Canon interview at Photokina 2014 - 7D Mark II - Magic Lantern - and moire

[Andrew Reid]

At Photokina I talked to product specialists Jörg Ammon and John Morris, both of Canon Europe.

We talked mainly about video on the 7D Mark II.

Read the full article here

[Cinegain]

'Yeah, but that AF though!' ... 'You can always rent something high-end if you want higher quality, I don't see your point, you have tons of options with us' *Paraphrasing

 

xD lol. Though perhaps I shouldn't be laughing... this is actually a rather sad matter.

 

[JohnVid]

My thoughts exactly, Nice little Grilling you gave him there, and he doesnt really have the answers,

I thought these people where supposed to find out what the customer wants and give it to them,

and they must have been hearing what the customer wants for some time now

(how longs Magic Lantern been out now?).

In fact my last camera would probably not have been a Canon without ML

 

Obviously giving us 4k for under 1k is going to hurt the pockets, but it's going ot happen,

I just dont think my next camera is going to be a Canon, it Certainly will not be the 7D II

[Andrew Reid]

They either give us what we want at the price we want, like Sony and Panasonic and Blackmagic are doing, or the get zero. Better to get a bit than to get nothing at all.

[jpfilmz]

Utterly pathetic stance by Canon.  They really don't care about dslr video shooters.  Regarding the 7D mark 2...I am interested to see what Magic Lantern people are able to get out of it.  60fps magic lantern raw would be of interest to me.  Other than that...I have no reason to look at any dlsr cameras from Canon anymore for video applications.

[Nick Hughes]

Utterly pathetic stance by Canon.  They really don't care about dslr video shooters.  Regarding the 7D mark 2...I am interested to see what Magic Lantern people are able to get out of it.  60fps magic lantern raw would be of interest to me.  Other than that...I have no reason to look at any dlsr cameras from Canon anymore for video applications.

 

Maybe in 6 months to a year. Development on ML depends on the programmers actually owning the cameras and can be quite slow because of that. By the time it likely gets a decent ML upgrade, the 7Dii will be even more woefully behind the competition.

[andy lee]

the market will dictate their fate , there are now so many options for 4k and only more will appear over the next year .

[Superka]

About EOSHD opinion: I'm also 34 and I prefer Optical Viewfinder much more for photo. I don't understand why you always stress talk about EVF/LCD, it doesn't matter for video. DSLR can have good video too, as Nikon D810, only flip LCD is a must for video.

 

Thank you for your interview, it was interesting! Did you see DPreview interview?

http://***URL removed***/articles/7079726133/photokina-2014-canon-interview-mirrorless-in-the-very-near-future

 

 

DPreview: One thing we know from our own testing is that Canon DSLR sensors can’t quite compete with some modern sensors from Sony in terms of dynamic range. How important to you is developing sensor technology?

Canon: We are very focused on getting the best image quality. I’m not sure what measurements you’re looking at but when it comes to dynamic range for example we consider image quality as a whole, from low to high ISO sensitivities and on balance we consider our sensors to be the best.

My ideal camera is one that can take a picture in any environment from complete darkness to the brightest sunshine.

 

It looks like Canon is satisfied with their product completely! 

[MattH]

I think we all know what the deal is.  You have said it before, so theres no confusion:   Video sucess on dslrs was an accidental success for canon.  A nice suprise at the extra interest and sales.  So they created the spin off cinima eos lin to carry the pro video forward and charge as much as the market will pay for it.   The dslrs then just continue to be 100% stills orientated.  The 7d mk1 and mk2 are mainly for sport protographers.  Where the crop is an advantage (as long as the sensor is higher resolution) and high frame rate (with good autofocus) is of prime importance.  The video is just an added extra.  Its just there if they happen to need it.  But kept at consumer level quality, with all video improvments like better autofucus squarely in the consumer arena.

[Zach Ashcraft]

That was embarrassing. Painful even. 

[OzNimbus]

What a couple of rubes!  (The Canon reps, I mean.) That was fucking pathetic!

 

Quote: "The application of the technology is still good, it’s still simple, but the specification is looking ‘lesser’ compared to the competition at the same price.

John: No! I don’t agree with that."

 

 

Grade A bullshit right there.  A7S, GH4, Blackmagic all destroy the Canon offerings for video. 

 

I think this interview says a great deal about what Canon thinks of the DSLR video user.  Thank you Andrew, great job!

[Greg R Greenhaw]

The entire canon management team for cameras needs to be fired. The are old and clueless.

 

Sony is bad also. They always lure you into something then leave out a critical feature only available in the most expensive pro product.

 

Not sure why panasonic thinks its ok to have shit dynamic range. They really make the those rebranded Leica lenses look bad.

 

Lets hope BlackMagic can get access to a better sensor and open sources their firmware.

[blahjovic]

This interview was so frustrating! I made an account so I could write this because I was astonished they would come so unprepared. They had to have known they were going to be getting video questions from you when they agreed to an interview.  However, it’s as if they didn't even care. It’s the same attitude I get from Canon through their product releases. 

This is the tipping point for me, time to sell. This article inspired me to write this letter to canon:

 

Dear John … err, Canon

I feel like it’s been a long time since we’ve talked.  It hurts because we used to have such a good relationship! 12 years ago, when we started dating, it was exciting!  You made it possible to sell my film cameras and I loved you for it!  Those were exciting days for our pro photo relationship. We started traveling the world together and I felt like finally, someone really “got meâ€.  After a while you even talked me into selling the Nikon glass I had just bought for my S1 Pro & 14n.  It was crazy. 

 

However, today.  I feel like we have a broken marriage.  To be honest, you just don’t listen.. and well, there’s someone else. I’ve been seeing her for a month or so now.  I’m sorry, but she gets me and.. well, she listens to me and she’s more sensitive to my needs. 

I know, I know, she’s not the same as you.  Nobody ever will be.  The crazy thing is, I know she may even break my heart. Right now, Sony just listens to me and what I want.  For that reason, she wins my money and I’ll be making the jump to mirrorless. 

 

It reminds me of our early days, back in 2002.  We went on that first date with your D60.  Eventually, that year, we even moved up to your 1ds.  It was exciting, and I’ll always look back fondly at those early days. 

You have to know, it’s not just her video.  I’m one of those 90/10 guys, but that 10% video is important to me! It’s the only video I do and I feel like you’ve been withholding that from me.  But it’s not even the biggest thing.  It’s her sensitivity.  When we go out at night, she gives me more range than you ever did and she shows me things that you didn’t even know where there.

I guess, in the end, I’m just a sensor guy. You have to know that I will always love your glass.  Perhaps, when she and I are on a beach on some exotic island, maybe, without telling her, I’ll slip on one of your lenses.  Just for old times sake.

Perhaps one day you'll understand, but until then. Best wishes.

Jake

[trafficarte]

Looks like he's shooting himself in the foot every few words...

[sandro]

Can we officialy declare Canon dead for video on DSLRs consumers can afford?

[Clayton Moore]

Great Job Andrew!!!

 

From CNET:  This may be what Canon is looking at, .... for what its worth.

 

"How bad has it been for camera makers? Very bad.

In 2010, the crest of the market, the industry shipped 121 million digital cameras, according to the Camera and Imaging Products Association. In 2013, that had plunged to 63 million, with revenue dropping from $15.1 billion to $10.8 billion. So far 2014 looks to be another big step down.............................As the overall market shrunk, the interchangeable-lens camera category actually grew from 12.9 million units shipped in 2010 to 17.1 million in 2013. Revenue rose from $4.6 billion to $6.2 billion.....................In the view of Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of lensmaker Sigma, the market isn't collapsing, it's just reverting to a more natural state. "In my opinion, it expanded too much, and now it is coming back to the normal situation," Yamaki told CNET. "The people who like photography stayed the same. It was a bubble economy for the digital camera market."

Interchangeable-lens camera sales peaked in 2012. Although figures for 2014 so far show little cause for optimism, it's no surprise that the camera industry is galloping toward these higher-end products."

[Pascal Garnier]

Maybe you need to make your own camera ...

 

 

The entire canon management team for cameras needs to be fired. The are old and clueless.

 

Sony is bad also. They always lure you into something then leave out a critical feature only available in the most expensive pro product.

 

Not sure why panasonic thinks its ok to have shit dynamic range. They really make the those rebranded Leica lenses look bad.

 

Lets hope BlackMagic can get access to a better sensor and open sources their firmware.

[Julian]

What a couple of rubes!  (The Canon reps, I mean.) That was fucking pathetic!

 

Quote: "The application of the technology is still good, it’s still simple, but the specification is looking ‘lesser’ compared to the competition at the same price.

John: No! I don’t agree with that."

 

 

Grade A bullshit right there.  A7S, GH4, Blackmagic all destroy the Canon offerings for video. 

 

I think this interview says a great deal about what Canon thinks of the DSLR video user.  Thank you Andrew, great job!

 

Of course you are right, but you shouldn't be surprised that a Canon rep won't admit the competition is better (with some features). Of course they evade it by saying: but hey, we have it! (in a much more expensive product).

 

The dpreview interview with the big chief is really funny too. Someone above here already quoted from it. I liked this one:

 

 

So in your opinion your sensors are currently the best on the market?

Yes. In the EOS 7D Mark II for example the sensor we’ve used is improved compared to the previous generation, especially at high ISO and in shadows. There’s less noise.

 

Haha :)

 

Interviews with big companies like this are a bit pointless. They are never going to give proper answers to tough questions. It's not about the questions not being asked.

 

Especially the reps, product managers etc. They don't have anything to say about the future, line ups or whatever as long as it's not an official statement of the company. Of course the guys interviewed by Andrew could have agreed with a lot of his statements (maybe they actually do agree), but if they'd say it in public they probably wouldn't have this job much longer.

 

The only meaningful answers are the ones you get from the top guys like Masaya Maeda, and as you can see in the dpreview interview, they are also mostly talking shit. 'Canon sensor is the best', right. 'Canon is and has been very serious in the mirrorless market' - uhuh!

 

But actually he also says something about future products:

 

 

Currently no Canon camera offers more than 22MP. Do your DSLR customers ask for higher resolution? 

Yes. We know that many of our customers need more resolution and this is under consideration. In the very near future you can expect us to show something in terms of mirrorless and also a higher resolution sensor.

[Julian]

Great Job Andrew!!!

 

From CNET:  This may be what Canon is looking at, .... for what its worth.

 

"How bad has it been for camera makers? Very bad.

In 2010, the crest of the market, the industry shipped 121 million digital cameras, according to the Camera and Imaging Products Association. In 2013, that had plunged to 63 million, with revenue dropping from $15.1 billion to $10.8 billion. So far 2014 looks to be another big step down.............................As the overall market shrunk, the interchangeable-lens camera category actually grew from 12.9 million units shipped in 2010 to 17.1 million in 2013. Revenue rose from $4.6 billion to $6.2 billion.....................In the view of Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of lensmaker Sigma, the market isn't collapsing, it's just reverting to a more natural state. "In my opinion, it expanded too much, and now it is coming back to the normal situation," Yamaki told CNET. "The people who like photography stayed the same. It was a bubble economy for the digital camera market."

 

Sigma's new strategy (started in 2012), aiming at high end quality for competitive prices, has worked out really well. According to Sigma the market for interchangeable lenses shrunk by something like 23% last year but Sigma managed to sell 15% more.

[premini]

I think Canon is a huge company and they have an enormous amount of users. They make reilable cameras an lenses for professional users and filmmakers and they earn big cash.

The problem is that they think they can afford to be total dicks, as in this interview, and ignore competitors who have better cameras at half the price and, most importantly, ignore new users who cant pay for a C300.

Canon current users will grow old and die, and so will Canon.