Originally posted by BigMackCam Unless I've misread it, that Canon Rumours article doesn't state there will only be one ASP-C DSLR model
Rather, it says:
- the APS-C line up will shrink
- EOS 80D and 7D MkII will be amalgamated into a single model
- EOS 77D will remain, perhaps subject to an update
Right now, Canon offers an eye-watering
eleven (count 'em!!) different APS-C DSLRs - the EOS 2000D, 4000D, 800D, 70D, 7DMkII, 77D, 1300D, 200D, 80D, 700D, 750D. Some consolidation and trimming of that range is justified, especially considering the four mirrorless APS-C cameras - EOS M50, M5, M6 and M100. Indeed, one might reasonably suggest the current range is a tad bloated and well-overdue for a re-think.
It wouldn't surprise me if Canon reduces the APS-C DSLR model line still further, since merely amalgamating the 80D and 7D MkII will only reduce the range
by (and not
to) one model...
The problem a lot of companies have is that they keep older models around far too long, often with lower prices. I'm never sure if this is a business model or just because they manufactured too many in the first place and they don't want to make it officially discontinued until the old stock is sold.
Sony is still selling the A7, a camera that was released in October of 2013 -- and I think every full frame camera they have released since then. Clearly for them it is a business model in which rather than making an entry level camera with fewer features, they just keep cameras around and lower their prices.
---------- Post added 01-16-19 at 05:47 AM ----------
Originally posted by RGlasel Even if Ricoh Imaging had made this investment, it still would have been the seventh largest MILC manufacturer, fighting for less than 5% of the market; a market that will still finish the year with less than 10% growth in units compared to 2017, even with momentous moves by the two biggest manufacturers early enough in the year to exploit the traditional September to December peak season. The financial overseers at Ricoh Company would use such a pitiful return on investment as an excuse to abandon consumer camera manufacturing entirely. Be careful what you wish for.That still isn't good news, the DSLR market (and the standalone camera market overall) is still dropping in units, after indications in 2017 that it had bottomed out and wouldn't get any worse. Whatever investments any camera manufacturer smaller than Canon and Nikon makes in 2019 could be fatal. Let's see who is still in the game come 2020.
The thing is that new cameras are what sell and the new cameras that came out last year were nearly all of the mirrorless variety. By all accounts mirrorless should have had the majority of sales last year based on the Z, EOS-R and other mirrorless cameras that hit the market, combined with the dearth of new top end SLRs. It just didn't happen. Some people just like an optical viewfinder and will keep buying them as long as they are available.
If Ricoh is one of the few brands that continues to invest in still photography and SLR experience, they certainly could continue to do well going forward. They don't need a 40 percent share of the market. They just need each product they release to at least break even or generate some profit. I think it is clear that they have all done that.
I imagine that their product cycle is going to space out a bit. There is no reason to release a new APS-C camera every year to eighteen months. People don't update their cameras that often and those camera bodies end up just sitting on shelves.
Anyway, there is no particular reason for gloom, but unfortunately, the time between product releases is probably going to be long than we like.