In an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, Canon’s Chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai stated that the DSLR flagship, EOS-1D X Mark III is actually Canon’s last DSLR. Mitarai confirmed that Canon will end the development and production of its DSLR cameras, including the flagships, by transforming manufacturing to produce mirrorless systems only.
Update (18/1/2022)
Canon has confirmed that the EOS 1D X Mark III is its last DSLR flagship. However, Canon will continue to manufacture and support other DSLR models. In the future, Canon will shift manufacturing to mirrorless only, but it will take some time. To sum it up, the flagship 1D X Mark III is the last DSLR flagship from Canon.
Terminating the flagship
Currently, there’re three models that are considered flagships in the mirrorless world: Nikon Z9, Sony Alpha 1, and Canon R3. However, in Canon’s space, the R3 is not defined as a flagship. The EOS R3 has been developed in the shadow of the mighty EOS 1DX Mark III. In fact, the R3 is the hybridization of the R5 and the 1DX. However, Canon has confirmed in interviews that the R3 is not the flagship, but the EOS 1DX Mark III is Canon’s diamond. We wrote a couple of articles about this thesis. Explore them below:
- Canon EOS R3: The Mirrorless Version of the Mighty 1D X Mark III
- Canon Officially Announced the Impressive EOS R3: Full-Frame 6K RAW at 60FPS, But Not a Flagship
Canon said that the EOS 1DX Mark III is Canon’s most successful camera to date. Indeed, in terms of reliability, robustness, and quality, the 1DX Mark III never fails to deliver. Nevertheless, due to the rise of mirrorless systems and the elevated market share and demand for mirrorless cameras, Canon admits it’s time to move on and terminate its DSLR system, including the 1DX Mark III beast.
Canon CEO Fujio Mitarai: “EOS-1D X Mark III released in 2020 will be the last DSLR”
In an interview held by Yomiuri Shimbun (one of the five major newspapers in Japan) with Canon’s Chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai, we can learn about Canon’s strategy regarding its Imaging System division. “It is natural that mirrorless cameras will become the mainstream of digital cameras… The market needs are acceleratingly shifting to mirrorless cameras. In line with this, we are steadily shifting manufacturing” Mitarai stated (Google translated). According to Mitarai, Canon will end the development and production of the flagship model of the digital SLR cameras a few years from now, stating “Canon’s SLR flagship model is known as the “EOS-1” series, the first of which appeared in 1989. The latest model EOS-1D X Mark III released in 2020 will be the last model in fact”.
The latest model EOS-1D X Mark III released in 2020 will be the last model in fact.
Canon’s Chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai
Update (18/1/2022)
Canon has confirmed that the EOS 1D X Mark III is its last DSLR flagship. However, Canon will continue to manufacture and support other DSLR models. In the future, Canon will shift manufacturing to mirrorless only, but it will take some time. To sum it up, the flagship 1D X Mark III is the last DSLR flagship from Canon.
Summary
The question you may ask yourself is: Should you buy the Canon 1DX Mark III? Well, the answer is not that simple. Canon will terminate the production soon. The 1DX Mark III is the ultimate DSLR, no doubt about that. However, a price drop should be expected, since the situation demands a significant price reduction of this camera. When the EOS R3 was launched, Canon insisted that the 1DX Mark III remains its flagship. But this definition might be changed after the CEO’s statement. Anyway, let’s wait for the price reduction. It will come eventually.
Product List
Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers.
- Canon EOS-1D X Mark III
- Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless Camera
- Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera
- Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera
