In an interview held at CP+, by the French site Phototrend, Canon confirmed that DSLR is far from being dead. In fact, the acclaimed EOS 1D X Mark III is still considered a flagship camera and holds a high demand by professionals. Canon says that its twin flagship is the R3. A discussion about Canon’s flagships.
R1 is in the making
Tetsuji Kiyomi, which is the Director of the Product Division at Canon, was interviewed at CP+ by the French site Phototrend. Tetsuji has elaborated on some intriguing facts regarding Canon’s anticipated flagship – the R1, and its current mirrorless and DSLR flagships (R3 and 1D X Mark III). First of all, Tetsuji confirmed that the company is working on a future flagship mirrorless camera, titled EOS R1. He didn’t say much about the specs, however, Tetsuji was comparing the R1 to the R3 stating: “The EOS R3 could already claim the flagship title, but there’s a reason we named it ‘3’… And you can expect there to be a ‘1’, which is currently being worked on and will be our most premium model. So that’s the kind of interpretation you can do”. Rumors indicate that the mighty EOS R1 will be launched in 2024, and not this year, Hence, the R3 is going to hold the ‘flagship’ title for a while, at least in the EOS mirrorless segment.
EOS R3 and 1D X Mark III — Remain the flagships
Meanwhile, Canon says it has two flagship cameras (not related to the ‘C’ series), which are: EOS R3, and the DSLR 1D X Mark III —“If you look at the EOS-1D, and compare it to the EOS R3, you know it’s worthy of the ‘flagship’ designation because it’s equivalent in terms of Canon’s advanced features”. BTW, Canon has stated before that the 1D X Mark III would be its last DSLR flagship. Moreover, the price of the camera has not been reduced for a long time. Thus, the 1D X Mark III preserves its price point very well. Indeed, the camera is one of the best DSLRs out there — a true workhorse. More interestingly, Go Tokura – General Manager of the Imaging Division at Canon, has also elaborated on the solid popularity of DSLR.
DSLR cameras are still very popular
Tokura stated that the DSLR market is pretty strong, and there’s a solid demand for SLR bodies: “First of all, market figures indicate that 5.5 to 6 million boxes were sold last year. At the end of last year, 70% of those sales were mirrorless cameras…All companies are of course focusing on hybrids. But SLRs still represent 30% of global sales. That means there’s always demand for this range – and most DSLRs sold globally are made by Canon” he says and adds: “There is also a high volume of lenses that are still destined for the DSLR ecosystem. We do not envisage a sudden end to SLRs, or an instant switch to hybrids. Sure, there will likely be a gradual decline, but the demand is still there”.
Final thoughts
It’s interesting to explore that the demand for DSLRs is still high. According to Canon, the sales of its 1 DX Mark III are strong, and DSLR lenses are being extensively used. In fact, the R3 was born out of the 1 DX Mark III (hybridization with the R5). For instance, the 1D X Mark III is in stock at the B&H store, and the price remains steady, which indicates stiff demand. Anyway, the EOS R1 would be a very interesting camera, as it will be defined as the new king of Canon (excluded the EOS Cinema line).
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 DSLR Camera
- Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless Camera
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