Something About Canon

I have recently been writing an immense amount on Sony and Micro 4/3, but have written almost nothing about Canon. This is funny since I'm heavily a Canon user. I think that I am only one example of a vast number of enthusiasts, though, who have little emotional interest in Canon. True, when it counts, I bust out my Canon set, but I would prefer other cameras.

The EOS 1D-X is a suitable flagship camera, and considering the escalating megapixel wars, I have all the confidence in the world that it will not be the only one. I would imagine that a 1D-Xs is in the offing, even though Canon would never, ever admit that for fear of hurting sales of the 1D-X. Because remember, kiddies, it's not about serving your customers, it's about fleecing them for as much money as possible.

I'm sorry for the obvious disdain, but camera companies, more so than any other industry that I can think of, make ripping off customers part of their overarching business model. Maybe the pharmaceutical companies. Good God, Canon! You don't want to be compared to Pfizer!

The EOS 1D-X is outside of my price range. Not because I can't specifically afford it, but because it is impossible for me to justify the expense of it when cheaper cameras can do pretty much everything that I want. What the 1D-X indicates, though, is the sensor that will likely be in the upcoming 5D Mark III, and that has me very excited.

I want to like Sony. Truly, I rather much want to make the switch entirely, ditch all of my Canon and Micro 4/3 gear and fully invest in a Sony combo. But that damned translucent mirror and its significant light loss is too much for me. I love to shoot in challenging environments like parties, dinners out, and nights on the boardwalk. All of these situations require large apertures, which, while pretty and dramatic, result in most of my shots being thrown out for poor focus, or they require high-ISO. Half-a-stop worth of light might seem small, but for me, every photon counts.

This is critically important in a decision about whether to abandon Micro 4/3. As far as dynamic range and color is concerned, as long as Panasonic gets off of its ass and makes better sensors, the only severe limitation of the smaller sensor is inferior noise characteristics. Assuming similar sensor designs, m4/3 would be about one full stop inferior to APS-C cameras. But here's the rub, not only does the Sony mirror lop off half-a-stop's worth of light, Micro 4/3 is the only smaller-format system with no less than FIVE lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/2 or lower. Include legacy 4/3 lenses and that brings the total above ten. This completely negates the advantages of having the larger sensor.

But back to Canon. The reason why Canon has lost my interest is because they have done nothing to break the mold. They are the mold. They are also just plain mold. I think that Canon could capture some hearts with an APS-H EOS 7D successor, but I doubt that they will do that because that would require doing something bold. Boldness is obviously not in Canon's DNA, seeing as they accidentally reinvented the movie industry with the 5D... and then did nothing with it.

It is unfortunate, because Canon has some mind-blowing telephoto lenses. Their wide-angle offerings suck, but their medium and long telephoto are easily the best in the industry. Now that I think about this state of affairs, how the hell has one company not managed to get everything at least partially right? It's not that hard! Good lenses, fair prices, innovate on the bodies. WTF?