Future of EOS-M cameras and EF-M lenses...

Interesting reading Marco's Op-Ed after more than 2½ years. Although as Satyaa says, we are not much closer to a definitive answer on the future of M. Canon has not shown any recent lens support for M and their discontinuing a long list of EF and EF-S lenses sends a strong message since the M series is so heavily dependent on EF. My feeling is that Canon is phasing out APS-C along with DSLRs but I'm no clairvoyant.

I watched the movie Kodachome on Netflix the other night. A well acted human interest piece centering on a dying photojournalist trying to get his last rolls of Kodachome to the last processing shop before they stop developing Kodachome. His views on the end of the film era mirror (:)) my views on the end of the SLR era. In the movie he is using a Leica rangefinder film camera with a couple of small primes. I grew up using my dad's Leica and remember how delighted I was when I got my first SLR and could actually see what the lens was pointing at. I have a number of family pictures (shot on Kodachrome) where dad had cut our heads off. I loved that I could use zoom lenses and actually see the zoom. Now I'll see a JPEG representation of what the lens is seeing. But the camera can AF track on a birds head at the limit of 700 mm reach, or at least my friend's Sony can. Pointless to me since at that distance if the body is in focus, so is the head and eye. But probably as pointless in the greater scheme of things as zoom lenses were to a '50s or '60s photojournalist.

It is my intention to use my DSLRs, G1X3, and M6II as long as I possibly can. I bought a spare G1X3, and EF-S 35 macro and 55-250 STM. I already have backups of other critical cameras and lenses. I was a bit alarmed at Marco's comment that digital cameras are only designed to last 5 years since this negates my plan. However, it is not my experience either. My first digital camera is a Canon G3 and first DSLR is a 10D both purchased in 2003. I powered both of these up today, mounting my 2004 vintage 100-400 on the 10D, and can happily report that everything is still working just fine. I last tested these in 2017. Actually the only non-accidental failure in any of my camera gear was the AF unit in my 2007 vintage 15-85 that CPS repaired a couple of years ago.

Hopefully this trend will continue. Or maybe everything will crap out a day after they go out of their service coverage. As I say, I'm no clairvoyant.  Maybe by then I can get one of those magical telephotos to go on my cell phone that Marco mentioned.