Canon last launched a new camera back in May 2023 – that’s almost a year ago and a lengthy hiatus for a brand that makes some of the world’s best cameras. Fortunately, Canon fans itching for new gear might not have to wait much longer – according to Canon Rumors, the second half of 2024 could be busier than ever with no fewer than five Canon cameras set for launch.
The rumor relates to five separate camera registrations to CIMIT (the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Identification), two from February, one from March and now two in April. Each registration has a model number and based on the model numbers Canon has used for product registrations in the past, we can narrow down what could be on the way: most likely, three EOS R cameras and two cine cameras.
We’ve been sharing rumors regarding several Canon cameras for a while now, including a potential Canon EOS R1 flagship, a rumored Canon EOS R5 II update for Canon’s best mirrorless camera, as well as wilder rumors such as a large sensor compact to rival the Fujifilm X100VI. So what models are we likely to see in 2024? Here are some of the contenders, based on the rumors so far.
Three EOS R cameras – could be an EOS R1, EOS R5 II and EOS R7 II
The two most rumored Canon cameras in recent memory are the EOS R1 and EOS R5 II and these pro-models seem the most likely.
The EOS R1 could sit at the top of Canon’s EOS R range of cameras for photography, designed for professional sports and wildlife photographers. It’s been mentioned for years now without ever seeming to be any closer to launch. But it’s rumored to be in the hands of testers and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in July and August would be the logical time for the EOS R1 to hit the stage. Canon needs to act fast especially with the Sony A9 III taking the world by storm and becoming the fastest-ever mirrorless camera for capturing the action thanks to its newly-designed global shutter.
Canon could go down the global shutter route too, although that sensor design does compromise low light image quality. At the least the EOS R1 should have a stacked sensor with class-leading readout speeds, plus a totally new ‘quad-pixel’ autofocus system, although it won’t be cheap – we’d likely be looking at around $7,000 / £7,000 / AU$11,000.
The EOS R5 II is an interesting one. Somehow, despite being four years old now and by today’s standards due an update, the Canon EOS R5 doesn’t seem to have aged. However, the Nikon Z8 won many admirers in 2023 and is the obvious competition to a would-be EOS R5 II, which would need a stacked sensor design to blend power and performance with superb image quality in the way the Z8 is able to.
As for the third potential EOS R camera registered by Canon, the EOS R7 II has been mentioned by Canon Rumors. It could update Canon’s flagship crop-sensor (APS-C) model with improved speed and autofocus performance, and could do this by becoming Canon’s first-ever APS-C camera with a stacked sensor.
The 26MP Fujifilm X-H2S is the only APS-C camera with a stacked sensor, and if Canon could combine the higher 32.5MP resolution of the EOS R7 with its superior autofocus performance, then the potential EOS R7 II could be the best-ever APS-C mirrorless camera, period. Color us excited.
New EOS C models coming to a cine production soon?
It’s also been a quiet time for Canon indie filmmakers. The Canon EOS R5 C was launched in 2022 as a model whose existence was largely perceived to fix the overheating debacle surrounding the photography-first EOS R5, which suffered shutdowns when shooting 8K video for long periods.
The EOS R5 C featured much of the same tech but with some cine-specific features such as a built-in cooling fan and longer record times. If Canon was to launch an EOS R5 II, then it could also logically announced an EOS R5 C II. Both new EOS R5 models could include improved frame rates such as 8K 60p.
However, despite being a video-first model, the EOS R5 C II isn’t technically a Canon cine camera – these cameras are EOS C models and not EOS R models. As for the EOS C range, it’s also been quite a while since we saw any action.
The last cine camera made by Canon was the EOS C70 which was launched in November 2020 as a cine / EOS R cross-over (see above). The EOS C300 Mark III arrived earlier in 2020, while the pricier EOS 500 Mark II was December 2019.
With such a long time since those product launches, it’s easy to see why there could be new cine models on the way. The two rumored Canon cine cameras could be any one of the models, though we’d hedge a bet for an EOS C70 II and an EOS C500 Mark III, both with improved resolution 8K video recording.
In addition to the five rumored cameras, there will apparently be new lenses, while we’ve also seen a Powershot 360-degree / 180-degree 3D concept camera on show at The Photography and Video Show in the UK. Canon could finally be back with a bang real soon.
