Next year could be bigger than the last 12 months for new Canon cameras, with new rumors predicting five new launches in 2023. But as exciting as these newcomers are, there’s a notable absentee on the list — a cheap full-frame camera .
Canon rumorsThe list of Canon cameras expected for next year includes three APS-C cameras and two full-frame models. At the more expensive end is the Canon EOS R50 (the budget model that will apparently fall below the Canon EOS R10) and another APS-C camera that will (somehow) fall between the latter and the Canon EOS R7. A video-focused Canon EOS R7 C may also be on its way, but that’s less certain.
However, the expected full offerings are less comprehensive. Anyone hoping for a successor to Canon’s EOS RP — a camera that returned in 2019 with the “full frame for the masses” slogan — may be particularly disappointed. The two models on Canon Rumors’ list are the Canon EOS R5 S (potentially a high-resolution beast) and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, which will be one of the most anticipated cameras of the year.
However, this excitement will be felt mainly by wealthy professionals or amateurs with big budgets. The current Canon EOS R5 has arrived at $3,899 / £4,199 / AU$6,899. And if rumors about its successor are to be believed — a new 61MP BSI sensor, 9.44M-dot EVF and 8K/60p in expected specs — the Mark II could be even more expensive.
The successor to the Canon EOS RP could be very popular in the current financial climate, so where is it? There are some possible answers. The first, and most likely, is that this is on the way, but it simply hasn’t been leaked yet. Canon Rumors does not claim that its 2023 list of cameras is comprehensive or complete. However, the site’s historical reliability suggests, at least, that Canon’s new EOS RP camera is way behind Canon’s pick. Which leaves some less attractive explanations.
Crop start
The first explanation is that Canon simply wants to maximize the potential of its new line of APS-C cameras—and a cheap full-frame body would compromise that plan.
In fairness to Canon, our main complaint about its lineup of mirrorless cameras at the start of 2022 was the lack of affordable models. That’s been answered very well this year with the Canon EOS R7 and Canon EOS R10, which we currently rank as the best entry-level camera.
What you haven’t done yet is treat those new cameras to a set of native APS-C lenses. For now, there are still only two RF-S lenses for those cameras, an 18-45mm and an 18-150mm zoom. Rumors of three more APS-C cameras launching in 2023 suggest that Canon plans to address this situation next year. But all of that would take time and resources away from a potential successor to the Canon EOS RP.
The past few years have been a perfect storm of dwindling demand, supply chain issues and a cost-of-living crisis for camera brands, and Canon doesn’t have unlimited resources for product development. As rumor has it, next year these resources may focus on the extreme ends of their lineup – with the beneficial effect of avoiding cannibalism in the middle.
But another possibility is simply that the Canon EOS R8 will have a full frame sensor instead of an APS-C sensor. Canon Rumors’ latest publication said the EOS R8 (or EOS R9) “is likely to be APS-C,” but previous rumors have indicated otherwise — and that’s what those dreaming of a Canon EOS RP successor are hoping for.
Mixed messages
Only last month separate Latest Canon rumors (Opens in a new tab), based on a sketchy post on Chinese social network Weibo, suggested that there will soon be a “full-frame camera below the Canon EOS R6”. And that this model is likely to be the Canon EOS R8.
The leaked specs — which included a 30.3MP full-frame sensor, Digic X processor and dual card slots — actually hinted at a camera that was more like the Canon EOS R than the new Canon EOS RP. And it’s possible they were just incorrectly anticipating what eventually became the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, which arrived last month.
Either way, there are still big uncertainties about what kind of camera the Canon EOS R8 (or EOS R9) will be. Anyone looking for a full-frame bargain can still pick up the Canon EOS RP for £989 / $999 / AU$1,299, but with its fourth birthday approaching, there are now better options.
For example, the Nikon Z5 recently dropped to $997 / £999 / AU$1,696 in Black Friday sales. Even the Sony A7 III, still a great full-frame camera, is quickly edging towards that price point, recently dropping to £1,276 (about $1,580 / AU$2,275) in the UK, with the help of an Amazon promotional coupon.
Will Canon give its fans a total deal to rival those offerings in 2023? At the moment, the rumors don’t say so, but we hope she still has a few surprises up her sleeve for next year.
