Camera

The Japanese website Egami has discovered a new Canon patent for a 50mm f/3.5 IS macro lens. It is apparently designed for full frame mirrorless cameras.

My readers know the mirrorless camera space is getting more and more competition.  There is little doubt Sony has a lead in full frame mirrorless cameras right now. Their a7 line of cameras received some good reviews. Leica recently announced their full frame SL mirrorless camera to join the competition.

I reported in my earlier post Samsung had ceased their camera operations in both Germany and the United Kingdom. They are in the process of exiting other countries as well. Only the strong companies will survive and Canon is already developing their own full frame mirrorless camera.


Patent Publication No. 2015-215494 (Google Translated)

•     Published 2015.12.3
•     Filing date 2014.5.12
•     Focal length 48.58
•     F-number 3.50
•     Half angle (in degrees) 24.01
•     Image height 21.64
•     Overall length of the lens 85.71
•     BF 27.79

Nikon Plans To Acquire Samsung's Mirrorless Business?

There is little secret Sony has a lead in full frame mirrorless cameras right now. Their a7 line of cameras received some good reviews. Leica recently announced their full frame SL mirrorless camera to join the competition. I reported in my earlier post Samsung had ceased their camera operations in both Germany and the United Kingdom. They are in the process of exiting other countries as well.

Now rumor has it Nikon may have bought Samsung's mirrorless business. Samsung has 'officially' denied this but do you really expect them to admit it before any deal is signed and sealed? If true, they are certain to bring out their own full frame mirrorless camera. Nikon is the smallest of the big three camera manufacturers. They have been very dependent on Sony for their sensors. Purchasing the Samsung operations and partnering with them will help tremendously in their mirrorless ambitions.

This should not be a surprise. In my previous reporting, Canon and other manufacturers are suffering from a decline in sales and profits. Only the strong companies will survive and Canon is already developing their own full frame mirrorless camera. Nikon is most vulnerable and must act to preserve its position in the mirrorless space. Expect some announcement from Nikon and Samsung in the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas in January, 2016. Keep checking back, More to come . . . . .

Canon May Introduce Professional Full Frame Mirrorless Camera

I have just gotten back from my Polar Bear Photo Tour in the Canadian sub Arctic. Trying to catch up on some Canon photo news when I was away. It was quite a productive trip. The weather was 'milder' than past years and I will be processing the photos when I have a chance to rest up and look at them.

Canon is expected to announce the EOS-M4 mirrorless camera and at least two EF-M prime lens in Q1 to Q2 of 2016 to beef up their mirrorless product line. This will not be enough to make them a big player in this space.

Although Canon's mirrorless cameras are selling quite well in Asia and Japan, they are mostly lower end models and bring in little profits. They need to go upmarket and take a leaf from Sony and most recently, Leica. Canon is a big conservative conglomerate and operates at a glacial speed. They rarely aim to be first to bring 'revolutionary' technology to market but try to be best in their space, albeit coming from behind.

Canon is also working on a full frame mirrorless camera. Since they are already 'behind' in this segment, their next full frame mirrorless camera needs to be bold and different. I am a wildlife photographer using Canon equipment for about 25 years and have followed the company since my first EOS-1 purchase in 1989. My advice to them is bring out a top-of-the-line, full frame mirrorless camera with the EF mount as soon as possible. The new camera must come with a brand new sensor, advanced AF performance, pro build quality and ergonomics and unrivaled video performance. It will be a tall order but something well within Canon's capability and technology to manufacture. You can see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com.

The fear that a full frame mirrorless camera may 'cannabilize' on Canon's existing full frame DSLR models is overblown. For example, all major luxury car brands have both expensive gasoline and alternative fuel powered models in their lineup. Many serious and professional photographers, including myself, will buy a high end mirrorless camera in addition to their current DSLR equipment, provided it meets the requirements.

During the Canon Expo 2015 last month, the company demonstrated some cutting edge prototypes, like the 250MP and 120MP sensors, ME20F-SH camera that shoots videos @ ISO 4000000+ and the EF 600mm f/4 DO BR lens. These eye-popping demonstrations may pay off once they come to market but deciding when to bring them to consumers seem to take too much deliberation.

In the next few months, Canon is expected to announce more EF lens, the long awaited EOS-1D X Mark II and EOS-5D Mark IV cameras. Although Canon reported less than stellar third quarter financial results recently, they are hardly unique and the company is still profitable and healthy. Management needs to make bolder decisions faster and lead their competitors for a change.   

Canon Posts Lower Q3 Profit But Lifts Full Year Forecast

* * *  Read the latest post on Canon's full frame mirrorless camera  * * *

Canon Inc. reported lower 3rd quarter profits for 2015 but raised its full year forecast due to the 'strong' US Dollar and 'weak' Japanese Yen. Going forward, the United States is expected to increase its interest rates in 2016, thereby pushing the Yen even lower and giving Canon's 2016 profit a potential further boost.

The DSLR camera segment is a matured business even though this is where Canon and many other camera makers make most of their profits. There is little Canon can do to stem the gradual loss of market share of the low end cameras to higher end smartphones. They need to concentrate on their strength and make the DSLR camera experience as enjoyable as possible for serious and professional photographers.

To that end, Canon should seriously consider introducing a prosumer to professional mirrorless camera with the same size and shape of their higher end DSLRs. The mirrorless market is here to stay and growing. The current EOS-M line is boring, brings little profit and is highly discounted.

Take a leaf from the Sony a7RII and Leica and introduce much higher end mirrorless cameras but make them look and feel more like DSLRs, like the recently announced Leica SL mirrorless camera. I and many other photographers will be interested in buying one of these cameras if Canon decides to sell one. I am a wildlife photographer and you can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com


(Corrects dateline to Oct 27)

* Q3 operating profit falls 21 pct to 71.8 bln yen

* Steep fall had been flagged by Nikkei business daily

* Investments in new businesses also weighed on profit

* Full-year earnings forecast lifted on weaker yen

By Sophie Knight

TOKYO, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Japan's Canon Inc said quarterly operating profit fell by a fifth as demand for digital cameras slumped and it spent more on developing new businesses, but it nudged up its full-year earnings estimates on a sharply weaker yen.

The consumer shift to smartphones for casual photo taking has pummelled demand for compact cameras, while the growing popularity of lighter mirrorless cameras has taken away market share from higher margin single-lens reflex cameras.


Operating profit for the July-September quarter came in at 71.8 billion yen ($665 million), not far off figures flagged by the Nikkei business daily earlier this month.

Investments to boost businesses such as video surveillance and semiconductor steppers also helped to outweigh a 11.4 billion yen contribution from a weaker yen, a company spokesman said.

Revenue fell 4.5 percent to 872.2 billion yen.

The export-reliant company lifted its operating profit forecast but it acknowledged that but for the weaker yen, it would have revised down.

It now expects 370 billion yen for the year to end December, up from a prior prediction of 365 billion yen and a 9.7 percent increase on the previous year.

While a softer yen boosts earnings for export-oriented companies, the Japanese currency's rapid descent against the greenback - around 8 percent over the July-September period - has driven up import costs and prompted complaints from Japan Inc that yen weakness has gone far enough.

"It's difficult to give an ideal level but if it stopped at its current level it wouldn't be a bad thing," said Chief Financial Officer Toshizo Tanaka.

Japan's currency is trading at around 108 yen to the dollar after having weakened to as low as 110 yen at the beginning of this month. A Reuters Corporate Survey showed in September that only one quarter of Japanese firms preferred an exchange rate of 105 yen or weaker.

Canon's shares closed up 0.8 percent on Monday ahead of results. (1 US dollar = 107.9600 Japanese yen) (Reporting by Sophie Knight; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

Canon EOS-5DsR and Leica SL Size Comparison

Canon EOS-5DsR and Leica SL size comparison

* * *  I'm off on a Polar Bear Photo Tour. Will connect if possible  * * *

* * *  Read the latest post on Canon's full frame mirrorless camera  * * *

Leica announced the 24MP SL mirrorless camera recently at a whopping price of $7,500, body only. My readers know I am not a fan of the current mirrorless camera designs. I can find no compelling reason to own one. Among the reasons, all the mirrorless cameras do not feel right in my hands, including the recently announced, 'highly acclaimed' Sony a7R II. They are too small and the ergonomics are all wrong for me.

Now Leica has decided to do something different, by making the new SL similar in shape to a full sized DSLR, like the Canon EOS-5DsR, replete with the hand grip on the right side of the camera. In the future, if Canon decides to introduce a mirrorless camera for professional photographers and retain a similar size and shape to their present DSLR cameras, I might take a second look.

However, how many photographers will seriously forego the soon-to-be-released EOS-1D X Mark II and EOS-5D Mark IV cameras in favor of the Leica SL?  Did Leica not learn a lesson from Zeiss? Are Zeiss lens really worth that much more than say, Sigma Art lens? Is the recently announced, 'lower priced' Milvus line of lens going to help Zeiss beat back the challenge from Sigma and others?

Announcement For Leica SL 24MP Mirrorless Camera

Leica SL mirrorless camera

* * *  Check out the size comparison between the Leica SL and Canon EOS-5DsR  * * *

Wetzlar, 20 October 2015 - The Leica SL system marks the beginning of a new era of professional photography made in Germany. The Leica SL mirrorless system camera is impressive on account of its innovations in exceptional Leica quality. Its 24 MP full-frame CMOS sensor and perfectly matched components – from superior-quality lenses to its electronic viewfinder – guarantee exceptional imaging performance.

EyeRes viewfinder and touchscreen display for total control of every picture

Developed especially for the Leica SL, this electronic viewfinder is the first of its kind to feature Leica EyeRes technology. With a latency time below the threshold of perception, an impressive resolution of 4.4 million pixels and a magnification reminiscent of a medium format camera, this electronic viewfinder offers an entirely new visual experience and numerous advantages: the final image is visible in the viewfinder before the shutter release is pressed, which enables optimum control over the final picture in any situation. The EyeRes viewfinder is activated simply by looking through it. In addition, the Leica SL also features a 2.95? back panel display with a viewing angle of up to 170° that enables reliable viewing of pictures and efficient touchscreen menu navigation.

Maestro II processor for maximum performance

The high-performance Maestro II series processor guarantees that photographers never miss even the fastest-moving subjects and that the camera responds instantaneously to all commands. Together with 2 GB of buffer memory, the processor makes it possible to capture consecutive exposures at rates of up to 11 frames per second at full 24 MP resolution and 4K video with a frame rate of 30 frames per second. Pictures can be saved simultaneously to an SD memory card as both a JPEG and DNG in line with the fast UHS II standard. Thanks to its Maestro II series processor, the Leica SL achieves the best performance currently possible in the professional camera class and underlines the innovative character of the camera.

24 MP CMOS sensor for exceptional picture quality in 35 mm full-frame format

The 24 MP CMOS full-frame sensor guarantees impressive dynamic range, excellent contrast rendition, exceptional sharpness, the highest resolution, and noise-free images in almost all lighting conditions. The shutter provides speeds from 30 minutes to 1/8000 sec. The sensor reveals its full potential in combination with Leica SL lenses, especially in available-light situations, and captivates users with atmospheric exposures in superior quality at ISO settings up to a maximum of 50,000. What’s more, it is optimised for use with Leica M-Lenses and, in addition to supporting all their functions, delivers the excellent picture quality with which Leica has been synonymous for more than 100 years.

The new movie star: professional video in cinematic resolution

The Leica SL is much more than a professional still-picture camera with video recording capability: it fulfils even the most stringent demands of moviemakers as a fully fledged video camera. Thanks to its 24 MP CMOS sensor and high-performance Maestro II series processor, the Leica SL enables the production of professional videos in 4K resolution. Videos can be recorded in UHD at 30 frames per second or even in Cine4K at 24 frames per second. In full HD, the Leica SL records video at up to 120 frames per second and makes use of the entire sensor area. Here, the logical and intuitive handling concept of the camera makes a clear distinction between still- and motion-picture recording. As soon as the camera is in video mode, the display shows only relevant information for video recording, such as safe area, aspect ratio, zebra function or the recording level of the microphone. An optional audio adapter allows you to connect an external microphone and the audio recording level can be set without accessing the menu. Videos can be output in 4:2:2 10-bit format in 4K resolution over HDMI 1.4.

Aluminium body for robust performance in everyday photography

From the beginning, resilience and robustness were at the focus of the Leica SL’s development. Body components machined from solid aluminium and precisely engineered seals around controls and in the lenses provide optimum protection against dust, moisture and splashes for the sensitive technology inside. At the same time, integrated ultrasonic sensor cleaning removes dust and dirt from the sensor. The glass covering the back panel display is extremely scratch-resistant and features an anti-reflex coating. All these properties make the camera an ideal tool for use in the rough, everyday conditions faced by professional photographers. In the interplay between its equally classic and functional design and its distinctive lines, the Leica SL is another example of Leica’s fine art of engineering.

A new generation of lenses for excellent picture quality

The combination of outstanding imaging performance and the fastest autofocus currently possible makes working with the Leica SL an entirely new experience and enables photographers to produce images in a quality never before seen in 35 mm format. True to Leica’s principles, the new lenses specific to the Leica SL are distinguished by superior optical and mechanical precision. With its wide range of focal lengths and high speed, the Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24–90 mm f/2.8–4 ASPH. is the ideal standard zoom lens in the Leica SL-System portfolio. The zoom range of the fast Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90–280 mm f/2.8–4 follows on directly from this and the current lens portfolio is rounded off by the Leica Summilux-SL 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH., the new reference lens for this focal length.

What’s more, the exceptional compatibility of the Leica SL-System grants photographers access to almost all Leica lenses ever made. For instance, all lenses for the Leica T camera can be used without an adapter. In addition, appropriate adapters allow Leica S, M, and R system lenses and lenses from other manufacturers to be mounted on the Leica SL.

Availability

The Leica SL (Type 601) body will be on sale from 16 November 2015. The Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24–90 mm f/2.8–4 ASPH. zoom lens will be available at the same time. Further Leica SL lenses will follow.