. My post here started out as a reply to Ben Herrmannn's post ( dpreview.com/forums/post/61593564 ) about the Size factor of the Mirrorless Canons and why the M-series was once about size. But I didn't want to distract from the content of his thread and I feel that it's worth raising some comparisons in what would otherwise have become a lengthy reply. . We've come a long way from Film cameras. The transition to digital was initially cautious. Fuji used the opportunity to jump in feet-first and came up with some great and somewhat expensive cameras in the early 2000s. Memory cards were unreliable and cost AUD $1000 per megabyte. A 4MB card was a big deal for a while. Then Sony bought up a few companies and absorbed their patents and lens technology ...and the race was really on. .
What on earth?
. Over a decade and a half later, Sony almost bankrupted themselves (literally) while pursuing mirrorless and punching out one unfinished model after another. They abandoned their proprietary Sony Memory Sticks in the mid 2000s so we can at least thank them for that. But here we are in 2018 and there are people sticking $15,000 lenses onto Mobile Cell Phones for some reason. I agree... it's sad and funny at the same time. Heck, Sony were even producing zoom lenses to clip directly onto your cell-phone just the other day. This is why they burn through money. .
Do we really need to be headed in this direction?
. Mirrorless Cameras... I think that mirrorless APS-C should have always been a smaller, lighter system. The EOS M series certainly is. It's a scaled down APS-C DSLR with a nice big APS-C sensor inside. The whole point of mirrorless cameras was to cut down on the pentaprism design of the DSLR to produce a hybrid with Live View but interchangeable lenses and no need for a mirror-system. In fact the ICL factor is the main thing that defines mirrorless from Compact cameras. It wasn't long before we saw Sony advertising their huge lenses on mirrorless bodies and that in turn led to jokes and internet memes - all of which mocked mirrorless for becoming the very thing it was meant to avoid. .
My first mirrorless camera alongside my first digital camera. (EOSM (18MP) mirrorless on left, Digital IXUS (2.1MP) subcompact on the right).
. People migrated to mirrorless because they like it more than DSLRs. It's just like using a Compact Camera... or at least that's how it started out. My first Compact Digital camera was the first IXUS Digital Camera from Canon. It was a stainless steel, robust, tiny thing in 2001. It was about the same size as my APS Elph cameras but it was much smaller than my SLR film cameras ...and I could immediately download and share pictures from it. I abandoned my 35mm film cameras and moved straight to Digital. At the time, this camera was "wondrous" and it won many awards. But by today's standards this was a very primitive camera with a very limited zoom, poor (non existent) DR, no manual control whatsoever (it was Full Auto). Yet it went places with me that I wasn't likely to take a film camera. I found myself taking pictures of food, animals, pictures of unusual clouds... the sort of thing that I wouldn't be wasting time photographing with a film camera since I had to pay for the development of each shot. .
IXUS (2.1MP) subcompact camera - image has recently been edited with noise reduction.The first day (and first time) that i met my wife 17 years ago. (posed). [September 2001].
EOS M6 (24MP) mirrorless - with an EF lens.The last picture i took of my wife on our last Anniversary dinner (candid). [December 2017].
. Being able to carry a small camera around with you in a time when nobody carried a mobile cell phone with a camera in it was a big deal. The quality of pictures from those early model Nokia Razor phones that came out a few years later were incredibly primitive. Plus they were too small to print and too ugly to want to show anyone. . When I adopted early PowerShot cameras that later became benchmark models (Pro1 and G1X), I found them very capable of decent photographs except in low light conditions. The EOS M with an APS-C sensor resolved this problem for me since I didn't enjoy lugging a DSLR around. It really surprises me how many people approach me when I'm holding a DSLR to ask me if I'm a "professional photographer" and how (almost) nobody ever asks me this when I'm holding an EOS M. It's nice to be anonymous. I enjoy being able to take pictures without having to answer questions or justify my equipment. .
IXUS (2.1MP) subcompact camera - inside of the dome on the Sydney Queen Victoria Building.
EOSM (18MP) mirrorless camera - inside of the dome on the Sydney Queen Victoria Building.
. Full Frame offers improved light-gathering ability alongside shallower DOF. Those are the two major motivators for purchasers aside from price. And unfortunately, Full Frame sensors are still expensive to make, even if the prices have come down somewhat in recent years. If you can ignore the prices and compare just the abilities and results, APS-C is better value by a long shot. The crop factor is often a benefit. The image quality, if the glass is good, is usually excellent. . When you buy a camera, you should realize that most modern electric devices have a 5-year life expectancy. You camera might live longer and so might your computer... but that's the standard life-expectancy before components, gears and especially plastic and rubber parts begin to perish. Surprisingly, the more often you use your devices, the longer they tend to last. A device that is suddenly unboxed after years of inactivity and an uncycled battery is more prone to failure.
. Using the EOSM alongside a DSLR I like to use the EOS M alongside a Full Frame DSLR. I like the results from FF with certain lenses but I enjoy using mirrorless cameras much more. It's just a shame about the weight and bulk. There's a couple of other members here who do the same. If I could avoid using a DSLR altogether I certainly would. When I'm working in the dark and trying to use two very different systems and trying to lock up a mirror or switch to "Live View" without a touch-screen it can be irritating. But more often than not, I get excellent results from the EOSM cameras and the image quality is usually superb. But it's not ideal to be carrying two cameras if you can get around with just one. Heck, even the act of carrying one camera and multiple lenses isn't always ideal. This is why so many consumers want a good compact camera with a fixed zoom lens. Selecting a lens based on your needs for the day seems to be the simplest way to operate. Stick it on your EOSM and away you go. But something I learned recently is that my EOS M6 takes as good a picture as my DSLRs, if not better, when it comes to landscapes. I even spent an evening under the stars last month and only used the M6 for a handful of shots... all of which were more appealing to me than those from one of my DSLRs. .
My EOS M (left) and EOS 6D (right).. in the hands of my wife. . I sometimes carry this kind of combo because I want shallow DOF but need a small Macro system with me. When/If Canon release their EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM lens (hopefully quite soon) I can leave the DSLR behind.
. Size Matters... The thing I like most about the EOS M series is that it produces superb DSLR-quality images with near-DSLR performance yet on a much smaller scale. I can carry the EOS M with a 22mm lens in the palm of my hand. I can't do that with a Full Frame systems, even if I strip off my preferred extended battery grip and use a smaller than preferred lens. If you travel anywhere, you'll know that large lenses get knocked about. They draw attention to you in cities and backstreets that can make you a target for robbery (and worse). If I use one of my favorite lenses (EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM) I always get better bokeh and performance by using it on a Full Frame DSLR but the weight of this system means I end up with almost 3+ Kilograms of weight to lug about. Forget that it takes a great picture... because it only does so at a considerable cost. Both financially and to my health. My arms hurt and my shoulder hurts for a couple of days if I have 3 kilos in gear supported while I climb hills and travel about the cities. A full day at the zoo results in pain. A full day in the Australian bush results in pain. I'm reasonably fit but if I find it difficult, then so must others. I've taken to using a monopod again so I can keep the camera raised for long periods. In the past I use a monopod because I needed more stabilization. This is why the EOS M series is so important. It takes the weight away. It takes a lot of risk away. I can get into venues with it when a DSLR would probably cause problems. I can carry that EOS M cameras strapped to my hip with both my hands free. I can carry extra lenses. I can shoot all day with a slightly larger 11-22mm or 28mm Macro lens from the EF-M family while I carry the tiny 22mm f/2 lens in my pocket. At the end of the day, as the sun sets, I can swap lenses over to the 22mm lens to enable me better performance at night. . But allowing a large EF lens designed for DSLRs to fit on an EOS M series camera (via an adapter) was something Canon did to try to prevent brand-migration and to encourage early adopters to think of the EOSM as a backup body for their larger DSLRs. The original EOSM made this a very viable solution, especially for the travelers. Those of you posting vacation shots taken with your M5 and M50s know what I'm talking about. Sometimes I'd use a large EF lens to capture the craters of the moon or a surfer out in the ocean. We use whatever we have on hand to achieve what we want to capture. The Adapters are what make the EF-M and RF camera mounts useful. . When I travel I don't want to worry about a massive loss if one of my more expensive lenses is damaged, lost or stolen. And when you travel by air, you really do face that risk unless you bring all that gear onboard with you. With luggage weight restrictions getting tougher, there's every chance I'll end up with a disaster on my hands, like so many journalists face regularly. Those big lenses we sometimes like to utilize require big, expensive protective filters and very expensive Circular Polarizers. But look at the EOS M series... those EF-M lenses have smaller diameter filter threads with smaller and less expensive filters. You can save money on bags for your lenses if your travel. You can more easily pack the camera and lenses in your luggage or simply carry them about with you in a pocket or in a pouch on your hip. I often carry the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM pancake lens in a sealed plastic bag in my pocket. The EF-M mount has only just reached its first window of ideal acceptance from the public due to the popularity of the M50 mount... which is probably why Canon pushed it out there a little ahead of time. .
Soon....
. The inevitable death of the Consumer DSLR.... Canon combined a number of surveys, sales statistics and consumer trends and determined that the DSLR is going to be dead within the decade. I'm sure DSLR will continue to be supported for another 5 years beyond that but the glory days of DSLR are now long gone. People just aren't buying them like they used to. No longer do the sales departments declare that DSLR is "king" because they know what such talk makes it much harder to sell non-DSLR cameras. By the way, that image above was captured some time ago. . With Consumer DSLRs fading from memory (soon), those with an interest in photography can be grateful of one thing: No more oil splattering across the sensor with the slap of the mirror and hopefully cameras can get smaller and lighter and much more responsive with Live View. And with Canon now moving forward with mirrorless, they can devote more time and energy towards this advancing format. And that's probably good news for APS-C mirrorless users in the EOS M crowd. . So far, I've seen anti-DSLR camera posters at concerts but I've been confronted entering a cinema with a camera bag and I've even been taken into custody for photographing the architecture outside of a Courthouse Building with my EOS M camera while using an EF lens. There's a very negative backlash aimed towards photographers these days. Even Sydney City has anti-photography laws around the harborside with the security and council rangers pouncing on any "professional looking camera". When questioned by the press, they defined a professional camera as being "a DSLR, especially when used on a tripod". It would seem that the UK is even worse... .
The UK setting the pace to deter DSLR owners from carrying their cameras in public.
. IBIS and why IBIS is unlikely to filter into Canon products... In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) was stated by both Canon and Nikon to be inferior to Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) or in-lens stabilization. With new generation OIS from Canon offering up to 5 stops of effective IS, the need for IBIS diminishes. You'll see no mention of IBIS on the early leaks about the EOS R. Here are the points that Canon and Nikon raised against IBIS and in favor of OIS. . 1) Each lens is optimally tuned to achieve reliable correction.. . 2) OIS allows faster and more accurate AF & exposure metering, because the image comes already stabilized to the camera sensor (and advantage you’ll notice especially in low light). . 3) OIS is more effective with long telephoto lenses" . Yes, IBIS works okay for video and there's a reasonable argument that it can be useful for longer lenses and video. I've seen how effective it is. But the difference isn't much more than one stop in still photography, despite the claims otherwise. Canon's in-body stabilizer is electronic and that's why it applies to video but not images. As another member here pointed out: IBIS isn't particularly suited to Full Frame sensors due to the larger size and weight. Those systems implementing IBIS with Full Frame have their own problems at the moment. .
. The IBIS mechanism can't be turned off... it's constantly shaking your sensor. The higher the resolution of the sensor, the greater the reduction of light. The more heat comes into play, the more the oil (that lubricates the mechanism) tends to migrate to the surface of the sensor. Then there's the dirty sensor issue from the IBIS enabled sensor generating electrostatic charges ...from the movement of the sensor on the guide rails. IBIS is not ideal for photographers. But it's not entirely useless for videographers.
. Why we won't see an EF-M to RF mount in the near future... Canon is pushing forward with production for a final release date. A narrow 2mm flange difference means we won't likely see a converter/adapter. Isn't the new EOS R a weather-sealed system? Why would anyone want to put unsealed EF-M lenses on the EOS R? Canon's EF lenses work fine on the EOS R via an adapter. EF and EF-S lenses also work fine on the EOS M system via an adapter. But since DSLR is dying and will be "dead in 5 years" according to Canon, it's good to see Canon forging forward with a new Mount. Remember when Canon launched their EF lenses, abandoning the old analogue FD lenses in 1988? Those FD lenses were launched in 1971 and were created and engineered in the late 1960s. By adopting EOS EF, Canon were able to leave their nearest rival (Nikon) in the dust with the new EF system. .
The EOS R is now an independent system that is quite separate from the EOS M series.
. Recent statements from Canon this year indicated that they knew they wanted to pursue a new mount because it would allow them to explore new lens physics. They said they didn't want to deter their EF lens customers and were looking to see if they could accommodate the EF lenses with a new mount (ie EOS R). It looks like they did. . The recent and upcoming EF lenses to be announced are expensive ones. But the cost for producing them is minimal to Canon due to re-engineering of existing parts, plus they were designed and approved before the EOS R was commenced in earnest. I'm not saying these are the last of the EF lenses but they will surely represent the now-past era that EF lenses represented. The new RF lenses have Control Dials on the end of the lenses and these smaller lens units (if you can ignore the RF 28-70mmL lens) clearly show how miniaturization is viable with the R mounts. If you own an EOSM camera, you'll likely own some EF-M lenses. These lenses aren't expensive. Your money wasn't wasted just because you can't stick it on a larger, more expensive camera. . The R and the M series are very different systems with different sensor sizes and different markets. I can assure you that there will be two EOS R cameras initially (the second yet to be announced) and Canon won't risk deterring early purchasers by winding down EF-M production. They need a continued cash flow and we know that the M50 is selling very well indeed. The evidence that Canon will continue to support the M-platform will be in the announcement of a serious new fast lens which has been leaked along with the EOS R from the very same source: 'Nokishita'. The EOS M platform is a relatively new one. It has only recently been embraced by reviewers and consumers after Canon added DPAF sensors to the latest four cameras to be released - the M100, M5, M6 and M50. If Canon were to discontinue the M-series, the lack in confidence from consumers and early adopters of the R system would be lost. They won't do it. And the departments that handle development are unrelated. . Canon managed to sustain the EOS M platform whilst continuing to make DSLRS with EF mounts and EF lenses. Now that the EOS M platform is closer to perfection with DPAF and the M50 is winning praise and awards (mostly due to Features Vs Price), we can feel confident that the new EOS R can co-exist alongside EF-M mount. In fact, I believe we'll see quite a few of the design and technology traits of the EOS R trickle down into future EOS M cameras and perhaps even lenses. It's going to make for a smart looking M model. . Just because the R can't accept the M lenses, it doesn't mean the end of the world for the M-series. Some here seem to think so. I don't see why. The DSLRs with EF couldn't accept M lenses either. Sure the EF lenses could be mounted to the M with an adapter but they can also be fitted to the R with an adapter. The two platforms (R & M) are mutually exclusive to one another. But they are both going to continue to make a lot of money for Canon. The only thing that it TRULY uncertain is the future of the beloved EF mount and especially the EF-S mount. Camera series like Sony Mirrorless are just as threatened by the creation of the EOS R. Perhaps even more because they have issues with their own lenses and the Metabones adapters aren't the solution. Sony mirrorless cameras are still unfavorable for Astrophotography (even though people shirk this) and overheating, banding in images and other concerns still plague their mirrorless cameras. Canon have so far managed to avoid many of these issues. I don't need to complain about Sony, I'm simply explaining why I've avoided switching to them. They do have a habit of not fixing a problem but simply release another model ASAP. Remember all those folks here who left the Canon and M forums to adopt Sony's mirrorless recently? I guess we might someday see them again. . The EF-M series fits a specific market that Canon needs to supply and fill. The demand for compact APS-C mirrorless cameras is worldwide and buyers are far more tech savvy these days than they were 15 years ago. Today they'll Google to see what the public opinions of users are before they buy. Most consumers want light, inexpensive cameras that are robust, look good and take nice photographs. Even the best camera phones can't yet match this... and those with the ability to fake Depth Of Field by blurring background regularly ruin the images they are supposed to enhance. Within a day or so we should have all the answers from Canon that we need after they make their anticipated announcement. . We'll need a new Board shortly... When the EOS R is formally announced, those threads covering the R platform ought to be quickly migrated to the new EOS R forum and hopefully we can clean up these boards and get back to M cameras and EF-M lenses again.
In my mind the market will decide the fate of the M system. If Canon's M produces significant profits worldwide then the M will survive. If not it won't. A factor in its success is what will or is the competition to the M....small, light, inexpensive dsrl like camera and how well Canon markets and supports the M going forward. It isn't up to us as the future success of the M, but the market and Canon no matter how much we love the camera.
My impression so far in the USA Canon is not marketing the system to much extent. If they want the system to be a success worldwide that has to change. If Canon gives the impression it is a dead end camera it will be.
We will see in the coming months by Canon's actions, not words if they truly believe the M system can be a winner for them in the long run. So far I have my doubts. Personally, I believe there is not much competition and Canon's M can be a winner financially.
Glad you talked about sensitivity over photographers.
Step back a minute and see how people are using smart phones unchallenged in so many situations that quite recently one would think would be objectionable. On planes, political rallies, inside private retail space, in schools, everywhere and everything. They are just so pervasive, hard to challenge. And people snapping photos don't seem as threatening as people with real "cameras." We have already seen the enormous impact of citizen smart phone photojournalism.
Walk around an art fair or farmer's market with a smart phone and most folks don't give it a second thought. But pull out a that EOS-M or even a compact camera like a Powershot GX, let alone a DSLR, and it's a whole different cricket match.
Gosh, they get longer and longer. Put me to sleep. When I woke, did you say you performed noise reduction on your wife 17 years ago? ☺
LOL! I came across some old archived images (including that one) and used NR on a couple of them plus WB correction to bring them up a little. I presume that old camera still works. But the battery cannon hold any charge at all. They sell them on Ebay for $2.50 so I guess I could reactivate it. Not sure it's worth the trouble since I'd only be taking the pictures with it for novelty purposes. .
"Professional looking camera" gear indeed. In 1973 I walked Into the middle of Stonhenge (which was allowed then) with my 2 35mm slrs & my 2 1/4 (one with Kodachrome 25, one with High Speed Ektachrome 160, and one with Kodak [b/w?] Plus), set-up my back breaking tripod, and proceeded to have a ball. Soon I was visited by an "usher" informing me that there were rules for "professional" photographers. I just had a young, fit body and inspiration, and not professional" cred. Today, I'm looking forward to the m5 mk2 so that I can leave my 5dmk4 behind more often.
jIn a few decades the DSLR will die, but it's not something that we will see any time soon.
The very same person you cited, Thom Hogan, believes that mirrorless will outsell DSLRs by approximately the 2019-2020 timeframe. Nobody wants to buy into dead mounts, so once the tipping point is reached, the rest of the transition will happen quickly.
That said Hogan also believes DSLRs will survive for a long time, perhaps decades, and I agree, but the lower end is where the volume is so as mirrorless takes over what used to be Rebel/D3400 territory, the market share for DSLRs will plummet. The higher end will be mixed between mirrorless and DSLR.
Glad you talked about sensitivity over photographers.
It's slowly becoming problematic. When I'm on the beach, I have to be very careful to avoid photographing children simply because some people would take offense. I've even had my family and my wife point out wonderful scenes but I've opted not to take the shots if there are kids in the scene. On the few occasions I have, it's when they are far away or out of focus... or I know the parents or have been speaking with them. Today's politically-correct climate is going to puzzle future archivers who will wonder why there are so few children in public photographs from the early 21st century. It's a shame but part of the problem is that some people are determined to brand anyone with a camera as a wacko.. or worse. Here's a few things I've encountered: . The Angry Lady... I remember crouching down to take a picture of a solitary flower growing through the pavement on the footpath with a macro lens ... the front door of the nearest house burst open and a screeching, angry fat woman with no teeth came barrelling out and ran at me with a baseball bat in her hand. I explained that I was photographing a flower (pointing at the flower the whole time) but she seemed to think I was a "police detective" spying on her house. A car pulled up and a scruffy, dirty man got out with a gun in his pant belt. It turned out that flower was blooming out the front of a crack house. I was preparing to take them on when they spewed profanity at me before running inside and locking the door. I walked across the road to where my mother was waiting for me. She's getting older so her eyesight isn't as sharp as it was... but she thought I was just "making new friends". . The publicly embarrassed client with a DSLR... I had a client tell me he was photographing freshly blooming flowers in my nearest city with a DSLR when he was descended on by police who took him into custody and went through his photographs. It turned out that 500m away was a school and a passer by assumed he was using his big (24mm lens) to photograph children in the distance almost half a kilometer away. This poor photographer was CRUSHED by the mere allegation that he was doing anything wrong. He was still shaken months later and confessed that it has ruined his interest in photography. The police let him go but he was so embarrassed by the incident at the time. . The dreadful restaurant... As recently as December I had to explain myself to police who commenced an investigation when I refused to grace a newly opened local restaurant with a positive review. The manager asked for my business card and shortly after made a false police report over photographs I had taken in his restaurant (showing filthy cutlery, under-cooked food and decrepit conditions). Let's just say that his business is "now under new management". The camera I had at the time was the EOS M6. I'm still not done with that fraudster and the case continues.
Step back a minute and see how people are using smart phones unchallenged in so many situations that quite recently one would think would be objectionable. On planes, political rallies, inside private retail space, in schools, everywhere and everything. They are just so pervasive, hard to challenge. And people snapping photos don't seem as threatening as people with real "cameras." We have already seen the enormous impact of citizen smart phone photojournalism.
Tourists in Sydney demand I erase an image.... There's a strong backlash against photographers in public spaces today. And most of the people seem to think they have a right to come up and demand to see your photographs or even demand that you delete your pictures. It's happened to me once and the situation was puzzling since they approached me to ask me to take a picture with their own camera when they saw me with mine. This happens quite a lot at tourist locations and I was photographing a major city background at sunset. I showed them quickly how to use the fill-flash since the sun was behind them. I then took a picture of them with their camera. The liked the pic. Since I had the opportunity to take a better pic with my DSLR and external flash, I offered to take a second shot with my own camera which turned out really nice and they all liked the shot. We swapped emails so I could send the picture to one of them. An hour later, the same person found me with my wife photographing a building after sunset with each of our cameras on tripods... and insisted I delete the earlier picture in front of them. I'm still puzzled by that. It was their loss. Legally, I could have ignored the demand. I could possibly insist that they delete the picture I took with their own phone too. Didn't think of it at the time. I think i was shocked. But I did tell her that I'd have charged her a five figure sum if she'd hired me to take that picture. . I've even seen people call the police on photographers because they incorrectly felt that their right not to be photographed in public is enshrined someplace in law (it's not). If I'm not actually photographing something, or if I'm entering a store where it might be inappropriate to carry a camera, I'll either put the lens cap on and carry it with the lens pointing down. Or I'll sling the camera over my shoulder or cradle it in a way that shows I'm not taking pictures. Sure I have a camera with me most of the time but I'm usually photographing anything other than people. I shoot landscapes, astro and macro usually.
Walk around an art fair or farmer's market with a smart phone and most folks don't give it a second thought. But pull out a that EOS-M or even a compact camera like a Powershot GX, let alone a DSLR, and it's a whole different cricket match.
You're right. I've actually attended a literal Farmer's Market in Canada one year and I saw so many cool scenes and opportunities that I was disappointed that people would turn and glare at me if they saw my camera... and that was a large Compact camera (Pro1). In the end I didn't take any pictures. In Australia (where I live), there are laws in place to prevent voyeuristic photography and you can't take pictures where a person has a "reasonable expectation of privacy" (eg private property or a public bathroom etc). I would have recommended that photographers carry a copy of local regulations with them because most police don't even know what the rules are. Train platforms may still be a forbidden subject here although i think they've removed that rule recently. . Taken into custody and hauled before a Judge? I was photographing historical architecture in Parramatta City, about 6km from my home about 6 years ago. I had already photographed the Town Hall and Toll Bridge Building which were built in the 1800s and was working my way to the local Governors house in the park (first building constructed here). Many of our historic buildings are being torn down to make room for larger modern structures so I wanted to capture some shots for the local council to archive. I actually tried to avoid getting people in my shots and I was using the Canon PowerShot G1X at the time which is a bulky but fairly compact camera. It's IDEAL for shots like that because landscapes and architecture come out great with this camera lens. I was standing on the street... literally on the footpath and took THIS picture: .
Standing on the footpath when I took this shot... then taken into custody.
. I liked the shot because of the bright gold paint which had just been applied to some glossy stonework. An officer of the court came outside, asked me what I was doing (I explained that I was photographing architecture) and then he told me I was now in custody and brought me inside. He walked me through the security scanners which were triggered by the camera I was carrying. Then he led me to one of the court chambers while he looked for a magistrate. I had the time to spare so I thought I'd enjoy the moment. When he came back, he started to "try to explain to me" what my 'situation' was. I interjected and explained politely that I was within my rights to stand in a public place to photograph a building of architectural significance. He then tried to tell me I was still "in violation of the architect's copyright". I explained that I didn't need the permission of the architect unless I was intending to profit commercially from the photograph and that this didn't apply here because a government building is public property. He then admitted that he couldn't find a magistrate or a judge - to which I replied that they were all across the road eating lunch. I showed him how he had violated court rules by not confiscating my camera from me when we passed the security scanners (cameras are illegal INSIDE a court here) and how I could have easily walked a weapon in with me. I explained to him that I have lectured in copyright law for artists and photography students (which I have) and that he'd simply made a mistake by hauling me in for a dressing down when I was perfectly within my rights to stand outside and take pictures. He reluctantly agreed and laughed that the situation wasn't really turning out for either of us... and we shook hands and I let myself out. He asked that we pretend "this never happened" and that's fine by me. If he was more belligerent instead of politely uncertain, I could have been put in a cell until the magistrates spoke with me after lunch. I knew I had done no wrong... so I wasn't remotely nervous and was curious as to what was really happening. I phoned my wife and she was horrified. In the end, I have concluded that in this day and age of terrorism, that I had worried the court staff... because just two weeks earlier a man barricaded himself in a magistrates building and threatened to blow the place up after smashing out a window and threatening the police on the street below with a fake firearm. Those court officers were probably just a bit punchy after the incident. . Ejected from Castle Towers shopping Plaza... What REALLY annoys me is that when I bought the Canon G1X, I was phoned by a family member while I was still in the camera store (in the Castle Towers Shopping Center) to tell me there was an Ice Ring around the sun and that i should try to photograph the 'rare' phenomena. So I loaded the new camera with battery and SD card and went to the open-air courtyard in the shopping mall I was in to take a picture of the sun from the food court. I was promptly escorted off the premises for "taking a picture within the grounds of the shopping center". I explained that I was trying to photograph the sun but they wouldn't even look up to see what I was pointing at. They also wouldn't let me through the entrance to get to my parked car. It didn't even matter that I had just bought the camera from the center. I had to walk two blocks to walk up the driveway to retrieve my car. On the way to my car I passed no less that 9 CCT cameras that were attached to the walls of the mall. .
... But I got the shot... . I actually enjoy photographing other photographers... mostly because it irritates some people. But I don't really troll them. I sometimes ask permission but not if I think the shot needs to be candid. The shots below were taken all over the place with most of the indoor shots taken at conventions that I was involved with at the time. I have an album of these now. .
My father in-law had to get used to me taking pics of him as he used his camera.
Local kid at the park getting his 10 minutes of fame
Tourists at Taronga Zoo
She knew I was taking this shot... I'd taken one before this one with a flash and asked her to hold still for this second shot without a flash. She looks a bit like a young Sandra Bullock.
Taken last month at a Ren Fair. (did I spell that right?) - this guy was serious. Nice style too.
Waikiki Beach in Hawaii
Kate loved Canon
Restaurant on Valentines Day... staff approached me with a camera and were surprised when I took out my own EOS M6 Nikon users are shy.
What on EARTH is this camera? It's HUGE !
Demonstrating to me how her phone camera (Samsung) was so cool in lowlight after sunset. Then I showed her this picture which may have ruined the moment.
My wife is used to this.
Last month - a wedding photographer I came across.
Some friends making Cosplay photography. I asked them for permission to take a shot from the end of the alley. They're all photography nuts and we now follow each other on Instagram.
I was a guest at this event. This was a local news girl who came to capture some shots for the news.
Thank you for a thoughtful piece, Mr. Marco. Tying into Ben Herrmann’s original point, it appears that the R camera will be about the size of the Rebel cameras making it DSLR size not M size and hence the lament: what happened to the size factor?
If M line is continuing, where is the announcement of the upcoming(?) EOS m5 II? Or was the m5 II an impostor for the new R?
I'm looking forward to the announcement of the EOS M5 Mark II as well. Canon will announce it before photokina (Sept. 26-29) or before PhotoPlus Expo (Oct. 25-27). I'm hoping that it will have weather sealing. But, I doubt Canon will ever make premium weather sealed M cameras and lenses - they will be just too expensive to make (for a non-pro line of cameras) and too close to be priced next to their EOS R line.
I don't expect to see an "M5 II" by name. I'd say Canon will consolidate their now-almost-perfected models into a future Pro, Mid and Entry level models with new designations. We've never seen them use a Mk II designation on an EOSM before and they have a long history of leaving specific models behind without an successor to share the the title.
Thank you very much for the thoughts on mirrorless vs DSLRs!
I've been dragging my feet on upgrading my original EOS-M and sitting on the sidelines waiting for the R to drop before deciding if I should bail and go totally over to the "Dark Side" (AKA Sony)
(Nit picking but in case you intend to publish elsewhere it's one of those imperfections that can be distracting).
It was a total @ss camera by todays standards but it's the first camera I remember using on a phone and even though I owned the S100/Ixus often it was the "camera I had with me" as the S100 was technically the wife's so I had to let her use it once in a while.
Jealous that you were able to follow up the S100 with the Pro1. Gosh I lusted after that camera and the Sony equivalent but never could justify the cost. Still the only powershot with "L" glass I think? Speaking of the pro1 what is that floating head sticking out to the right of the woman's midsection on Waikiki? There's no way I can make a body to go with the head out of the other stuff in the background, maybe it was a ghost glaring at you for using your camera in public?
Yes, DSLR will be dead in about 3 to 5 years. Much like SLR film was out of mainstream production in 3 years after the release of the first consumer DSLR Canon Digital EoS Rebel in 2002.
Nevertheless, it's the same situation transiting in 2003 and 2004 where tons of enthusiest. Finally made the swtitch to DSLR because film and processing materials became scarce and prices for them were going up. Thus, they had to learn how to use digital. And once they did, they found all their false idologies destroyed. Thus, they became huge fanboys of the digital camera. The same goes on today during this transition from DSLR to Mirrorless.
But it was really long read. Longest I´ve ever read here...
Anyway, those bad situations shouldn´t discourage us. We shouldn´t really let go and let them bully photographers for no apparent fair reason. If this happened to me with sane people or police, I would insist on my acting as not harming acting, so they are forced to realize they´re wrong. Not so with the lady with baseball bat.
Thank you very much for the thoughts on mirrorless vs DSLRs!
I've been dragging my feet on upgrading my original EOS-M and sitting on the sidelines waiting for the R to drop before deciding if I should bail and go totally over to the "Dark Side" (AKA Sony)
Sony's products are popular although most Sony and Canon users tend to prefer the Canon colors and Canon ergonomics. The Canon PowerShot Pro1 used a Sony chip from memory (see below).
Comments: Motorola Razr not Nokia Razor
(Nit picking but in case you intend to publish elsewhere it's one of those imperfections that can be distracting).
Yup. That's right. Although it was around 4am when I wrote that reply so ... show a little mercy!
It was a total @ss camera by todays standards but it's the first camera I remember using on a phone and even though I owned the S100/Ixus often it was the "camera I had with me" as the S100 was technically the wife's so I had to let her use it once in a while.
Jealous that you were able to follow up the S100 with the Pro1.
I think I waited for a 3x optical zoom to come out and ended up buying an s400 (IXUS) in 2003. Then the Pro 1 came out in 2004. Another chap here and myself leaked the first images of the Pro 1 here on DPreview (he supplied the pictures) and I was severely mocked by members because they didn't believe such a camera could exist. Also, the leak and reveal by Canon took place almost two weeks AFTER a major camera series announcement so it made no sense for Canon to announce a new camera after the recent Expo had ended. The other chap who supplied me with the images lost his job over it when Canon Japan contacted staff here at Dpreview and demanded the member's details. Nobody knows if they were compliant or not. These were the days when Phil A. ran (and owned) the site. . I took out a small personal loan from my bank to buy the Pro 1 because I didn't have enough cash on hand at the time... and I also ordered a custom-made Pro-Book laptop from Apple computers. It arrived from Singapore with a bright red stuck pixel in the middle of the laptop screen and they had to make another. I traveled with the two of them. The cost of the camera was something like AUD $1299 but the computer was over $7K at the time and I'd already saved some money to put towards it.
Gosh I lusted after that camera and the Sony equivalent but never could justify the cost. Still the only powershot with "L" glass I think?
Was the Sony called the R1? (or something like that?). I thought it took a very impressive picture although the specs were similar to the Pro1 and the Sony also required their very expensive Sony Memory Sticks if I remember correctly. The Pro 1 had a fast enough lens with f/2.4 - but the sensor was so small that its benefits were lost on the size of the sensor.
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My old Canon PowerShot Pro 1 - all it lacked was Image Stabilization. An L-series lens (28mm -200mm f/2.4L) on a PowerShot compact camera!
Speaking of the pro1 what is that floating head sticking out to the right of the woman's midsection on Waikiki? There's no way I can make a body to go with the head out of the other stuff in the background, maybe it was a ghost glaring at you for using your camera in public?
I'm guessing she was from Japan. No idea about the floating head... I hadn't really noticed it before. The Japanese are obsessed with Hawaii and I met with several wedding groups there who told me they found it cheaper to fly their entire families to Hawaii rather than celebrate in Japan. . Canon PowerShot Pro1. This camera was really quite exceptional and yet the tiny sensor size was no different to other sub-compact cameras at the time. Canon were going to drop I.S. into it but changed their mind at the last moment due to the additional weight and bulk it would have added. Three years later they managed to miniaturize the IS system for smaller lenses and it was terribly sad that they did not follow up with a Pro 1 Mk II model. There's always a chance they will revisit this amazing camera some day with a revision. The purpose of the Pro1 was to enable professional photographs without a need to edit them outside of the camera (presumably the in-camera editing was enhanced by the DiGiC Chip inside). The colors and saturation were bold if not a little enhanced by user settings. The camera came with a bayonet style threaded 58mm filter mount. . The 28mm focal length on this camera shows what I might expect from the upcoming RF 28-70mm f/2L USM lens. I happen to think Canon has a winner of their hands with that monstrous piece of glass. . Some shots from that same trip below, taken with the Pro1... I really loved that camera. I sold it on Ebay when the G1X came out to justify it. The larger sensor made a difference. But it's the only thing I've regretted selling. .
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