kakomu wrote: RDKirk wrote:
Sure they can. It\'s inevitable that they must, and we have evidence that they do. When the 20D was released in 2004, a Canon exec stated in a Photokina 2004 interview that they were looking at internal sensor cleaning...but we only saw it enter production last year.
I meant that I didn\'t think that it took 5 years to develop the XSi and another 5 years to develop the XS or that either camera was conceived 5 years prior to their release
The R&D dept took to the task of developing one camera, and immediately afterward, took to the task of refining or improving on previous designs.
U.C. wrote:
Incremental updates are the evidence for long term development cycles. At Canon they made a plan for rebels, for XXD\'s, for FF and for APS-H. Big changes can\'t be made, because the design is for say 90% set.
Are we suddenly going to find the Rebel series drying up because it\'s been 5 years? Of course not.
Moreover, since when does Canon require 5 years per camera? Are we to say that none of the developments that were achieved during R&D of either 5D camera cannot be applied to a new camera?
I didn\'t say that after 5 year Canon have to start all over again, with a totally new plan. Before the end of a 5 year cycle a team will plan a new 5 year cycle. That team will evaluate the previous years and base their plan on those years. So, if they think that the Rebel-formula was successful, they will continue it with some minor changes/upgrades. But if they think that something went wrong with the XXD-line, they will change it to make it better.
Don\'t expect revolution, but evolution. They have a certain goal. And giving al they got isn\'t the most profitable. Somewhere deep in the labs are sensors, processors, viewfinders, AF-chips that are superior to everything available now. Put every together in a supercamera doesn\'t make the most long term profit. Slightly upgrading does. Giving just enough new features keeps the consumer buying new camera\'s.
I think the Rebel XS is a perfect example of using previously used developments and technology to create a cheaper camera at the low end, allowing the T1i to be more expensive than the XSi, thus creating another price tier.
The XS isn\'t something new, it\'s just a combination of older technology.
Aug 21, 2009 at 01:55 PM
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