On canon APS-C radio frequency card camera

Recently, it was reported that Canon has been actively conducting market research with selected professionals to find out whether there is a real demand for APS-C radio frequency card camera. Canon's EOS M series is in an unknown state, and it has been reported many times that EOS M series will die out in its current state, focusing on the development of RF card ports. So will Canon launch APS-C RF card camera? What will happen to EOS M series in the future?

On this issue, Canon currently has three kinds of camera bayonets: EF, EF-M and RF, and two of them have no reflex system. The flange distance between EF-M and RF is 18mm, and the flange distance between EF-M and RF is 20 mm In addition, the diameter of the bayonet is different, so it cannot be directly compatible. At present, Canon only provides the scheme of transferring EF between them, and there is no scheme of transferring EF-M to RF.

Canon EF-M bayonet system was born in 20 12, and only Bisogni E bayonet system was two years later. After the launch of EF-M 32 mm f/18, the development of EF-M lens stagnated. No new EF-M lens has been released since 20 18. Interestingly, Canon introduced EOS R system in 20 18, and the development resources obviously tilted towards RF. During the six years from 20 12 to 20 18, Canon released eight EF-M lenses, of which EF-M15-45 mm f/3.5-6.3 ISTM replaced EF-M18-55/3.5-. The camera body update has not stopped. Last year, EOS M50 Mark II was launched.

In contrast, Sony E-mount is compatible with APS-C and Quan Huafu. At the early stage of development (20 10-20 13), all APS-C lenses were released, totaling 15, which was released in the same six-year development period as Canon (20 10-20 16). As for Fuji APS-C format, X lens group is more abundant, so simply from the quantitative point of view, although the body of Canon EOS M system is still being updated, the development of lens group of interchangeable mirror camera system is stagnant, which is not a good signal after all and cannot be perfunctory with "basically enough". Obviously, Canon's positioning of this system is relatively low, and home use is enough.

What about making an APS-C mirrorless camera with radio frequency card port? Judging from the development of the fuselage, it can be said that there is no problem at all. The existing RF card port body is equipped with APS-C image sensor, which can reduce the size of shutter assembly and anti-shake assembly, and further reduce the size of the body to some extent. In fact, Canon introduced this "camera" last year. EOS C70 is the first model with radio frequency card port in cinema EOS series. This camera is equipped with a super 35mm image sensor, which is similar in size to APS-C. Sony used VG900E to show the Quan Huafu on the E-mount, and now Canon used EOS C70 to show us that APS-C on the RF mount is not wasted. ...

Interestingly, considering the Quan Huafu angle of this camera, Canon also introduced EF-EOS R 0.7 1 bayonet adapter (commonly known as reducing glare). When using EF-EOS R 0.7 1 bayonet adapter, the bayonet adapter has a built-in micro-optical system with a magnification of 0.7 1, which can change the viewing angle to the same as the original focal length of Quan Huafu EF lens. The built-in micro-optical system of the bayonet adapter also has a condensing effect. When shooting under the same aperture, its condensing effect can greatly increase the amount of light entering the lens, which is equivalent to raising the F value by a step. If Canon really introduces an APS-C mirrorless camera with radio frequency card port, Quan Huafu angle can also be obtained when switching EF lens through this adapter.

The biggest problem for Canon to launch an APS-C mirrorless camera with radio frequency card port is the market demand, especially the high-end APS-C model. In the past, flagship APS-C cameras such as Canon 7D series and Nikon D500/D300 appeared. In recent years, Fuji also launched X-H 1, which impacted this market. However, with the price of Quan Huafu model falling, the continuous shooting of high-pixel Quan Huafu model is increasing. High-pixel Quan Huafu model has become a solution to obtain APS-C perspective through APS-C clipping mode, but it will increase the purchase cost.

The market demand for high-end APS-C models is declining, which is why Canon has been hesitant to launch high-end APS-C with RF card port. Let's talk about the advantages and disadvantages of Canon's APS-C mirrorless camera with radio frequency card port:

1. Unified without anti-bayonet (benefit)

After Port A retired from the historical stage, Sony emphasized that "1 port" means that Port E runs through all in-phase systems. Z-mount and L-mount are also products in APS-C format (such as Leica TL/CL), and Sony's "1 mount" strategy is not a problem for them. At present, only Canon's irreversible system is two incompatible bayonets. Canon introduced APS-C mirrorless camera with RF card port, which unified the nonreciprocal system into a RF card port. Even theater EOS series cameras will gradually change from EF to RF according to the size of RF lens group. It is only a matter of time before the focal plane with RF card port is launched in the future (Sony has already launched the E-slot movie head). The biggest victim of Canon's "1 bayonet" strategy is obviously EF-M.

The Quan Huafu RF lens, especially the telephoto lens, can be directly used for the mirrorless camera with the RF card port APS-C, such as RF/KOOC-0/00-500mm4.5-7./KOOC-0/Lisum, RF 800mf/KOOC-0//ISTM and RF 600mf/KOOC-.

2.APS-C users have advanced full-width space (advantage)

The appearance of APS-C mirrorless camera with radio frequency card port meets the expectation of one card with two frames in SLR era. Users who buy APS-C models will even buy some Quan Huafu lenses. In future advanced full-frame cameras, Quan Huafu lens can continue to be used, and APS-C lens can temporarily use cropping mode. APS-C camera can also be used as a backup machine for full-frame cameras. The lenses of the two cameras are completely universal, and only one set of lenses is needed to shoot two different scenes.

3. Lack of APS-C RF lens (disadvantage)

As mentioned above, the RF lens group is completely made for Quan Huafu, and the EF-M lens group designed for APS-C is not compatible with the RF bayonet, resulting in that once the APS-C mirrorless camera with RF bayonet is introduced, the wide-angle end of the existing RF lens becomes very embarrassed when using the RF lens.

It is rumored that Canon has no plans to develop "RF-S" APS-C lenses, but has introduced some "unconventional" focal length Quan Huafu lenses for both.

4. The fuselage volume has no advantage (disadvantage) compared with EOS M.

For APS-C format, users pay more attention to volume and weight. Although the APS-C image sensor mentioned earlier can be equipped with smaller shutter components and anti-shake components, which is beneficial to the built-in stacking design to reduce the volume, the diameter and flange distance of the RF card port are larger than EF-M, and it is difficult to make the RF card port body as small as EF-M under the same configuration, especially the height and thickness of the body. Of course, if the RF card port APS-C is the flagship of APS-C, and the fuselage is slightly larger than the EF-M model, some users will not mind. However, if you want RF to replace EF-M to launch low-end models, the fuselage will be reduced and the bayonet will be huge, which will be uncoordinated. At present, Nikon Z50 and Zfc also have this problem.

5. Affect the sales of EF-M system products (disadvantages)

For Canon, EOS M series camera is its best-selling product line among mirrorless cameras, especially EOS M50 series in the low-end market. If a mirrorless camera with radio frequency card port APS-C is introduced, it will have a negative impact on the sales of EF-M bayonet cameras, no matter whether it is positioned at the high end or the low end. Users will be pessimistic about the future of the system, and no one wants to buy a system that is about to "end". Of course, at the beginning, most home users didn't understand and didn't care, but as the opinions of "knowledgeable" people continued to penetrate downwards, the sales of EF-M system products gradually declined, which would seriously hit the low-end market share.

Generally speaking, what Canon is most afraid of now is that the APS-C mirrorless camera with radio frequency card port can only meet the needs of a small number of users (such as bird hunting), and it also has a negative impact on the best-selling EF-M products. It's a bit like losing watermelon and picking up sesame seeds. Of course, there are other factors mentioned above that affect Canon's decision. If you are not interested in the radio frequency card port APS-C, please show Canon the strong demand in this market. For other users, it is rumored that Canon is developing a cheap Quan Huafu RF card camera, which seems to be a "positive solution".

Author and Editor | Liang Shuang