New Rumor: Canon RF APS-C camera in active development

A new rumor from Canon Rumors is that that a good source has heard that a new APS-C RF camera is in active development, but would not be released until at least 2021.

As we have mentioned since when it was first leaked with the RF mount, Canon has caused a lot of issues with this RF mount and APS-C users, primarily where is the way going forward?   The RF mount doesn't allow for EF-M lenses to be used, and the EF-M mount can't use RF lenses either.  Making two disjointed systems, and neither one of the optimally supporting higher end APS-C.

This rumor is for an APS-C Camera only.  Canon feels that no lenses need to be created with this camera.  This is strange.  Given the recent finds of the 17-70mm lens, maybe this is the lens that Canon would create with the camera, a cross over full frame lens that could be used on both a full frame camera, and also a kit lens for an APS-C.

What to make out of this?

There are only three real reasons why Canon would make a high performance APS-C RF camera;

1. APS-C is less expensive than full frame cameras.

2. APS-C sensors usually allow for greater pixel density at higher framerates

3. Some APS-C lenses can be made smaller and more portable than their full frame counterparts.  Especially normal and wide angle lenses.

The second point is losing its appeal when the market has cameras such as the Sony A7R IV which has 61MP, and can shoot at 10fps.  It has the same pixel density as a 27MP camera, more than Sony's current AP-C cameras.  In other words, for focal length limited shooting, the A7R IV is better than Sony's current APS-C cameras.  Granted it's over $3000, which also brings us to the first point, cost, but Sony knows that enough people will buy it to make it a business success.

The third point seems to be the contentious part of the rumor.  Canon is not going to make any APS-C lenses for the RF camera.  This makes me question the rumor.  While I get it that Canon may think that the majority of users are shooting with 100-400's and super telephotos and that the primary need is focal length limited scenarios, making it so there are no native (or even modern) options to shooting at wide-angle or ultra-wide angles is extremely short-sighted and limits the camera's broad appeal. Even adapting from the EF-S mount, is limited, with the 11-18 being a very cheap and consumer-grade lens, and the 10-22mm being quite old and showing it's age with modern 32MP crop sensors in the Canon arsenal.  While a 17-70mm full frame lens will work, providing a 27-110mm equivalent focal length as a kit lens, it would be much larger and heavier than necessary to support APS-C.

While Canon has no really good kit focals in the EF-M system, the 11-22, 22mm, 34mm could be easily ported from the EF-M system to the RF mount as the optics would remain the same, simply the electronics would need updating.  This would give the APS-C users on the RF mount some credible small APS-C options to fill their kit with.  Of course, Canon could be keeping this quiet, because the wholesale porting of lenses from the EF-M mount to the RF mount, would essentially signal the end of the EF-M mount.

Speaking of the EF-M mount - what does this rumor do for it? It really depends if Canon isn't going to carry on with the M5 Mark II.  If development has indeed stopped on this camera, then this future RF APS-C camera starts to make much more sense and determines the limited scope of where Canon is going to market the EF-M mount going forward.

This rumor is at least a year away.  Canon could be in the midst of developing a camera that never makes it to market only time will tell.