What are your plans about the M mount situation. Poll

Assuming the discontinuation of the Canon M mount is imminent, what are your gear plans ?

Photato wrote:

Assuming the discontinuation of the Canon M mount is imminent, what are your gear plans ?

I voted "other" as I will keep using some of my M gear, but at the same time "migrate to other brand crop sensor" for new gear. It is possible to have two systems, you know.

I will keep using what I have for "around the house", but for travel I started to use Sony RX10IV and RX100 VII as main cameras this year.

For now, I plan to use my M6 ii with 9, 22, 56 an 100mm primes more often on photography dedicated field trips as addition.

MyM6II wrote:

Photato wrote:

Assuming the discontinuation of the Canon M mount is imminent, what are your gear plans ?

I voted "other" as I will keep using some of my M gear, but at the same time "migrate to other brand crop sensor" for new gear. It is possible to have two systems, you know.

This is a though one.

I’m all over the place on this one.

Every time I think about it I come with a different conclusion.:-)

The easiest path would be to do nothing and stick to it until the end, but is not the wisest  move, long term.

I shall keep using my M50's until they die. The Fuji XT-5 looks nice, but it will cost a fortune to replace my current systems and I don't think my photos will be that much better.

Photato wrote:

MyM6II wrote:

Photato wrote:

Assuming the discontinuation of the Canon M mount is imminent, what are your gear plans ?

I voted "other" as I will keep using some of my M gear, but at the same time "migrate to other brand crop sensor" for new gear. It is possible to have two systems, you know.

This is a though one.

I’m all over the place on this one.

Every time I think about it I come with a different conclusion.:-)

The easiest path would be to do nothing and stick to it until the end, but is not the wisest move, long term.

I am more unsure of when to start the migration. I have still a small hope that Canon will continue the M system, but how long do we have to wait to be sure on the continuation (or discontinuation)? One more month, one year? My money has started to burn in my pocket now. Lol.

I just bought into the system because it fits exactly what I want. Affordable and very compact between the bodies and lenses.

I plan to buy as many lenses as I feel I need and use them until they die or I feel the urge to move on. Whenever that time comes I'll be moving away from Canon. That could be 10 years down the road so who knows what the market might look like.

M kit - I have 5 M bodies & most of the M lenses  I also use several EF L lenses with the adapter. 
Full Frame - I have a 6D & several decent lenses, prime & zoom.

current plan - use the M kit until it wears out.  The 6D still meets my full frame needs but I will probably update it at some point.  I like what I’m seeing from Canon but the price of lenses is a bit of concern.

Photato wrote:

Assuming the discontinuation of the Canon M mount is imminent, what are your gear plans ?

I'm already an adopter of the EOS R system with several different cameras on hand. But the EOS M-System is where the pleasure is. 
.
The problem with Canon right now is that they're now abandoning the original EOS flash mount.  This is the same mount on all EOS R-system cameras announced up until 2020.  You see... the new Speedlight EL-5 was announced this week. And it's not even compatible with the EOS R, RP, R5, or the EOS R6. It's immediately compatible with the new EOS R6 II but will later be compatible (some months from now) after an update for the EOS R3, R7 and R10 is enabled. Straight away, Canon were caught out being shortsighted with their prior EOS R-system cameras produced up until 2020. That's not only confusing for consumers but it's going to cost them in consumer confidence.
.
Right now, we're barely a few days away from a wrecked economy with only Australia and a few isolated nations being partially immune to the global Economic Crisis. Canon is now bleeding so hard from Smartphone sales that they should be consolidating their products and trying to be more competitive with pricing. They even released a new camera that looks like a tiny smartphone called the Canon Inspic S. And for $150 - $99 these new "instant cameras" are aimed at the smartphone generation with the price being the only attractive thing about them.  This is embarrassing because it shows that Canon are desperate to remain as a relevant option in a world where many smartphones can outperform their compact and APS-C cameras. It reeks of insecurity.
.

Canon's "midlife crisis moment" ... the Inspic S

.
This week, Canon announced the RF 135mmL lens to supersede the recently discontinued EF 135mmL lens... but at 4 to 5 times the price.  They're trying to push lenses that are low priority yet fail to release essential lenses required by professionals and amateurs wanting to switch systems. But there's only so much blood you can squeeze from a stone.
.

What they really fail to notice is that after the crushing misery of 2 years of lockdowns and failed deliveries due to Covid, that the world Economy is now in shambles.  We know this because of the high prices of all their latest products.  We're facing a certainty for a Global Economic Recession.  The cost of living is now so much higher than ever before that people are reevaluating their priorities.  Those who binged on photographic gear when the R-system was launched or bought into the R-series during the lockdowns are now trying to sell off their gear.  Camera stores that bought up secondhand cameras in 2021 are no longer buying because they can't sell their stock.  EF cameras and lenses barely move on the secondhand market unless the prices are dirt cheap.  Second hand goods dealers won't even touch dedicated cameras these days.  As I've said before in other replies, they all say the same thing: "Everyone today has a phone with a camera in it".  I'm actually delivering two in-the-box cameras to a charity group for free this week because I just couldn't sell them.
.
I've noticed that businesses who would normally hire a photographer (eg restaurants, zoos, product manufacturers etc) are now simply getting their staff to take pictures with their smartphone cameras.  With the economic downturn, even professionals such as wedding photographers and photojournalists are finding themselves with barely enough work to cover part time or casual hours these days.
.
So where does that leave the EOS M-system? 
Canon claimed earlier this year that the EOS M system has not been forgotten and that they would "continue to support it".  It would appear that "support" does not necessarily mean release new accessories, bodies or lenses for it. Would an EOS M7 or similar sell?  Absolutely it would.  But Canon have a decades old habit of wanting to dictate to the public what it is they should want, rather than support customer demands.  Their recent EOS R6 II is not aimed at appeasing customers but competing with Sony.  Canon once said there was only room for perhaps three companies after the mirrorless wars are over.  They also said they wanted to be the largest seller of mirrorless products.  They clearly see Sony as an adversary that they want to be seen to compete with.
.

Canon's new EL-5 flash with its 15-pin Hotshoe Connection.
.
But I don't trust a company that launches new products and then makes their Hotshoe fittings obsolete prior to even withdrawing them from sale.  The newly announced Canon EL-5 is only compatible with the R3, R5 II, R7 and R10 cameras (*subject to an upcoming FW update) and according to Canon's own spec sheet does not work with the R, Ra, RP, R5 or R6 cameras.   Already people are showing bewilderment in Canon dropping some new models in favor of others.  The 15-pin flash Hotshoe on the R6 II is going to encourage dirt to block the terminal port.  At least they would have had to redesign the way the screws on the R/R5 and R6 were installed on the inside (instead of the outside) of the body, right?  Let's hope so.
.
I've spoken with two different Canon employees in 2022 who claim they feel that the EOS R-system was not a radical enough change from the EF mount and that there's folks within the company who allegedly have doubts about future success based on world economics right now.  A war with either China, Russia or North Korea would all but end camera sales for any camera manufacturer right now.  As we stand today, Canon recently closed their DSLR plant in China to consolidate assets but most of their parts and packaging is still done there. Canon relies on Lithium, Alloys and other materials, which are now all in frighteningly low supply right now due to China's ongoing anti-Covid/zero-Covid policy coupled with a global shortage.  Then there's the logistics... with no reliable shipping, huge backlogs from the Mainland and a large increase in the price of shipping containers (from 13x-40x the previous cost).  
.
There's also the dwindling lack of sales which can be blamed solely on the higher pricing and lower demand.  Canon's not the only camera manufacturer out there either. The approaching, inevitable global economic recession will be absolutely brutal for Canon.  And with economic uncertainly, consumers will cling to their phone and sell off their expensive cameras and expensive lenses to pay bills.
.
My guess is that if Canon don't announce a new EOS M camera by the end of the first quarter of 2023, that internal batteries on existing bodies will eventually fail and consumers will either adopt the R-system, move to another brand or just retire their mirrorless cameras and resort to their smartphones.  In today's world,  a Smartphone is essential but a dedicated camera is not unless you're making a living through your gear.  Everyone is a photographer these days.  Everyone has access to a camera.  And the resources (customers) are drying up as a result.  I'd say that Canon can fudge the numbers for a year or so but that they'll have to commit to either ending the M-series entirely or continue to support it. With so much economic uncertainty, the rising cost of parts and materials, the complexity of logistics and the dwindling consumers... I believe Canon will cut away the M-series. 
.

My two EOS M cameras and 4x EF-M lenses will simply sit patiently on a shelf unless needed.  In the meantime, I seem to be using my iPhone and Full Frame mirrorless cameras quite a bit more these days.
.
People weren't asking for an EOS R6 II or an EL-5 flash that isn't backwards-compatible but we got one of each this week.  People certainly wanted an RF 35mmL lens over the RF 135mmL lens that they delivered.  Canon's now producing unnecessary products just to stay relevant.  The Inspic S camera is a prime example of this.  There might have been a chance for an M7 or a new release M-series camera if the market wasn't in such disarray.  But here we are.  And with the R7 + R10 APS-C bodies on the market for the RF-Mount, there's no pressing need for Canon to continue producing EOS M-system products.
.
I don't imagine I'd get much money from any camera or lenses these days, no matter what the mount is.  But if Canon want to keep reeling in the dollars, another EOS M body would fit within both the budget and demand of their consumers.  Who knows, it might be their last hand to play if the economy forces it.  In the meantime, mine will sit on a shelf in a cabinet with their lenses as I reach repeatedly for my iPhone that's always within a few inches of my grasp.  I took around 30 photographs today and they were all with my iPhone.  I think the writing is on the wall for Canon.  They've clearly had plenty of time to do more with the EOS M system but have chosen to keep poking the R-system with a stick in an attempt to stimulate sales via a drip-feed method.  My EOS M6 currently just sits on a shelf.  I'd buy an M6 II but there's no all-black models available and there hasn't been locally for over a year now. I don't think Canon deserve the loyalty so many of us have had for some of their products.  I'll be disappointed if my M cameras break down though.  Rest in Peace, little pal.

I am the type of person that only wants to have one camera system. Canon's introduction of the R7 and R10 convinced me that they were done with EOS M, so I decided to get out while I could still get decent value for my gear. I never would have thought I'd go to full frame, but when I started comparing systems with what I wanted (in particular, a good f/2.8 standard zoom and fast 35-ish mm equivalent prime), full frame just started making more sense in terms of cost, size, and features. I ended up with a Nikon Z6 with the fantastically sharp 24-70 f/4 (which in terms of equivalence would be like a 15-45 f/2.5 in Canon crop land) and the 40mm f/2, a close analog of the EF-M 22mm f/2 for full frame. I got all that for under $1800. The body and zoom lens were refurbished and on sale. The body has IBIS, weather sealing, and better AF than my M50 did. Now that I've gotten used to the bigger size, it doesn't bother me. Plus the two lenses I got are fairly compact. I'm a happy camper.

No good replacement in this size.

plan on keep using at least another decade or 2.

will watch the camera better, just bought another body as a back up. And consider buying even another one.

I’m planing on keep using it and my back ups in decades to come.

any reason to worry about internal battery?

my old D90 Nikon still alive…

I’m going to continue using my M gear (M5 & M6 II) for as long as it lasts … AND continues to fit my needs. 
I would love to see some additional sign of life from M, especially an M5 II, but unless Canon comes out with it and/or another really compelling lens, I do not plan to buy any more M gear.

And I don’t plan to buy *any* R gear, or any other ILC equipment.  Why?

• I am not a professional photographer.  The M system provides everything I need, and in fact exceeds my capabilities as a photographer. 
• Having a fairly complete set of M gear, I have no appetite for investing in another system.
• The size and expense of R are just too much for me.  
• The remarkable advances in smartphone camera capabilities will continue, making smartphones the best camera for all but demanding professionals.  Already my wife and several friends often come home with photos that are “good enough” for amateur uses, and get shots that I didn’t because they used the camera that was always with them, without having to lug around even a small M camera and lens.

Like many people here, I keep hoping that Canon will demonstrate that there is still some life left in M, but also like others, I remain disappointed that nothing has been forthcoming. But realistically, if I were at Canon, I would focus on the market segment that is least likely to be subject to erosion by smartphones, i.e. the upper-end where R is positioned for pros, and leave the rest of the market for smartphones.

You can’t fight the progress of technology.  Consider the computer industry, for one example.  Not that long ago, all “real” computers were giant mainframes sold by IBM, along with midrange computers like DEC and IBM AS/400 etc.  Then those little PCs came along - just toys at first.  But the little PCs started growing up, first eating into the midrange market, and eventually the unthinkable - making mainframes obsolete.  I see the same in the camera world.

I have other cameras I use. My M6 Mk II (recently purchased) would be my travel camera, just as my M6 Mk I has been. I actually have several M cameras dating back to the original M. 
I don't know when I will stop using the M cameras. I imagine it may be when a similarly priced, similarly sized camera is released that is supported and hopefully can use some of my existing glass.

Assuming M series is indeed at end, then as an R5 owner, I am hoping Canon releases a compact and capable R along with some good RF-S lenses that can satisfy my desire for a "M6III" as my compact alternative to the R5.

R10 is nice, but in my book neither compact enough nor capable enough.

If Canon does not release such a camera then at some point I may look to other mounts... Sadly my 3-year old M6II has started misbehaving ...

Photato wrote:

Assuming the discontinuation of the Canon M mount is imminent, what are your gear plans ?

Use it until it falls apart and get the holy RF trinity.

ezriel wrote:

I’m planing on keep using it and my back ups in decades to come.

any reason to worry about internal battery?

my old D90 Nikon still alive…

My M3 from 2015 is in perfect working order, of course I always store them with charged battery.

I think that they should be good through 2030 at the very least.

Marco Nero wrote:

Photato wrote:

Assuming the discontinuation of the Canon M mount is imminent, what are your gear plans ?

I'm already an adopter of the EOS R system with several different cameras on hand. But the EOS M-System is where the pleasure is.
.
The problem with Canon right now is that they're now abandoning the original EOS flash mount. This is the same mount on all EOS R-system cameras announced up until 2020. You see...

you know there is a canon adaptor to put the old flash guns on new bodys

the new Speedlight EL-5 was announced this week. And it's not even compatible with the EOS R, RP, R5, or the EOS R6.

and the problem is???

It's immediately compatible with the new EOS R6 II but will later be compatible (some months from now) after an update for the EOS R3, R7 and R10 is enabled. Straight away, Canon were caught out being shortsighted with their prior EOS R-system cameras produced up until 2020.

shortsighted in what way?

That's not only confusing for consumers but it's going to cost them in consumer confidence.

? what is confusing?

.
Right now, we're barely a few days away from a wrecked economy with only Australia and a few isolated nations being partially immune to the global Economic Crisis. Canon is now bleeding so hard from Smartphone sales

STOP.....canons demise for one reason or another has been predicted for the last 10 years

its probably the M milc that is most affected by the phone ..maybe canon should do something about that ...ho wait

that they should be consolidating their products and trying to be more competitive with pricing.

no all manufacturers and i mean all are going upmarket where sales are less but profits are more or are at least releasing the expensive kit in preparation ..who would of thoght you would pay 2500 for a APS-c body?

They even released a new camera that looks like a tiny smartphone called the Canon Inspic S.

you do know that this canon camera is to compete against Fuji Instax, which is Fuji's most profitable cameras

And for $150 - $99 these new "instant cameras" are aimed at the smartphone generation with the price being the only attractive thing about them. This is embarrassing because it shows that Canon are desperate to remain as a relevant option in a world where many smartphones can outperform their compact and APS-C cameras. It reeks of insecurity.

are fuji embarrassed that Instax are the most profitable cameras for them?

i dont think canon are insecure with 1/2 the market share and the contents of their just-released quarterly figures

.

Canon's "midlife crisis moment" ... the Inspic S

.
This week, Canon announced the RF 135mmL lens to supersede the recently discontinued EF 135mmL lens... but at 4 to 5 times the price. They're trying to push lenses that are low priority yet fail to release essential lenses required by professionals and amateurs wanting to switch systems. But there's only so much blood you can squeeze from a stone.

the EF 135 F2L was released in 1996 for $1089 in today's money adjusted for inflation it would cost you $2054 USD..the RF 135 F1.8L which is 1/3 of a stop faster and has IS is only$45 more..i think that's a bargain

.

What they really fail to notice is that after the crushing misery of 2 years of lockdowns and failed deliveries due to Covid, that the world Economy is now in shambles.

i am pretty sure canon has noticed the economy

We know this because of the high prices of all their latest products. We're facing a certainty for a Global Economic Recession. The cost of living is now so much higher than ever before that people are reevaluating their priorities. Those who binged on photographic gear when the R-system was launched or bought into the R-series during the lockdowns are now trying to sell off their gear. Camera stores that bought up secondhand cameras in 2021 are no longer buying because they can't sell their stock. EF cameras and lenses barely move on the secondhand market unless

the prices are dirt cheap. Second hand goods dealers won't even touch dedicated cameras these days. As I've said before in other replies, they all say the same thing: "Everyone today has a phone with a camera in it". I'm actually delivering two in-the-box cameras to a charity group for free this week because I just couldn't sell them.
.
I've noticed that businesses who would normally hire a photographer (eg restaurants, zoos, product manufacturers etc) are now simply getting their staff to take pictures with their smartphone cameras.

this has been happening for years

With the economic downturn, even professionals such as wedding photographers and photojournalists are finding themselves with barely enough work to cover part time or casual hours these days.
.
So where does that leave the EOS M-system?

dead because of smartphones ..you yourself have said several times in this post you use your phone or R cameras and leave the M on the shelf ..the writing was on the wall when there was no flagship replacement for the M5 and that's when i left ...i do miss the 11-22

Canon claimed earlier this year that the EOS M system has not been forgotten and that they would "continue to support it". It would appear that "support" does not necessarily mean release new accessories, bodies or lenses for it. Would an EOS M7 or similar sell? Absolutely it would.

why would a new body sell? the M6ii was a very good body in its price point and had about the best APS-c sensor yet canon must have decided whether long team or even short term the M6ii is not economically viable

But Canon have a decades old habit of wanting to dictate to the public what it is they should want, rather than support customer demands.

customer damans all the flagship features in the body priced as a rebel

Their recent EOS R6 II is not aimed at appeasing customers but competing with Sony.

so what sony body will the R6 mkii compete against that the R6mki didn't?

i have not heard of anyone not pleased with the spec of the mkii...so what should canon do to the mkii to please you?

Canon once said there was only room for perhaps three companies after the mirrorless wars are over. They also said they wanted to be the largest seller of mirrorless products. They clearly see Sony as an adversary that they want to be seen to compete with.

its not that they want to be seen to compete with sony, the NEED to compete

.

Canon's new EL-5 flash with its 15-pin Hotshoe Connection.

.
But I don't trust a company that launches new products and then makes their Hotshoe fittings obsolete prior to even withdrawing them from sale.

you are not making sense here ..what is canon sposed to withdraw from sale??

The newly announced Canon EL-5 is only compatible with the R3, R5 II, R7 and R10 cameras (*subject to an upcoming FW update) and according to Canon's own spec sheet does not work with the R, Ra, RP, R5 or R6 cameras. Already people are showing bewilderment in Canon dropping some new models in favor of others. The 15-pin flash Hotshoe on the R6 II is going to encourage dirt to block the terminal port.

sony has had a flash port for a long time, i have not heard of any problems

At least they would have had to redesign the way the screws on the R/R5 and R6 were installed on the inside (instead of the outside) of the body, right? Let's hope so.
.
I've spoken with two different Canon employees in 2022 who claim they feel that the EOS R-system was not a radical enough change from the EF mount and that there's folks within the company who allegedly have doubts about future success based on world economics right now. A war with either China, Russia or North Korea would all but end camera sales for any camera manufacturer right now. As we stand today, Canon recently closed their DSLR plant in China to consolidate assets but most of their parts and packaging is still done there. Canon relies on Lithium, Alloys and other materials, which are now all in frighteningly low supply right now due to China's ongoing anti-Covid/zero-Covid policy coupled with a global shortage. Then there's the logistics... with no reliable shipping, huge backlogs from the Mainland and a large increase in the price of shipping containers (from 13x-40x the previous cost).
.
There's also the dwindling lack of sales which can be blamed solely on the higher pricing and lower demand. Canon's not the only camera manufacturer out there either. The approaching, inevitable global economic recession will be absolutely brutal for Canon. And with economic uncertainly, consumers will cling to their phone and sell off their expensive cameras and expensive lenses to pay bills.
.
My guess is that if Canon don't announce a new EOS M camera by the end of the first quarter of 2023, that internal batteries on existing bodies will eventually fail

nope you can still buy 3ed party batteries for the canon D30 from 2001

and consumers will either adopt the R-system, move to another brand or just retire their mirrorless cameras and resort to their smartphones. In today's world, a Smartphone is essential but a dedicated camera is not unless you're making a living through your gear. Everyone is a photographer these days. Everyone has access to a camera. And the resources (customers) are drying up as a result. I'd say that Canon can fudge the numbers for a year or so but that they'll have to commit to either ending the M-series entirely or continue to support it. With so much economic uncertainty, the rising cost of parts and materials, the complexity of logistics and the dwindling consumers... I believe Canon will cut away the M-series.
.

My two EOS M cameras and 4x EF-M lenses will simply sit patiently on a shelf unless needed. In the meantime, I seem to be using my iPhone and Full Frame mirrorless cameras quite a bit more these days.

.
People weren't asking for an EOS R6 II or an EL-5 flash that isn't backwards-compatible but we got one of each this week. People certainly wanted an RF 35mmL lens over the RF 135mmL lens that they delivered. Canon's now producing unnecessary products just to stay relevant.

how can an unnecessary product make you stay relevant ???

i think pros are more likely to buy the 135 than a 35L the 35mm is covered by the 28-70F2 and several other lenses ...if i had L quality F2 zoom that covered 35mm i think i would need a very good reason to get a 35 prime as well but culd make VERY good use of the 28-70F2 and a 135F1,8

canon has been in the camera business a very long time and they are the most successful at it ..only they know the individual lens sales numbers and what seals best and what dont

The Inspic S camera is a prime example of this. There might have been a chance for an M7 or a new release M-series camera if the market wasn't in such disarray. But here we are. And with the R7 + R10 APS-C bodies on the market for the RF-Mount, there's no pressing need for Canon to continue producing EOS M-system products.
.
I don't imagine I'd get much money from any camera or lenses these days, no matter what the mount is. But if Canon want to keep reeling in the dollars, another EOS M body would fit within both the budget and demand of their consumers. Who knows, it might be their last hand to play if the economy forces it. In the meantime, mine will sit on a shelf in a cabinet with their lenses as I reach repeatedly for my iPhone that's always within a few inches of my grasp. I took around 30 photographs today and they were all with my iPhone. I think the writing is on the wall for Canon. They've clearly had plenty of time to do more with the EOS M system but have chosen to keep poking the R-system with a stick in an attempt to stimulate sales via a drip-feed method. My EOS M6 currently just sits on a shelf. I'd buy an M6 II but there's no all-black models available and there hasn't been locally for over a year now. I don't think Canon deserve the loyalty so many of us have had for some of their products. I'll be disappointed if my M cameras break down though. Rest in Peace, little pal.