Imaging-Resource sits down with Canon

In one of many of their excellent interviews with Canon, Imaging Resource sat down with Canon and had a detailed discussion with them over the EOS RP and the future of the RF mount, cameras and lenses.

As we had surmised a few days ago, the 6D Mark II and the EOS RP share the same sensor with minor differences in the microlenses for full frame mirrorless.  This comes as no great surprise to us, as it's the cheapest sensor Canon could make, and it's already had the development more or less paid for by the 6D Mark II.  When you are selling the world's first $1299 at launch full frame camera, costs have to be cut.

Basically, it's the same sensor, except the microlenses are fine-tuned to be more optimized for the mirrorless system.

I found it amazing to the level of detail and the surprising complexity to making even an entry level camera and grip.  Reasons like these, make it difficult for people to switch from Canon, or to buy Canon gear.  The little things matter.  Canon spent a considerable amount of time and effort creating the body, using 3D printers to model the camera body and paid special attention to the grip and how the camera will be held.

I believe that the fact that we were able to deliver this camera with a firm grip was thanks to the collaboration of different teams that were involved in the process of this design. They were teams such as [those] that were in charge of exterior design, as well as mechanical designers, and there were evaluation teams, quality-assurance teams that were involved in the process as well. So all of these teams worked together to make sure we get the grip right.

We got our first word of an upcoming firmware release that will have Eye EF in AI Servo coming to the EOS RP:

Got it, right. So RP has that and then this coming firmware update will add it to the EOS R too, yes. So when a face is small, it just detects the face. But if it gets big enough, you see the eye.

Canon is quite aware that a pro model is certainly needed by enthusiasts, but they admit it will require new technology such as new sensors.  What should come as no surprise to our readers, is that Canon has been REALLY busy researching stacked and other enhanced sensor designs over the past 2 years.  Canon essentially admitted that the new professional camera will most likely have a new generation of Canon sensor.

Well I think the pro body will demand advances at the sensor level for very fast AF maybe. Sensors take a long time to design and bring to market.

Read more of the interesting article here