I know that this is going to get me into trouble (so what else is new?), but it needs to be said. Over the past few years Canon has increasingly become the Toyota of the camera industry. By this I mean – the biggest, but also the most conservative. Like Toyota, Canon makes quality products and it competes successfully in almost every segment that it chooses to. But, like Toyota its products usually fail to excite.
Now, excitement isn't what one should necessarily look for in a camera, since for serious photographers these are tools, not toys. But, let's be realistic and also honest. This is an era in the history of photography which is seeing explosive change, with new technologies and developments arriving at a ferocious rate. Canon though seems to be leaving much of this to their competitors to explore. Mirrorless cameras, high resolution electronic viewfinders, and all the advantages of smaller, lighter cameras with smaller and lighter lenses seems not to interest Canon at this time.
Fine. But offerings like the G1X, which are neither fish nor fowl, only serve to underline that Canon seems to have lost some of its mojo. Nikon's revival over the past five years has been nothing short of remarkable, and Sony is beginning to hit its stride. Sony is a fierce competitor and technology innovator in any market that they choose to enter, and the prosumer camera market is definitely centered in their sights. Fujifilm has developed a new and exciting niche and looks to become a major new force in the enthusiast marketplace. Panasonic and Olympus are continiously innovating in the mirrorless segment, and sales figures show that along with products from Sony and Samsung mirrorless is taking significant market-share, both at the low and mid ends of the market.
Can Canon continue to be content to produce warmed-over versions of last year's DSLRs, ignore the mirrorless segment, and produce compromised crossover products such as the G1X? I sincerely hope not, because they are a great company which has hugely contributed to the photographic industry over the years. It's just that at the moment the still camera division at Canon seems stuck in about 2005. It took a palace revolt that same year at Nikon to give that company back its mojo. Will the same be required at Canon in 2012?