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Canon R5 is the 2nd most used Canon camera on flickr

Pao Dolina

Active member
What I found amazing is that it took a year and 10 days since announcement to be that popular


swEa2vI.png


The story how smartphones brought back sales of dedicated still cameras to pre-2007 numbers


vZrfIyZ.png


It explains why Nikon & Canon are not spending any more R&D resources to further develop future dSLR bodies, lenses & accessories while still manufacturing existing SKUs based on demand.


 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
What’s important is to have any adequate camera in your hands when it’s needed.

The smart phones will gradually increase dynamic range as each pixel will be an independant camera. Combining multiple lenses will allow “at command” Bokeh.

So professional cameras will be forced to leverage benefits of increased real estate and integration with studio lighting and more.

In the end, nature photography, advertising, editorial and weddings may be the only realms for 35mm mm photography and half of that could shift to MF!

Asher
 

Pao Dolina

Active member
What’s important is to have any adequate camera in your hands when it’s needed.

The smart phones will gradually increase dynamic range as each pixel will be an independant camera. Combining multiple lenses will allow “at command” Bokeh.

So professional cameras will be forced to leverage benefits of increased real estate and integration with studio lighting and more.

In the end, nature photography, advertising, editorial and weddings may be the only realms for 35mm mm photography and half of that could shift to MF!

Asher
Our point of view overlaps.

I see DSLR systems completely cease production by around 2025.

2025-onwards would be purely mirrorless.

Due to many inconvenience with dedicate still cameras that are addressed by smartphones I expect sales to go down further to pre-2003 levels.

Mirrorless will become the sole domain of working photographers and serious hobbyists who require that last 1% of performance.

I notice that ~80% of Canon RF bodies are full frame while ~20% of bodies are APS-C. I hope this ratio is maintained when it comes to RF lens releases with ~80% being RF L & the rest being RF non-L.
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
The smart phones will gradually increase dynamic range as each pixel will be an independant camera. Combining multiple lenses will allow “at command” Bokeh.
I don't think this will happen.

What you are describing is a plenoptic / lightfield camera. They were never very popular.

As to smartphone cameras, the main lines of development involve combining the image with a depth map gained from another device and improving the appearance of night pictures with images taken in IR.

This is market driven research and the market is vernacular photography: portraits (mainly selfies...) and images taken at social gatherings (often in low light...). Basically what people post on social networks.

And videos, of course.
 

Pao Dolina

Active member
I don't think this will happen.

What you are describing is a plenoptic / lightfield camera. They were never very popular.

As to smartphone cameras, the main lines of development involve combining the image with a depth map gained from another device and improving the appearance of night pictures with images taken in IR.

This is market driven research and the market is vernacular photography: portraits (mainly selfies...) and images taken at social gatherings (often in low light...). Basically what people post on social networks.

And videos, of course.
Android brands like Xiomi are pushing out Android smartphones with 1-inch sensors that will improve image quality of smartphones.

Given a decade from now I would not be surprised if they figure a way to shoehorn a micro4/3rd or even an APS-C sensor into one.

What I am hoping for is my next iPhone will get a bigger image sensor.

 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Amazing camera!

Taking pictures of plants being whipped back and forward by the wind and delivering tack share images is amazing!

….and we can buy the 12S Ultra on EBay

Any idea if it can work in thr USA with our carriers?

Asher
 

Pao Dolina

Active member
Amazing camera!

Taking pictures of plants being whipped back and forward by the wind and delivering tack share images is amazing!

….and we can buy the 12S Ultra on EBay

Any idea if it can work in thr USA with our carriers?

Asher
Asher,

I'd wait for a Samsung or iPhone equivalent. I personally like the aesthetics of the 12S Ultra as the materials used reminds m of a Canon EF body.
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
Android brands like Xiomi are pushing out Android smartphones with 1-inch sensors that will improve image quality of smartphones.

A camera needs bigger lenses to improve image quality. For a simple explanation, consider that all photons must go through the front aperture, so a larger surface will collect more photons. More photons translate to lower noise.
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
I do most of my photography with a mirrorless camera (no, not my Argus C3), my Panasonic Lumix ZS100.

My first digital camera was mirrorless (a Kodak DC210).

Doug
 

Pao Dolina

Active member
A camera needs bigger lenses to improve image quality. For a simple explanation, consider that all photons must go through the front aperture, so a larger surface will collect more photons. More photons translate to lower noise.

I agree with you that image quality is superior on a dedicated still camera simply because

- larger image sensor
- larger pixels of the image sensor
- larger lenses with better optical glass

What drives replacements is how easy is it to pay for, utility and pocket-ability.

For over a decade a phone has morphed into a dimension of a Hershey's milk chocolate bar that functions as a

- still camera
- video camera
- laptop to process photos
- 1Gbps modem to share these photos & videos
- other functions unrelated to photos & videos

You can pay for that phone on an equal monthly installment/amortization/financing over a 1-4 year period

This drives upgrades.

Innovations of a 1-inch image sensor that is commonly found on high-end point & shoot cameras will further erode point & shoot sales and may even lengthen to 1 decade or even longer mirrorless camera replacements.

I am more inclined to buying a new smartphone every 2 years than a new mirrorless camera every 2 decades.

Largely because of changing use cases and the EF system I've bought into from 2003-2015 is good enough.

I looked over the RF system and in my mind I'd look at it again by year 2035 if the tech is compelling enough to replace after a 2 decade gap from my 2015 Canon 5Ds R EF body.

I just hope that my next iPhone will have a 1-inch image sensor to make the replacement worthwhile.
 
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Jerome Marot

Well-known member
is good enough.

I just cite this tiny fraction of your post, because this is indeed the problem in a nutshell: "good enough". It just so is that, for approximately 4 billions people, "good enough" means being able to recognise human faces on a palm-sized screen. This is where the market for photographs is and, I would think, always has been.

What drives replacement is when that human face cannot be recognized because there is not enough light or the human was too far away.
 
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Pao Dolina

Active member
I just cite this tiny fraction of your post, because this is indeed the problem in a nutshell: "good enough". It just so is that, for approximately 4 billions people, "good enough" means being able to recognise human faces on a palm-sized screen. This is where the market for photographs is and, I would think, always has been.

What drives replacement is when that human face cannot bee recognised because there is not enough light or the human was too far away.

That's one way to look at it.

I see it as increasing the usefulness of the device to consolidate dozens of devices into one that is always with you. Hence shifting your next upgrade to a different item that has more value.

Buying anything better than smartphone is for work reasons or you just want a hobby to pass the time.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
That’s why Fuji 100MP GFX MF sells so well: for Pros it really offers a more capable instrument with larger sensor and large aperture lenses (that are equivalent to even larger aperture lenses of the 35mm format)!
 

Pao Dolina

Active member
That’s why Fuji 100MP GFX MF sells so well: for Pros it really offers a more capable instrument with larger sensor and large aperture lenses (that are equivalent to even larger aperture lenses of the 35mm format)!

The market's going larger image sensor to differentiate itself from smartphones.

I think Canon RF system has ~80% of the bodies being full frame & ~20% APS-C
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Pao,

I am confused. In the graphs you show, giving the most "popular" cameras on Flickr by category, the Canon EOS R5 does not appear at all.

Thanks for all that good data.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Pao Dolina

Active member
Popular, yes!

But usage doesn’t mean best!

Is communion best said in Latin because it’s more frequently used than the local language?

Asher
Latin is used purely out of tradition. To maximize participation use the popular language.

I think a factor of the R5 being that popular is the pent up savings of people who had little to nothing to spend on during the last 2+ years of COVID.

People old enough what flickr is and want a new toy bought one.

Sometimes we buy something to find a use for it later.
 
Just adding in my comments.

I recently purchased a Canon R5c, It is the first camera I felt was powerful enough to replace my 1DsmkII (I mostly do studio work with models), I never felt the 5D was enough superior to my 1Ds2 to spend the money. Although I did consider it at one point to replace my stereo pair of T3i's, but those were working good enough for playing with 3D stereo.

Wow what a difference the 5Rc is and definitely an upgrade. Mostly.
And for those that don't know the 5Rc is a true hybrid photo/Video camera and apparently has two chip sets that use the same sensor.

The mostly is Canon apparently decided in their infinite marketing not-so-genius to not allow adobe or microsoft the SDK for CR3 files (if you know different, please let me know) so I HAVE to use the Canon Photo professional software to convert to TIF before I can use Photoshop (mind you I am on CS6 perma-copy, because I don't like subscriptions. What a pain after using PS for several decades. Mind you early on with my 1DsmkI I had the same problem, but Adobe was "working on it" already when I got it.

The AF system is completely whole other level of getting used to, but I am starting to like it mostly. I do love that it basically goes edge to edge, instead of having the top 20% unavailable in portrait mode. Having 1024 focus points is intimidating, however I like the eye focus system, when my model has her eyes actually open or turned somewhat towards the camera. I do like that it tends to do a fairly good job of AF. I need to learn to adjust my lenses individually though (there seems to be a way to do that) as at least one of my lenses slightly front focuses (it did on the 1DsMkII as well, but I got that adjusted about a decade ago). As a side note, I am kind of mixed on that I can use the touch screen to pick the focus point(s), but I have big fingers, so that does not always help. Still figuring out how to manually select the AF points, but have not decided if I will stick with the AF system or not, it seems to be doing an actually great job overall.

I am still learning to manually focus (when needed) because the view finder is an LCD, not actually through the lens. Biggest problem is I used to set the focal point and then make sure the eyes were in that focal point, with the 1Dsm2 I had more than enough pixels to back off the frame and then crop in as needed for final image. With Eye assist, I need to remember to just compose the picture itself and let the camera do the AF point selection. To often I found myself following the focal point and cutting off part of the model, took me half a shoot to train myself out of that.

Mind you I got the camera because it is the ONLY one that currently works with the VR lens, which I have barely had time to start playing with. Mostly because day job gets in the way. The whole video capability of the 5Rc I have barely started exploring, but have already come to the conclusion that I need the A/C power adapter for video mode as that sucks battery way too fast. I needed to learn the photo aspect first though.

A note on Battery, I am glad I bought a spare, I am thinking I will need at least one more spare battery. Unlike my 1DsmkII batteries, which I can shoot almost all day with with fully charged. The R5c battery didn't quite make it through my longer shoot (which was 4 hours) so had to swap at about the 3 hour mark.

I got the adapter so it is working with all of my EF lenses, so other than maybe getting an RF one for doing video, not really needing them.
The #1 thing I do like about the 5Rc over my 1DsmkII is changing aperture, shutter, or ISO, is literally a touch screen and with some practice so much faster to adjust using the touch screen.

So first impression of the 5Rc by me after using a 1DsmkII for over decade. As in I literally got one of the first batch of the 1DsMkII to reach the USA that long ago.
 
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