Abstract: Canon Digital Plans

Photography - Canon EOS, digital, nature

Canon EOS FAQ

 

Canon's Digital Plans - II

Recently, several interviews with senior Canon executives have been published on various websites (e.g see here and here). This article is an attempt to gather information from them into one place and maybe read a little between the lines. Nothing here is for certain. There may have been translation issues, I may have misinterpreted some statements and corporate executives are usually pretty good in not giving away anything that they think would give their competitors an advantage, so they are often somewhat guarded in what they say. Nevertheless I think there are some interesting revelations, all of which sound quite reasonable and which I'm sure have more than a grain of truth in them!

Here are the major points that I got from the interviews:

  • No "EOS 3D" in the near future.
  • Eventually the 1D and 1Ds may be replaced by one "pro" model.
  • For the near future the three sensor sizes will stay (1x, 1.3x, 1.6x).
  • There will be more new EF-S lenses, both consumer (low-end) and pro (high-end).
  • Dust control is being looked at for the next generation of DSLRs.
  • An upgradable sensor camera is very unlikely.
  • A digital back for film cameras isn't out of the question.
  • For the time being Canon are sticking with CMOS sensors.
  • It's possible that SED displays will replace the current LCD displays in future cameras.
  • Canon isn't looking to get out of the film camera market.

My Comments

These are my thoughts based on what's been said. They may or may not be an accurate reflection of what Canon's plans are.

What I get out of all this is the impression that the technology is still evolving and technology is still the limiting factor in camera development, even at the high end where cost isn't so much of a factor. My guess is that maybe in a few years it will be at a point where Canon can offer a single high speed, full frame camera. which is as fast as the 1D, but with 1Ds (or better) quality. At that point Canon will replace the 1D and 1Ds with the 1D(whatever) and it may then make sense to also introduce a "EOS 3D", a camera positioned between the top of the line "pro" (EOS-1D..) model and the "prosumer" model (currently the EOS 20D), making a 4 level system similar to the current film lineup (Rebel, Elan7, EOS-3, EOS-1v)

It looks like the 1.6x sensors will be around for quite a while. Since Canon intend to make more EF-S lenses, it seems likely that they are committed to the 1.6x sensor for the foreseeable future (5 years?). The fact that they are talking about making high end EF-S lenses (the EF-S 10-22 is already $800, which makes it pretty high end) suggests that they view the 1.6x sensor as more than just a way to make cheap consumer level cameras.

It seems that the next DLSR (or maybe the one after that) may have some sort of provision to deal with minimizing dust on the sensor.

It's interesting that Canon do not rule out the development of body based Image Stabilization. If they did, I'm not sure what it would do to IS lenses. You certainly wouldn't need both body and lens stabilization, and if you had stabilization in the body you wouldn't want to spend the extra cash to buy IS lenses. So would Canon then offer non-IS versions of IS lenses? It would clearly be a bit of a marketing problem (and a PR problem) to have a mixed system.

Canon also haven't ruled out a digital back, though I'd guess that if they ever did bring one out it would probably only be available for the next generation of pro level film body (EOS -1?) since retrofitting and interfacing it to current film bodies (EOS 1v or EOS 3D) would be tricky. A new film body could be designed to take a digital back. Whether or not one is ever produced probably depends on how much demand Canon get from pro users. If the digital back cost about as much as a digital body - which is quite likely - I'm not sure how much demand there would be, though it might offer a path to an "upgradable" DSLR.

In the near future it looks to me like PMA 2005 (the next major photo show) might see an update of the Digital Rebel. Maybe with the 8MP sensor from the 20D, but maybe not - but almost certainly with firmware that can't so easily be hacked as that of the 300D! The chances of an EOS-3D now look very remote. I'd expect to see more EF-S lenses, though I'm not quite sure what they might be. Maybe a wide, fast prime lens like a 17mm f1.8 (equivalent to a 28/1.8 on a full frame camera), maybe an ultrawide prime (10/2.8)?, maybe a fisheye lens? Canon have said in the past that the EF-S design offers no optical benefits over about 40mm, so unless they can be made significantly cheaper than full frame lenses, I wouldn't expect to see any telephoto EF-S lenses (except for wide to telephoto zooms).

 

QUESTIONS FROM THE INTERVIEWS

The questions here are paraphrased from those asked in the interviews. They're intended to provide the information in a shorter, more focused form. I make no guarantees as to the accuracy of the questions - or the answers!

Why is there no Dust Control in Canon DSLRs

There was discussion of incorporating some type of dust protection for the sensor in the 20D, but it turned out to be too expensive to allow the camera to be sold at the desired price. However work is underway to come up with a cost effective solution

Any chance of body based Image stabilization?

For the time being Canon is sticking with optical stabilization in the lens. However Canon could put stabilization in either the body or the lens and if there is enough demand for stabilization in the body, it's certainly something Canon could offer.

Will there be any "High End" EF-S lenses?

Yes. Canon has a 5 year plan and within the next 5 years Canon will high-end and mid-end lenses, as well as possibly some unique EF-S lenses, depending on customer demands. We will make lenses for both the consumer (low-end) and professional (high-end) users.

Will EF-S lenses get cheaper?

Canon's first priority was achieving the highest possible quality. The next step will be to reduce costs while keeping the quality high.

Will Canon keep making film cameras?

Yes. There are lots of places where customers cannot afford digital cameras. Canon will continue to offer EOS film cameras.

Will future cameras have larger LCDs?

Canon has recently started making monitors using SED technology (Surface Conduction Electron Emitter Display). It may be used for the next generation of camera data display. It's low cost, uses little power and it's made in-house by Canon

Will ISO settings above 3200 be possible?

Canon is actively researching that, but it's not possible to say and and when it will be available

Why are there two EOS-1 DSLRs (1D and 1Ds)?

The 1D is optimized for speed, while the 1Ds is optimized for image quality. However it's likely that in the next generation there will be just one model, with the speed of the 1D and quality of the 1Ds

Will there be cameras in which the sensor can be upgraded?

It's not likely. More than just the sensor would need to be changed, the whole electronics would need to be changed.

How about a digital back for film cameras?

It's something Canon is looking at and it's possible it might happen in the future

Will there be a camera between the EOS 20D and EOS 1D?

There's no current plan to do this. However if the market and technology shift and 4 levels of DSLR can be supported, it's a possibility

Will Canon continue to use CMOS sensors?

Right now CMOS sensors provide the best image quality, plus Canon make them in-house, so there are no immediate plans to change this. However if future technology dictates, it's not impossible that a camera with a CCD sensor could be introduced

Will the 1.6x sensors be phased out?

Right now Canon is happy with three different sensor sizes. The 1x sensor (1Ds) gives the highest image quality, the 1.3x sensor (1D) enables high speed operation with high quality and the 1.6x sensor (20D) enables camera cost to be kept low, while still yielding excellent images

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