Have you heard the latest camera rumors? Well, you'd better buckle up – some would be dreams come true, some sound too good to be true, but many of them do actually come true.
Right now the camera rumors are dominated by chatter about the Nikon Z8, set to be a "baby Z9" with 8K capability, along with ever-present chatter about the Canon EOS R1 (recently confirmed by Canon itself) and the rumblings that Sony will be dropping as many as five E-mount cameras this year.
As always, camera rumors are best served with a healthy pinch of salt – but where there's smoke, there's very often fire!
Canon rumors 2023
Canon EOS R5 Mark II
As if the introduction of the Canon EOS R6 Mark II wasn't indication enough, rumors have started surfacing that a successor to the Canon EOS R5 is indeed on the way. In fact, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II is more of a priority than the EOS R1, and is expected to arrive before the new flagship.
While its feature set is still very unclear, it is highly likely that we will see a lot of the autofocus modes that debuted in the R6 Mark II and have been further honed in the recent Canon EOS R8 – namely subject detection expanded to include horses and planes, along with a bump up to 40fps burst shooting. We would expect the same 45MP resolving, as it seems that Canon is unleashing its higher resolution plans elsewhere.
Canon EOS R1
With the R5 and R6 Mark II now firmly established, respectively replacing the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Canon EOS 6D Mark II, and the R3 resurrecting the 3-series pro product line, it looks like the next DSLR to be succeeded by a mirrorless model will be none other than the flagship sports camera, the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. But don't get too excited, as we're not expecting to see it materialize until 2024 – aligning with the 4-year Olympic cycle that pro camera launches used to sync with.
Now, you'll need to take this with such a huge grain of salt that it's dangerous for your sodium levels, but here are some leaked Canon EOS R1 specs: it will supposedly boast an 85MP global shutter sensor, capable of continuous 20fps bursts at the full 85MP resolution 40fps when cropped to 21MP, with Quad Pixel AF, in-body image stabilization capable of up to 9 stops, along with 15.5 stops of dynamic range with a maximum ISO sensitivity of 1.6 million.
Sound too good to be true? It probably is. But then again, the specs of the R5 sounded too good to be true when they first leaked, too…
Canon is always the subject of more camera rumors than any other manufacturer, in large part because it has been the most prolific photographic patenter for 35 consecutive years.
Last year saw some of its most innovative products ever, with the launch of the 30fps, stacked sensor, eye-control AF Canon EOS R3, the "personal family photographer" Canon PowerShot Pick, and the radical camera that looks like a Pixar character, the Canon Posture Fit. Not to mention its first venture into 3D VR, with the EOS VR System and the Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens.
In other words, what we're seeing from Canon in the new RF-mount era is a dynamic, daring, convention-defying company – a far cry from the conservative, careful, iterative company of a few years prior. So what is the biggest camera manufacturer in the world beavering away on right now?
Canon drone
In March 2022 Canon submitted an application for a patent for a product that is a drive device, an electronic device and an image pickup device with a mobile body.
From the illustrative diagrams included in the application, it looks like the design of the camera unit could be very similar to that of the Canon Powershot Pick – an AI-powered camera capable of recording both video and stills. It automatically detects movement, can track a subject and can be controlled using voice commands.
The Powershot Pick features an 11.7MP camera, has advanced face recognition, connects to a purpose-made app and is compact, lightweight and portable – all of which are features that would be desirable on a drone camera.
Canon EOS RS
Not to be confused with the EOS R5, rumors persist that Canon is developing a high-resolution full-frame mirrorless camera to compete with the likes of the 61MP Sony A7R IV. In fact, we've even seen some reports suggesting that a medium format-rivaling 100MP EOS R is being worked on.
The latest rumblings come in the form of a list of purported specs for what has been dubbed the Canon EOS RS – a nod to the Canon EOS 5DS, which is the 50MP high-res DSLR that the mirrorless version would effectively replace.
According to these claims, we can expect an 80MP sensor, with a slightly larger body than the EOS R that comprises a bigger grip, LCD and EVF. Additionally, it is claimed that the "viewfinder" (it is unclear whether this is the EVF or the LCD) can be tilted up and down, and that the camera possesses a "new style" of joystick (potentially the Smart Controller from the 1D X Mark III that also features on the R3) along with dual SD card slots.
Canon EOS C50 and C90
Also expected to join the party in 2022 are the Canon EOS C50 and C90, two more cinema cameras with RF lens mounts. While we don't know much at present, we're hoping we won't have long to wait, as these cameras are expected to make their debuts around the midpoint of the year.
Canon EOS-M vlogging camera
The future of Canon's EOS M series of mirrorless cameras remains a popular talking point, particularly with the Canon EOS M50 Mark II offering but minor upgrades to the line.
Intriguingly, though, the future of Canon's APS-C system might lie in this – a vlogging camera that's essentially an interchangeable lens version of the DJI Osmo Pocket / DJI Pocket 2.
A handheld vlogging camera with a built-in gimbal, making use of the best Canon EF-M lenses, would be an ingenious implementation of Canon's APS-C system. And given that it has already been the subject of around nine patents, it certainly feels like a product that's likely to be realized…
HOWEVER, the launch of the APS-C EOS R7 and R10 have left a big cloud of doubt over the whole EOS M line-up, especially since the top model, the EOS M6 II has now been discontinued.
Sadly, patents and rumors don't always lead to actual products.
The Canon verdict
What we think: Canon seems to have gone all in on mirrorless, but not just in the sense of traditional camera bodies – more and more we're seeing it stretch the boundaries of photo products, with concept cameras like the Canon PowerShot Pick and Posture Fit. It has also finally brought APS-C bodies to the EOS R system – along with an outright replacement for the M50, which makes things feel increasingly precarious for the EOS M product line.
More camera rumors: Nikon rumors • Sony rumors • Olympus rumors • Fuji rumors • Panasonic rumors • Sigma rumors • Hasselblad rumors
