by fezz on 7/30/19, 6:32 PM with 120 comments
by zazaraka on 7/30/19, 7:40 PM
Why can't I do light editing and post to Instagram directly from the camera? Why can't download the photos directly to a phone? Why can't I charge from a micro-USB/USB-C cable?
I get it that pros don't need these features, but how hard are they to implement? The camera is already $1000+ dollars, how much more could adding a touch screen, a SIM card and a beefier CPU cost, when you have $100 phones with these features?
A lot of influencers would buy these cameras if they had a simple auto-mode (which disables most buttons and hides advanced menus) and upload to instagram feature. The workflow for using a DSLR to post to instagram is terrible, SD-cards, WiFi adapters, laptops, ... Not to mention that you need a lot of technical knowledge to hook everything up. No wonder few bother with the pain.
It's ridiculous that the most expensive cameras in the world can't connect to the number one place in the world where pictures are posted.
by UI_at_80x24 on 7/30/19, 7:44 PM
Upper (middle?) management were all dinosaurs, and stuck in their ways. The entire 'digital revolution' caught them unaware and unprepared. And most importantly IMHO, they didn't eat their own dogfood. The only saving grace for the printer/copier division was HP's controller boards and drivers.
This was a situation where you knew you were on a sinking ship. Some R&D and advancements were INCREDIBLE, some of the behind the scenes tech was very compelling but I don't think management could get out of the way.
by tristor on 7/30/19, 7:54 PM
Canon has primarily survived off brand loyalty with professional photographers driven by the extremely high quality lenses they produce. This too has been challenged lately by Sony and their partnership with Zeiss, meaning Sony lenses for mirrorless are on par or in excess of the quality level you can get from Canon lenses and Zeiss is financially able to offer similarly high quality lenses to the wider market, cannibalizing first-party sales. Nikon has historically had worse lenses than Canon and this hasn't changed significantly, but they've made huge leaps in R&D for large telephotos with usable fresnel lenses at 300mm and 500mm focal length.
Canon had some opportunities to right the ship, but their management seems incompetent. It's sad to me that they're in this situation because I respect what they've done for photography for decades. I don't see this improving though.
by goldcd on 7/30/19, 7:53 PM
My previous perception which I think is common, is that due to the amount they made from non-digital, they ignored digital until it was too late.
My revised perception after listening is that Kodak was right there at the cutting edge (and has the cameras and patents to prove it). Problem was how the company was structured. Pretty much https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway%27s_law
They had a 'chemical' photography division that did amazingly as they opened up photography to consumers. They created a digital division as they saw the way the market was heading. Problem was the fighting between the two divisions.
by hestipod on 7/30/19, 7:46 PM
Bit of a moot point for me at present as all I have is an old Lumix LX1 with manual settings that still takes good photos at 14 years old (just super limited due to sensor size and a 400 max ISO) and had to sell the DSLR for financial reasons. Still have a dream to get back into photography if things ever look up enough I can justify spending on a hobby. I really enjoyed it. I would love to do some astrophotography especially. Even an original 6D (superb low light clarity) and the right lens would probably suit me for life with no compromises to my interests as long as I could keep it serviced and alive. Tried shooting the Milky Way recently with the LX1 but the low light ability won't allow it.
Bright side is maybe even if mirrorless is the future, it would make DLSRs more affordable used as people sell off the "deprecated" tech.
by apthnz on 7/30/19, 8:09 PM
by post_break on 7/30/19, 7:36 PM
by coldtea on 7/30/19, 9:32 PM
by michaeldorian on 7/31/19, 6:41 AM
by reustle on 7/30/19, 10:22 PM
by woodgrainz on 7/30/19, 7:17 PM
by jaggednad on 7/31/19, 2:52 AM
by mtgx on 7/30/19, 6:51 PM
But I'm sure Canon's leaders laughed it off until now.
by prolepunk on 7/30/19, 7:40 PM
I bought a Canon consumer camcorder (Vixia HF R800) for about $200 last year and it was dismal:
- Tiny sensor -- Terrible performance indoor
- Lacks viewfinder -- terrible performance outdoor
- No 4K, 1080p max
- Abysmal bitrate 25Mbps for 60FPS 1080p
- Connecting power supply when recording introduces 60Hz hum on line in audio.
- Electronics and firmware haven't really been updated since 2014
This seemed like a great little camera, but it let me down on every front.
I ended up upgrading to Panasonic GH4 that cost 5x more, and I'm actually happy with it.
Given how poorly EOS R and EOS RP were reviewed about 6 months ago, I'm not surprised.