Canon R1 has been announced

[Kayaker72]

I suspect it's more that they're hurt that Canon didn't give them what they personally wanted. Not sure why anyone would feel that a manufacturer owes them something, but some apparently do.

My take is a variation of this. Over the years I have seen a number of people that want the "Flagship" to be the absolute best of everything. There has always been a group that puts high MPs in that category. So, for them, I get it. They want the bigger battery, ergonomics, etc all with the higher MPs. Nikon and Sony are effectively doing variations of this.

Canon has never played that game. They have always defined a large market, tried to create a camera very well suited to that market and added a few features to broaden the appeal. This way, each camera has it's own defined niche.

R1 is pretty clearly aimed at sports. The "5" series has been events, even though I think Canon is broadening out the R5 in part to compete with other brands.

Granted, any camera can pretty much be used for any purpose, it is just some are better suited for something compared to others. So it does get down to what you need and picking the best camera for your purpose.

[neuroanatomist]

R1 is pretty clearly aimed at sports. The "5" series has been events, even though I think Canon is broadening out the R5 in part to compete with other brands.

That’s been the case since the 1D and 1Ds lines were merged in 2012. The 1D X took a small step down in resolution from the 1Ds III while maintaining the speed of the 1D IV with a FF sensor. The 5DIII took over from the 1Ds III, and a few years later there was a 5Ds. There will likely be an R5s at some point, as well.

Objectively, Canon’s strategy has been successful. Good, affordable entry level bodies with the brand people see in the hands of pros. Not sure why some people think Canon should change their strategy now. The market has changed dramatically both in terms of the type and number of cameras sold over the past decade, and Canon has continued to lead the market with their market share unchanged even as Nikon lost a lot of customers to Sony.

The initial feedback on R1 performance is excellent, which is completely unsurprising. Canon knows how to meet the needs of the pros that use 1-series cameras.

[Kayaker72]

For sure the R1 is aimed at sports shooters, but I'm really curious as to how it will perform with wildlife. Has anyone seen any impressions in that category as of yet? I own the R5 and it works really well with the RF 100-300 f/2.8. Will the R1 be a noticeable improvement with animals? Maybe I need to wait and see.

Not yet, but I am looking. It is interesting that Jim Cable is claiming a significant better hit rate with the R1 with Olympic sports. I have seen where Canon is having mini-events and letting reviewers borrow cameras. But I have yet to see much regarding hands on with wildlife, other than the launch videos. This is part of why I think Canon might be focusing the R5 II for wildlife, they included a launch video. He uses all the superlatives..."game changer"..."next level"....

Objectively, Canon’s strategy has been successful. Good, affordable entry level bodies with the brand people see in the hands of pros.

Yep. And where are people most likely to see "pros" using Canon cameras? Sporting events.

Great strategy. And fortunately, great cameras as well.

[neuroanatomist]

They want the bigger battery, ergonomics, etc all with the higher MPs. Nikon and Sony are effectively doing variations of this.

As someone pointed out (elsewhere), Nikon came out with the Z9 (gripped body) then two years later came out with the Z8 (essentially the same camera as the Z9 but without the integrated grip). Sony doesn't offer an integrated grip body. When Fuji updated the very nice GFX-100 to the MkII version, they eliminated the integrated grip.

Taken together, the upshot seems to be that none of the major manufacturers see a strong market for a high MP, integrated grip body. It's fine for people to want that, and like you I certainly 'get it'. But what I don't get is when people claim that their desire is representative of a large enough market segment to matter, or that Canon is somehow not meeting the needs of 'professionals' in general by not offering such a body. It seems like an unreasonable expectation for Canon to meet everyone's personal needs.

There's also a reason that the R5II is generally very close in specs to the R1, namely to meet the needs of those wanting pro-level performance with a higher MP count.