They deserve every lost profit -- the way they have missed opportunity after opportunity on the video and photo market (late to 4K, late to mirrorless, lackluster features, fear of cannibalising their 6K+ models, and so on).
Canon rush to reassure investors as camera profits plunge
81–90 of 132 posts
Re: Canon rush to reassure investors as camera profits plunge
#82I am probably a minority but I hate live viewfinders as looking at a tiny screen, despite the benefits live exposure composition offers, gives me eyestrain and headaches. I much prefer an optical viewfinder so for this reason I really hope the mirrorless hype isn't going to displace DLSRs entirely and Canon keeps making them. Bit of a moot point for me at present as all I have is an old Lumix LX1 with manual settings…
Personally, I have the exact opposite opinion on optical viewfinders. Optical is eyestraining, non-ergonomic, physically limiting (can't use an optical viewfinder when you're shooting at foot or waist level without contorting yourself into weird positions), and modern shooting modes often require a lot more setup and selection than is comfortable to use without a full-size screen and looking at the controls you're hi…
You can buy a 90 degree viewfinder adapter if you really want to shoot low down. They're not very expensive.
Optical viewfinders also vary quite a bit in size which impact eye strain quite a bit - unsurprisingly the larger, brighter ones are typically in the more expensive cameras. If you ever get the chance, try a top of the range DSLR viewfinder next to a bottom of the range one. You might be surprised at the difference.
Re: Canon rush to reassure investors as camera profits plunge
#83The lack of vision at DSLR companies is mind boggling. Why can't I do light editing and post to Instagram directly from the camera? Why can't download the photos directly to a phone? Why can't I charge from a micro-USB/USB-C cable? I get it that pros don't need these features, but how hard are they to implement? The camera is already $1000+ dollars, how much more could adding a touch screen, a SIM card and a beefier…
It’s amazing how many replies are poo-pooing your thoughts yet the financial reports demonstrate they are wrong.
I have a good expensive DSLR that I haven’t touched in more than a year. Why? Cause the workflow stinks compared to my phones camera.
- I have to remove the SD card - I have to bring out my computer and pop in the card - I have to sync it into Lightroom, which keeps all the photos in a totally different bin than all my smartphone pictures. - once I’m done dinking with the photos, I have to export the ones I like and import them back into the Photos app, which ensures it shows up on my TV - I’ve got to post it to FB/instagram. - I’ve got to nuke the card to free up the space - put it back into the camera
That is just enough of a hurdle that it keeps me from lugging the damn thing with me on trips.
Seriously. I’d love to use my DSLR more. It takes way better pictures. It just doesn’t integrate worth a damn into my computing infrastructure anymore.
I think there is a untapped market for some higher end camera with interchangeable lenses that can seamlessly integrate with a modern workflow.
Re: Canon rush to reassure investors as camera profits plunge
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
> there is still a large market for larger sensor cameras It's large, but shrinking according to: https://petapixel.com/2019/07/08/canon-increased-market-shar...
"[In 2018] total sales volume for digital cameras dropped by a whopping 22%. The story is perhaps rosiest for Canon, whose 40.5% market share represents an increase of 3.9% over 2017. Meanwhile, its closest competitors both saw market share drop, with Nikon logging 19.1% (a decrease of 2.7%) and Sony at 17.7% (a drop of 0.7%)" from your link. "So far, 2019 is continuing that trend" (downwards).
I wouldn't be surprised to see some consolidation. Nikon, Fuji, and Olympus all seem like they could be purchased by one of their bigger rivals.
Re: Canon rush to reassure investors as camera profits plunge
#85The lack of vision at DSLR companies is mind boggling. Why can't I do light editing and post to Instagram directly from the camera? Why can't download the photos directly to a phone? Why can't I charge from a micro-USB/USB-C cable? I get it that pros don't need these features, but how hard are they to implement? The camera is already $1000+ dollars, how much more could adding a touch screen, a SIM card and a beefier…
It’s amazing how many replies are poo-pooing your thoughts yet the financial reports demonstrate they are wrong. I have a good expensive DSLR that I haven’t touched in more than a year. Why? Cause the workflow stinks compared to my phones camera. - I have to remove the SD card - I have to bring out my computer and pop in the card - I have to sync it into Lightroom, which keeps all the photos in a totally different bi…
The workflow you describe is not as unavoidable as you make it seem. I can plug my phone into my almost-decade-old DSLR, copy the photos over (and use the phone or even nicer a tablet as a larger extended screen), edit them in an app and directly share them through other apps if I want. If I didn't want the cable, I could get a WLAN-enabled SD card - or if I were to buy a current model camera, pick one with WLAN integrated, all major manufacturers have those now.
I would not want to edit photos on the camera, a phone or tablet is way more comfortable to hold for that.
Re: Canon rush to reassure investors as camera profits plunge
#86Earlier quoted context omitted.
While smartphones have decimated the smaller portable camera markets, there is still a large market for larger sensor cameras (APS-C, Full Frame, Medium Format, Etc.) Canon specifically has fallen drastically behind their competition in those spaces, allowing Sony to decimate them when it comes to features/performance and cost. Canon's current line up of cameras are missing features that their competitors have had fo…
Canon's professional line has been lacking for years in the high ISO sensor performance. Their saving grace has been their lenses, which are still magnitudes better than the competition. That said, third party lensmakers like Sigma and Tamron have really been getting better in recent years, and the premium for Canon glass isn't always justifiable.
Can you specify what you mean by high ISO performance? Do you mean read-noise or do you mean DR or something else? Canon is very competitive in read-noise and DR. Yes AFAIK they don't have dual-gain in their professional series, but the difference is not "magnitudes better" FWICT.
Read Noise:
http://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/RN_ADU.htm#Canon%20EOS...
DR:
http://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Canon%20EOS%20...
Re: Canon rush to reassure investors as camera profits plunge
#87The lack of vision at DSLR companies is mind boggling. Why can't I do light editing and post to Instagram directly from the camera? Why can't download the photos directly to a phone? Why can't I charge from a micro-USB/USB-C cable? I get it that pros don't need these features, but how hard are they to implement? The camera is already $1000+ dollars, how much more could adding a touch screen, a SIM card and a beefier…
> Why can't download the photos directly to a phone?
I have Canon and Leica cameras, mid and high end, that do this.
> Why can't I charge from a micro-USB/USB-C cable?
There are cameras that will.
> how much more could adding a touch screen
Notably Sony stands alone in being the only major manufacturer _without_ touch.
> a simple auto-mode (which disables most buttons and hides advanced menus)
Not sure about other manufacturers, but this would be Canon's "creative" mode, available on (at least) entry levels) to the $3,000 body only 5D IV.
> and upload to instagram feature
> It's ridiculous that the most expensive cameras in the world can't connect to the number one place in the world where pictures are posted.
Agreed. And it's Instagram's fault. You can't upload to IG from your computer (without your browser pretending to be mobile). APIs for third party app-based uploads are near non-existent, and the people who _do_ try to maintain plugins to export to IG from Lightroom, etc., are constantly playing cat and mouse.
Not sure how this correlates to a "lack of vision from DSLR companies" - IG is actively hostile to uploading to IG from anywhere but its own apps.
Re: Canon rush to reassure investors as camera profits plunge
#88The lack of vision at DSLR companies is mind boggling. Why can't I do light editing and post to Instagram directly from the camera? Why can't download the photos directly to a phone? Why can't I charge from a micro-USB/USB-C cable? I get it that pros don't need these features, but how hard are they to implement? The camera is already $1000+ dollars, how much more could adding a touch screen, a SIM card and a beefier…
You forgot one qualifier, the most expensive -professional- cameras. Different professionals have different needs. Every camera is designed with a usecase in mind. Off the top of my head professionals photographers need:
* rugged tank-like construction - 1D, 5D series mag-alloy bodies check, weather sealing - check
* reliable AF - check
* awesome battery life - check
* professional support services that can service/repair/loan products with a super-fast turnaround time for when you have a gig.. - check
* high quality optics - Canon L glass, check
* high res sensor for billboards - 5DSR check
* huge library of lenses - check, check and check
In all of those things Canon and Nikon (and even Sony to some extent) excel. I don't think the features you want are useless or provide no value, but you have to look at the bigger picture and take the entire market into consideration. People are using smartphones not just because DSLRs don't have certain features, its that they don't want to carry yet another device when their smartphone does an adequate job.
Re: Canon rush to reassure investors as camera profits plunge
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's a huge investment in software and hardware for an almost non-existent user base. Most current DSLRs already have Wifi or a Wifi option; those that don't can be fitted with a Wifi SD card. It turns out that hardly anyone actually uses that feature, because Wifi transfer rates are generally a more problematic bottleneck than the inconvenience of pulling the SD card and putting it into a card reader. The main users…
This is akin to people who said "why would you want computer-like features on your phone? Everyone who's willing to pay $500+ for a phone already has a laptop!" A very large number of would-be content creators (not just Instagram, either - YouTubers also) want the higher image quality, dynamic range, optical zoom, interchangeable lenses, etc. of a full-body camera, but don't want to deal with the clunky interfaces an…
I think any video editing on a ~3in, sub HD screen on the back of a camera is going to be a horrible experience because of sheer logistics (UI, controls), rather than "vision-less manufacturers". Not to mention issues like slow media access speeds, horrible upload speeds, etc. I really don't think video editing on your camera is anywhere the market you think it is. Especially for people wanting "higher IQ, interchangeable lenses", etc. Apart from anything else, most of those people are dealing with B roll, intros, etc., or should the camera have to deal with that? And audio editing, or background music? I don't think this seems like much of an area where you can blame cameras. And it's certainly not a bigger market than "people who want to use a camera to take pictures".
Re: Canon rush to reassure investors as camera profits plunge
#90I used to work for Canon in a different division. It was an interesting company to work for, fantastic human-perks i.e. 2 weeks paid time off (not counted against vacation) if you got married, 1 week of paid time off if you moved. (not counted against vacation) You got your birthday off (paid and not counted against vacation). Upper (middle?) management were all dinosaurs, and stuck in their ways. The entire 'digital…
We live is a world with a distorted notion of success. About 1/2 the people I know who take photography seriously use Canon cameras. I'm also a happy Canon customer. How is this a sinking ship?
Not for long, the trend is going toward Sony.