Interview: EOS R3 Not Flagship, Sensor Developed By Canon (and made by Sony?)

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Some interesting bits about the Canon EOS R3 in an interview with a Canon Russia exec. Who makes the EOS R3 sensor?

We wonder who makes the Canon EOS R3 sensor, after a change in wording on Canon UK’s site: from “designed and manufactured by Canon“ to “developed by Canon”. Does it mean something?

Russian site PhotoWebExpo interviewed Mr. Andrey Tishchenko, Canon Russia’ Head of Product and Consumer Expertise. The question about who makes the EOS R3 sensor came up. The answer leaves us a bit puzzled. So, let’s start with the excerpts about the imaging sensor (emphasis mine, text is machine translated):

Q: Will the Canon EOS R3 get a new sensor? Or will it be similar to the one in the Canon EOS R5?

The sensor is new because we have already stated that this is the first backlit Stacked Sensor BSI we have developed ourselves. […]

Q: Is this Canon’s first stacked sensor? 

Full-frame format yes, but in fact, one of the most popular compact models in the PowerShot series, the Canon G7x Mark III has a 1-inch Stacked CMOS sensor. That is, such technologies have already been applied in our cameras, but it is the Canon EOS R3 that will receive the first full-frame sensor of this technology. 

Yes, the PowerShot G7 X Mark III has a stacked sensor, and it’s made by Sony! Does this fact suggest the EOS R3 sensor was developed by Canon and manufactured by Sony? Remember that Canon UK changed the text of the EOS R3 presentation in a significant way.

There is more in the interview. The interviewer also asks about the flagship in the EOS R lineup:

Q: Why R3 and not R1? And should we expect a mirrorless replacement for the 1D X mark III, which was recently introduced?

The Canon EOS R3 will be a brand new camera lineup that will sit below the 1D X Mark III and above the Canon EOS R5.

The Canon EOS R3 does not exactly replace the 1D X, nor is it a flagship. And I think the 1D-X Mark III will be the most popular camera at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, which I hope will take place. There you will see who is shooting what and the “one” will definitely become camera # 1.

Unfortunately, we cannot comment on the company’s plans for the release of new cameras.

When asked about the rumors claiming that Canon will retire the EOS M lineup:

I cannot talk about the prospects for the development of the Canon EOS M system. At the moment, the system is well equipped.

You can see the full interview at PhotoWebExpo.

[via Canon Rumors]

Did Canon Make The EOS R3 Sensor, Or Did They Not?

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Some questions arose after Canon UK made a small change to the wording for the EOS R3 sensor presentation on their homepage.

Spotted by DC Life, the small change seems to mean something. As you can see in the image on top, Canon UK stated that the EOS R3 sensor was “designed and manufactured by Canon“. Canon USA and Canon Japan just stated the sensor was “developed by Canon“. A small but indeed significant difference. The best part: Canon UK changed their wording shortly after the presentation, and now it’s on line with the other Canon sites. According to DC Life the change was made on April 24. See image below.

eos r3
Canon UK’s wording after the change

So, without starting wild conspiracies: what’s the reason for the change in wording? What immediately comes to mind is that it might be a sensor developed by Canon and manufactures by Sony, as for instance Nikon does. Or it means Canon makes just a part of the sensor which is then assembled with parts manufactured by others. Or it might just mean nothing, a glitch in the text that has been corrected to align it with other Canon sites.

I am pretty skeptical that Canon did not made the EOS R3 sensor in house, i.e. on their own. They have the skills and capabilities. As far as I know, only certain PowerShot cameras have imaging sensors not made by Canon.

What are your ideas on this? Just a glitch, or did Canon not make the EOS R3 sensor and doesn’t want to make too much noise around it? Let us know.

P.S.: you can get notified when the Canon EOS R3 will be available for preorder.

canon eos r3 specifications
The upcoming Canon EOS R3

Canon USA Does Culture, Sponsors The Virtual Japan Center Essay Competition Awards

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Not photography related, not imaging technology related. Nevertheless an interesting cultural initiative by Canon for American students.

Canon press release:

Canon U.S.A. Sponsored and Participated In the Virtual 16th Annual Japan Center Essay Competition Awards Program

Organized by Japan Center at Stony Brook University, the Essay Competition Awarded Five Students Who Showcased Different Aspects of the Japanese Culture Connected to Their Personal Experiences

MELVILLE, NY, April 26, 2021– As part of its continued commitment to empowering young leaders and education, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, proudly sponsored and participated in the virtual 16th Annual Japan Center Essay Competition Awards Program on April 24, 2021. The goal of the competition is to provide young American students with the opportunity to think creatively and critically about their lives by relating to some aspect of Japan and Japanese culture in an effort to help broaden their horizons and encourage global citizenship. Embodying that goal, five students were recognized for their eloquent essays with prizes including Canon products.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. and the Japan Center at Stony Brook University have a longstanding collaboration that was launched in 2005 by the late Kinya Uchida, the Canon U.S.A. President and Chief Executive Officer at the time. The Essay Competition, now in its 16th year, is an example of this collaboration. Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, executive vice president and general manager of the Imaging Technologies & Communications Group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., spoke at the virtual awards ceremony and congratulated the winners.

Click here to open the rest of the article

Does The Canon EOS R5 Have An IBIS Bug (sensor twist when IBIS always on)?

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Not sure if this is a general issue, i.e. a bug, or not. Some users experience a weird phenomenon, a sensor twist, on their EOS R5 (and it seems also for some R6s) when IBIS is set to “always on”.

User juanmaasecas documented the phenomenon in the video below. He writes about his observation (emphasis mine):

Some weeks ago I found what I think is an annoying bug with the IBIS in the Canon R5 (some users also experience it with the R6).

When the ibis is set to “always ON”, the sensor twists after the first picture is taken, producing a blurred picture. If you keep pressing the shutter half (while in continuous autofocus or just In single) and then take more pictures, the rest are just fine.

I went to Canon repair center/showcase here in Hong Kong, and the cameras there show the issue as well (that is why I didn’t leave my camera for repair), and yet canon has not yet repaired the issue (I discovered it first in firmware 1.2.0 that I bought the camera with, but still happens in 1.3.0 and 1.3.1).

Here is the observed phenomenon:

Someone here having seen this sensor twist on his or her EOS R5 or EOS R6? Please let me know in the comments section.

[via Canon Rumors]

Canon Released Q1 2021 Financial Results, And It Looks Good (thanks to EOS R5 & R6)

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Canon released the company’s Q1 2021 financial results. Things look good for Canon and they even increased sales predicitons. The Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6 are driving camera sales.

Here are some excerpts from Canon’s presentation material (emphasis mine):

For Imaging, because the size of the camera market is already approaching the number of users that are particular about visual expression, we expect the market to be limited to moderate contraction going forward. As current sales of mainly new products are exceeding our plan, we raised our full-year projection for both sales and profit.

[…]

As for cameras, even amid continued restrictions on people’s movement, demand for cameras remains solid, supported by the need for high-quality visual expression. Based on this, we still expect the 2021 camera market to be up slightly or 5.8 million units.

In the first quarter, revenue was significantly higher than last year, as sales remained strong, driven by the EOS R5 and EOS R6 which were launched in the second half of last year. Additionally, the synergy effect of having competitive camera bodies and expanding our lineup of RF lens, which command high margins, led to an increase in average selling prices. This, and the establishment of efficient online sales activities nurtured through COVID-19 is leading to an improvement in profitability.

For the full year, reflecting the situation surrounding sales in the first quarter, we not only raised our projection for camera unit sales by 100 thousand to 2.9 million, but also raised our projection for revenue.

To further strengthen mirrorless camera lineup, in April we announced the development of a new model, the EOS R3, which is equipped with a backside illumination stacked CMOS sensor that achieves high-speed signal processing, which allows for a number of functional improvements such as continuous shooting performance. At the same time, we announced 3 new RF lenses, bringing the total to 22 and we will continue to enhance this lineup going forward. By raising the appeal of the R series, we aim to further raising our market share in the full-frame category and increase sales.

Additionally, for new types of cameras, such as the PowerShotZoom that was launch at the end of last year and has attracted quite a bit of attention for its ease of capturing long-range images with one hand, we are steady creating new markets.

Canon’s Q1 2021 documentation and material can be downloaded here. Previous Canon financial results are listed here.

Canon Is Not Discontinuing EF Lenses But Making Sort Of “Spring Cleaning”, Report

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Eventually Canon reacted to the ongoing rumor suggesting the company is gradually retiring EF lenses in favor of an RF-mount-only future. However, the answer is somewhat ambiguous.

As Inside Imaging reports, Canon is not so much discontinuing EF lenses but putting some order in the line-up. In other words: Canon is removing redundancy, not discontinuing EF lenses. Sounds weird? Here is Canon Australia’s statement on the issue (emphasis mine):

Canon has around 80 lens options for creators to choose from – only 22 of which are RF at this time. Over the past two years, we’ve been focused on building out our range of RF lenses to expand the creative possibilities of our R-System consumers, however our commitment to supporting our EF lens range is unwavering. It’s true, Canon has recently discontinued select EF lenses in our range, however this is a process of series optimisation, not an indication of us abandoning EF lenses. Lenses that have been recently discontinued are lenses that have multiple versions available; comprise technology that’s been superseded by other available options; or, are low volume lenses. There are still many options for creators to choose from in our EF range, while our RF range continues to expand.

Sounds neither like a clear yes nor like a clear no. Also, keep in mind that for sure Canon has large stocks for most of the lenses rumored to get discontinued, and especially that it does not mean those EF lenses are no longer going to be maintained and serviced by Canon.

Here is the list of the allegedly discontinued EF lenses (release year in parenthesis):

  • Canon EF-S 10-22 f/3.5-4.5 USM (2007)
  • Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM II (2007)
  • Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM (2009)
  • Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM (2006)
  • Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM (2008)
  • Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM (2012)
  • Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM (2012)
  • Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 IS STM Macro (2012)
  • Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM (2012)
  • Canon EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS STM (2013)
  • Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM (2005)
  • Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM (1995)
  • Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM II  (2018)
  • Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM (2010)
  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM II (2006)
  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM (1992)
  • Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM (1991)
  • Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM (1996)
  • Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM (1996)
  • Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM (2008)
  • Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM (2010)
  • Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM (2008)

And these lenses are rumored to get retired some time in 2021:

  • Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM (2012)
  • Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM II (2010)
  • Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM II (2014)
  • Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM II (2011)

The future is RF mount, no doubts about that. But EF mount will still be around for a long time, no doubts on that either.

[Inside Imaging via PetaPixel]