Canon Execs Interview At CP+ 2023 (“we continue to support and intend to continue the M system”)

Soon to be defunct DPReview interviewed a bunch of Canon executives at CP+ 2023. Here is what the had to say.

DPReview “met with senior executives from Canon to get their thoughts on the state of the camera industry, gain insight into the future of eye-controlled autofocus, and find out what’s in store for the EF-M system“. Here are some excerpts.

How is the transition from DSLR to mirrorless cameras progressing? Has the adoption rate of RF-mount cameras and lenses met Canon’s expectations?

We’re seeing a similar trend to the worldwide market: the percentage of mirrorless cameras is increasing and it’s doing so with our products as well. When we look into this, we still see a steady number of customers who prefer DSLRs, and we do place importance on such customers.

Therefore, we’re continuing to produce lenses that can be used with a DSLR or with [mirrorless] camera systems using adapters. If we look at last year, mirrorless represented about 70% of the interchangeable lens market.

Canon’s subject tracking system is now among the best in the business. What was required to reach this level of performance, and what other improvements might we look forward to?

Our basic technology is based on hardware, using both our dual pixel CMOS sensor and the DIGIC engine. In terms of software, we adopt a high level of deep learning technology to improve the recognition capabilities for any type of subject. Those are the basic technologies […]

What do APS-C cameras in RF-mount mean for the future of the EF-M system?

The concept of the R50 is to be compact and light. If we look at the M system, the mount itself is small, therefore the structure is even smaller and lighter.

There are customers who wish to have their camera smaller and lighter, and that demand is still strong. As long as these demands persist in the market, we will continue to support and intend to continue the M system.

It seems Canon once more rebuked some clickbaiting folks who desperately want to see the EOS M system go away. Nope, it’s here to stay.