Canon 5D Mark II delayed
We just heard that Canon would not be announcing the Canon EOS-5D Mark II in PMA 2008. What a bummer! If this is really true, then the best bet is Photokina 2008 in September.
Come to think of it, this sounds more logical. Canon just announced 2 great cams, the top dog Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III and Canon EOS-40D in August 2007. And, in February 2008, they announced the Canon EOS-1D Mark III. I’m not sure if they have the capacity in the fabs to crank out another new camera.
Of late Canon has been under some pressure due to an auto-focus issue in Canon EOS-1D Mark III. Rob Galbraith reported that Canon EOS-1D Mark III could not properly track moving subjects under certain conditions. In his results the auto-focus performance was below the performance of the camera it was replacing, the venerable Canon EOS-1Dn Mark II. More from his site:
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-8740-9068
Canon however did not come out clean and acknowledge the issue. Also, Canon’s fix did not seem to address the issue completely, till date. This has created an huge PR mess for Canon - real ugly too.
To rub it in, Nikon announced the D3, a direct competitor for Canon EOS-1D Mark III. By going full-frame and with some cool technology Nikon managed to squeeze out ISO performances that were never thought of before - the Nikon D3 can shoot up to ISO 25,600. Marketing was never Nikon’s forte, but, they stunned everyone with a great Nikon D3 campaign and the camera seems to have no serious issues, so far.
Canon cannot falter the second time. With Nikon breathing down the neck and Sony is rumored to come out with a full-frame 22 megapixels Sony A900, Canon needs to hit the mark with the Canon 5D Mark II (or is it Canon 7D?). Canon literally changed the digital landscape when it announced the current Canon 5D back in August 2005. This cam is still considered to be the camera to beat in terms of pure image quality. The body is a shame but the sensor is just divine.
The Canon 5D II will be Canon’s redemption to the auto-focus sin - it cannot afford to bungle this one. It makes sense not to release the 5D Mark II in PMA 2008. But, hey! You never know about Canon. It’s just a week more to go for the pre-announcements.
[...] Canon 5D Mark II delayed [...]
[...] Canon 5D Mark II delayed [...]
What a dilema, to outdo Nikon and Sony, or disappoint Canon users. One thing is sure, they must get the next (5D 11) right at the right price. Please don’t state a rediculous price only to see it cut (1Ds 111. £6000 down to £4900??) which does not bode with good customer relations. And, Canon, do not assume that we who have a stack of Canon lenses will not changes horse in mid stream. The lens takes the image, the the camera IS the status.