Canon is killing off the EOS-M system next year (again)

A new rumor from CanonRumors says that now 2021 is definitely it, the last of the EOS-M mount.  Canon also may create more than one RF APS-C camera but again, the rumors like all of them this year state no APS-C RF lenses.

I have a hard time swallowing this rumor whole.

I dislike these rumors not because I actually like my EOS-M's because it's a matter of these rumors becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.  I think we have a responsibility to our users to try to report the information as best as we know, but also to be cognizant that we can cause harm as well.

About this rumor. As with all the death of the EOS-M rumors - I am left which a big question of "Why?".  Canon is a pretty conservative company. They do things for usually good reasons.  I can't see the reason behind this.

There's no real more profit in it from Canon's perspective if they make an RF APS-C camera or an EOS-M camera both with similar functionality and R&D costs.  Both are mirrorless, and both are going to use the exact same sensor.  Arguably, the shutter may cost slightly more on the RF mount, because it has to be bigger, but for the sake of conversation, they are identical.  The only difference really is the mount.  

I also can't see why they would discontinue EOS-M before they would start to discontinue their EF-S cameras.  Considering that the EF APS-C cameras have been in literal free fall for 2+ years now.  Ironically what's been propping up those stumbling EF APS-C sales numbers was the EOS-M, most notably the M50.

There's a certain advantage of RF APS-C users can use RF full-frame lenses such as the soon-to-be-legendary RF 50mm F1.2L, the upcoming RF super telephotos, and others; but that's a reason to produce an APS-C RF camera, not to extinguish the EOS-M mount.

It's been Canon's DNA to always let the customer decide, and to give the customer alternatives and choices to best suit their use cases, budgets, and requirements.  Canon would be removing choice in this case, since I could not purchase the equivalent system in the RF mount because the lenses simply don't exist.  While I could purchase the older EF-S lenses, they aren't as optically good and are far larger than their EF-M cousins.

I mentioned to someone today that if the rumor stated "sources indicate that Canon is creating RF lenses from the EF-M lenses, offering a trade-in for your EF-M lenses and discontinuing the EOS-M mount as quickly as possible", I'd be right there lining up with the rest of you to get a shiny new RF APS-C camera body.  However, an RF camera without APS-C lenses misses the mark significantly.  There's no way such a camera and a kit can ever hope to compete in size and cost against a Sony Alpha Axxxx series APS-C camera and it's associated kit lens if Canon is adopting the policy of using full-frame lenses on an APS-C camera as a kit lens.

To be honest, if this rumor becomes true, I, and I'm sure others will look to Fuji for APS-C alternatives before I would consider purchasing an RF APS-C.

Time will tell, but this is one rumor I'm hoping does not come true, as it would truly see the start of a Canon decline.

• CanonRumors