Disappointed with the fate of the EOS M line

Well written and I agree. My view is that Canon is a declining player in photography market.  It’s not a matter of if but when they exit the market because it’s no longer profitable to them. From where I sit, they have two market segments left — the professional and the prosumer. (Those are probably not the right names if you’re a market analyst for this sector, but they’ll do.) IMHO casual photographers have already left the discrete camera market for smartphone cameras, which become more capable every year, and more importantly are included “free” with your smartphone.

I think Canon by its actions are also abandoning their prosumer market. They have a long recent history of ignoring what this segment wants. (At least that’s what I’ve seen since I got involved with Canon back when the 60D came out.) And they continue to do that. Trying to foist the R series onto this segment is a clear indicator. I suspect they are struggling to survive profitably and cannot afford to support multiple product lines. My view is they could have been reasonably successful in this market segment for a significant time more  with some small continued development of the EF-M line — principally a body with IBIS and maybe 1-2 more lenses (a long telephoto for example).

Perhaps the R series with R lenses is the next gen for the professional segment. I can’t say as I’m not a professional photographer. Perhaps they can survive in that segment.

But regardless I feel like my M50 MKII and EF-M lenses will be my last Canon camera purchase.