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Pixel Perfect wrote:
It's not what Sony thinks that should be important, it's what the photographers need. They don't need a small form factor camera for pro sports and wildlife use. There was a lot of scope for a far better design of the A9 rather than rehash the A7 body with a few tweaks. It needed to be bigger for bigger grip, more space between grip and lens, larger AF buttons, bigger battery etc. It would still be lighter than say a 5d4 but far more user friendly IMO than what they have offered.
You talk about the long game as though you think Canon will sit on its thumbs. They are conservative but they aren't stupid. They will pour whatever resources they need into mirrorless to be competitive. Cudos to Sony for poking the lazy bears, but don't expect them to keep hibernating.
Canon could easily deflate some of this Sony hype by firstly offering advanced mirrorless say M3, and M1, to take on a6500 and A7. The one issue they face is an answer to Sony's stacked sensor but remember Canon recently showed off something even better, global shutter that can do high fps, on a FF sensor. This could be leveraged sooner if they are prepared to push the envelope.
Nikon is the main worry not sure what's going on there, they may be in for some pain....Show more →
I want to say this carefully, because I do not necessarily disagree with you, but your (our) views on the size of the camera are subjective. Not everyone may agree with us.
I do agree Canon could take on Sony in full frame mirrorless. They are really the only other company that can field their own full frame sensors. But to me, the obvious issue holding back Canon is the success of the EF lens line.
To build what most people expect of a mirrorless camera (a more compact design with a shorter flange to sensor depth) would necessitate launching an entirely new line of full frame lenses, as Sony has done. This is a huge, costly undertaking, and would immediately undermine confidence in the future of EF lenses and DSLRs in general.
Sure, because of DPAF they could have a "pass thru" EF adapter, just as they have for the M-mount, without needing a PDAF module like the Sony A-mount adapter has. EF lenses would work reasonably well (better than Sony's similar offering), but the launch of a new full frame lens mount from Canon would send shockwaves through the DSLR world.
Alternatively, they could just build a mirrorless camera that is compatible with EF lenses, but the body would be much bigger than the competition, and they would forego the chance to create more optimized wide angle lens designs. Resulting cameras would likely not win over the "retro chic" mirrorless crowd.
They are in a difficult position because of their very success. Much like Nikon was a generation ago when AF technology arrived. Maintaining compatibility with the Nikon F lens mount and all of its mechanical couplings was a drag on Nikon's ability to compete with Canon for years. I don't think everyone appreciates the difficult calculus Canon has to consider for when and how they respond to Sony.
Of course, they may build a "hybrid" DSLR system with an EVF that can be used optionally. That is something I expect to see. But ultimately, keeping the mirror box assembly and its separate PDAF and metering systems would inject cost and complexity into cameras that its competition won't have.
It's a non-trivial business problem.
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