EOS-M is dead. I'm moving to Sony...

Canon Watch excerpted this French-language Photokina interview with EOS R developers. A few of the questions related to the M line. Below is Google translation of the M-related statements.

https://www.lesnumeriques.com/photo/canon-l-eos-r-est-que-premier-modele-toute-gamme-a3963.html

About the separate mount sizes:

Mr. Hayakawa: The EOS M line is interesting because of its compactness that SLRs can not achieve. We believe that having a different mount is interesting to optimize the best case. A small bayonet for the EOS M to offer more compact optics. For the EOS R, as we have already said, a wide bayonet allows to offer more flexibility in the design of optics and more quality.

About providing EF, EF-M, and RF lines of optics:

Mr. Hayakawa: Yes, it is a real challenge, but we think there are really three different categories of photographers and we have to meet every need.

About the possibility of damage to the shutter by having it close to protect the sensor when changing lenses:

Mr. Seita: No, no. Photographers who are going to use an EOS R know that a shutter should not be touched when changing lenses. We believe that our system is very efficient and will prevent the appearance of dust. Photographers who use the EOS R will change lenses regularly. On the contrary, we did not propose this system on the EOS M because we know that few people will change the optics.

———

I don’t think the last statement is accurate as to users on the EOS M forum. But maybe to the average purchaser. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Interesting conversation, but not surprising, since Canon is the king of market segmentation.  It appears that now they want to be the king of mount segmentation.

I think it is a smart move by them.  I think it should put to rest the talk about the death of the EOS-M line.'

I tend to agree with his last statement.  I am considering buying the EOS-M50 with only one lens(11-22mm or 15-45mm) and never changing lenses.  To me the M50 is a glorified point-and-shoot for street photography.

"It should also put to rest any talk of larger and more advanced lenses and bodies."

Agree for the EOS-M line with regards to larger lenses and bodies, but they can still make more "advanced" lenses for the M.  I think they will, because they want to keep the line going.

Wayne Larmon wrote:

nnowak wrote:

MyReality wrote:

Interesting conversation, but not surprising, since Canon is the king of market segmentation. It appears that now they want to be the king of mount segmentation.

I think it is a smart move by them. I think it should put to rest the talk about the death of the EOS-M line.'

It should also put to rest any talk of larger and more advanced lenses and bodies.

Do you mean the talk of APS-C R bodies and lenses?

I'm sort of a contrarian about the M on DPReview. I like the bodies and lenses just the way they are. I don't yearn for fast M lenses. I appreciate the trade off of slowness in order to keep M lenses small and light. Beefed up with optimized computer aided lens design so that M lenses are good (if they can get past good copy/bad copy); way better than "kit" quality lenses were 10-15 years ago.

If better means FF and FF priced lenses, then so be it.

Wayne

Couldn't agree more. I love the M system because it's small first and foremost, and pretty good quality; I can take it pretty much everywhere, and have a very competent kit. I don't want bigger bodies, I don't want faster lenses, I want compact and respectable. If I can carry my full frame kit, I will, but the M gives me options I've never had before - well, since my (film) Leica CL, anyway.

MyReality wrote:

"It should also put to rest any talk of larger and more advanced lenses and bodies."

Agree for the EOS-M line with regards to larger lenses and bodies, but they can still make more "advanced" lenses for the M. I think they will, because they want to keep the line going.

You're probably right, but they won't be as exotic as some people would like.