Alas, the rumoured Canon EOS R5 we reported on a couple of weeks ago appears to be an aspiration rather than a fully-developed new camera.
The announcement headed up a veritable procession of press releases issued by Canon today. In the interests of timeliness we will roll the lot up into one report. We’ve added US prices to give readers some sense of that rather pertinent factor in the equation – how much is it? – that Canon Australia chooses not to publish.
Canon has confirmed the EOS R5 was in development, with no hint of when it might be released, even though Canon Rumors indicated mid-year availability:
https://www.canon.com.au/about-canon/news-and-press-releases/canon-announces-development-of-the-eos-r5
It also committed to the addition of 9 RF lenses in 2020, including the RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM which will be available from April 2020:
https://www.canon.com.au/about-canon/news-and-press-releases/canon-announces-2020-rf-lens-products-and-launches-rf-24-105mm-f4-7-1-is-stm
The price for this one might make potential buyers a bit more confident in the affordability of the RF system: it’s just US$400.
The others mentioned ‘in development’, but without release dates, are the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM, Extender RF 1.4x and Extender RF 2x‘.
Away from the RF system, Canon confirmed April availability of the EOS 850D DSLR camera:
www.canon.com.au/about-canon/news-and-press-releases/upgrade-your-photography-with-the-canon-eos-850d
US price is $750, and $900 with EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens.
Also in April comes the Canon Selphy Square QX10 compact portable photo printer, which will be available in four colours (Black, White, Pink and Green):
www.canon.com.au/about-canon/
The printer will retail for US$150, while the 20-photo refill packs will cost US$15.
The EOS M200 APS-C mirrorless camera, released in other parts of the world back in September last year, will now also be available in the Australian market ‘for those looking to step up their photography from a smartphone’: www.canon.com.au/about-canon/news-and-press-releases/professional-looking-photos-are-effortless-with-the-canon-eos-m200
Local RRP is $799.
Finally, Canon has also (somewhat vaguely) announced a new ‘cloud platform’, which ‘connects Canon cameras with users’ PCs, smartphones and external web services to enhance post-shoot workflows’. This will also be available in April:
https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/about/newsroom/press-releases/press-release-details/2020/20200212-CameraCloud/20200212-CameraCloud
With some of this stuff available in April and the more interesting products like the EOS R5 still in development, one wonders why the furious rush to make all these announcements all at once in early February? Could it be that this is an attempt to deny some oxygen to Nikon and Olympus, both of which have actual new flagship products to show at the forthcoming CP+ trade show in Yokohama (Feb 27 – Mar 3)? To fake it until you can make it? Perhaps it’s more a statement of intent, judging by a quote to be attributed to Jason McLean, director, Consumer Imaging & Services, which accompanies the whole box-and-dice:
‘Since 1937, Canon has been relentless in providing the world with the best optical imaging products and services possible. Being the leader is in our blood, and 2020 will see us set the bar even higher. Here we stand with the best 1-Series and 5-series cameras we’ve ever produced.
‘Looking at the camera market, it’s easy to provide products with specifications that match what’s already out there, or edges forward in one or two features. We however have listened to the needs of photographers, and I believe have worked to drastically exceed the expectations of every shooter out there, from professional wedding photographers to young kids just starting out with a real camera.
‘Our 2020 camera line-up features new image sensors, new deep learning technologies, and new approaches to image stabilisation, auto focus, high speed continuous shooting, subject detection, and tracking performance. I believe the result is a higher class of interchangeable lens cameras than ever available before. Our objective is to continue providing products that cover a wide range of cameras and lenses, and services that span professional to entry-level experiences, that are affordable, easy to use, and offer overwhelmingly high-quality outputs. 2020 is Canon’s time.’
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