I remember that when Canon released the EOS R6 and EOS R5 back in... what was it... 2018 ? The prices felt like... sky high, especially for the EOS R5 model, with a price tag around 48.000 SEK / 4300 €. Those prices were located at a level which only several years earlier, were reserved for Canon Top models, like EOS 1D X, 1D Mark IV or equivalent so to speak.

But the Canon EOS R5 (45 MP) wasn't exactly that. It was just a damn high megapixel camera, and Canon's first (more real mirrorless model that appeared to satisfy the crowd. Either way, I felt that the price level close to 50.000 SEK in Sweden was just nuts. In my personal opinion the EOS R5 didn't entice me a bit, due to the high noise in the sensor. People would then say; but when you make the images smaller equivalent to 20 or 24 MP, the noise would be the same.

Noisy EOS R5 ? From what perspective

I still think the EOS R5 is a damn noisy camera (well aware that i never tested the camera, so i could be wrong from certain perspectives). I just don't like noisy cameras on local level when you zoom in.

However, I may add, today's Topaz software can pretty easily get rid of excessive noise, as does the fantastic Adobe RAW Noise AI function we got lately - where noise isn't really a problem anymore. Adobe Denoise AI is that good !

On top of that, I am using an Olympus OM-1 (Micro Four Third) sensor, whose equivalent to fullframe is 80 MP if you scale it up to fullframe. Do I complain ? No, actually not. It is a damn good sensor in a damn good camera.

So, my argument of "EOS R5 being a too noisy camera" may not ring true anymore. Either way, back in the days I chose the Canon EOS R6 with 20 MP instead - because i liked the sensor performance, and the price was 32000 SEK (i paid i believe 27000 SEK) - which was more than i really wanted to pay for another camera. Even in 2024 I am very happy with it - so no complaints what so ever ! Despite a newer model already been released a couple years ago, with the EOS R6 Mark II, which is - let's face it - like a slightly better copy-cat of the original R6.

The latest from Canon, July 2024

Today we are being introduced the brand new Canon EOS R5 Mark II (45 MP), as well the (sport oriented) professional Canon EOS R1 (24 MP). The prices are...

Ridiculous high.

Nasty, Nasty.

EOS R5 Mark II is around 58.000 SEK in Sweden (5000 €) - and the "funny" thing is, that several features are disabled, unless you buy the crazy expensive battery grip BG-20 (6899 SEK !) - which in essence is just "a frikking battery grip", you know for 600 €.

Plus you need the very expensive, special new battery LP-E6P (1519 SEK a piece). THEN you get the extra features. (Pimp vs Sucker, anyone ?) You basically have to cough out 70.000 SEK (!) in total for a Canon EOS R5 Mark II camera.

In an elegant expression a Swedish commenter wrote at Fotosidan:

"So, the price is in fact about the expected 60000 SEK because Canon has hidden part of the price by strangling a lot of functions if you do not buy new extra batteries for 1500 SEK each. You probably want at least two. Elegant Canon, really!"

 

Me:

C'mon Canon.
Go fuck yourself.

Canon EOS R1

is the new Canon "top" model with 24 MP, whistles and bells, perhaps even makes scrambled eggs if you ask for it (after a while of predictive learning "AI"). In truth let's face it - the camera aims purely at specialized sport photographers. To me, the camera appears to be more like an upstaged Canon EOS R3 model. Price ? a Nobel Prize of 91.299 SEK. Something like 8000 € - or more than a Leica M11 camera, which too is - mildly said, vastly overpriced. But what isn't today - and who the duck is even counting in a world obsessed of narcissism me, myself and I.

Canon EOS R1 also happnes to be more expensive than the latest Fujifilm GFX 100 II mediumformat camera with 102 MP. (Sure, it is like comparing apples and oranges, i get that). But still. We've now come to the point, where fullframe cameras are more expensive than mediumformat cameras.

What a joke.

Fantastic AF

Of course, I do understand that the new EOS R1 is fantastic good in fast-shooting photography with excellent kind of intelligent autofocus to such a degree we have not seen (?) before. This means a lot for sport and action photographers, who do the spray painting type of photography, demanding that the focus is where they want it to be. Therefore - it is likely a fantastic work tool for them. No doubt. Maybe that is exactly what the EOS R1 is aiming at; the category of professionals who require this type of camera. It is for them. Not for us. Not really.

But why is the EOS R5 II so expensive, not that far off from the R1, when you include everything ? Well, because most other photographers in the Canon tent, will be choosing the EOS R5 II of course. It is where the money comes in to Canon - as it did back then when the EOS R5 was introduced, becoming a huge success.

Only now the Mark II model costs... a lot more.

Roundup

I know, it all sounds like a fuzzy bitch, who is envious because it cannot get the toys it desires. I have heard that before (not personally) but online where you can sometimes read those sharp comments. But honestly - what is there really "to get" or "to have" ?!

There is nothing to be envious of. It is a game i am not interested in. Been there, done that. When things in life get so crazy, it appears to be a symptom of that something has gone wrong.

I think it is time to jump off the bandwagon.

Would I want a Canon EOS R1 (another colossus?), or a Canon EOS R5 Mark II ? No, I wouldn't want it - not even for free. They appear to have some interesting features - but nothing that would make me a better photographer. When cameras cost 50.000 to 100.000 SEK - compared to what they are and do - in essence still just fullframe (24x36 mm sensor) machines... but the prices for these photographic tools are simply not adequate anymore.

The time of true innovations have passed

Today to pay a fortune for itsy-teeny tiny little steps forward, plus a lot of make-up on top which will in essence to truly give you better quality. (Just the feeling and promise of doing it). Most likely 99,9 % of the people who use it will not even have a true advantage (whatever that means) from such "extra qualities" (if at all), because at the same time it is also easy to "fuck up" the advantage with not so well executed shooting discipline.

I am sure that a few people in the world can utilize it (for real). But when people are that skilled - they can in essence do magic out of any photographic tool, also.

So, there you go. What came first. The Hen or the Egg.

My criticism

I would certainly work MUCH MORE on my text and expressions, if this wouldn't be my private Diary. So, everything i write is kind of unpolished and crude - because I don't put extra effort into how I write my sentences. Oh well. The real criticism i have is probably based onto that almost everything within photography has gotten so beyond expensive (i am including traditional, "analog" film material), where the price are just... incredible. I do think three times before i order anything for analogue photography.

I looked the other day at 5 liter paper developer, Ilford Mutigrade Developer (to make BW prints) - and the price online in Sweden was 800 SEK. It was like... Woah ?!

One single roll of 35mm color slidefilm can now cost up to 400-500 SEK (without E-6 develop) in a Swedish photo store. It is just nuts, you know.

How many loafs of bread ?

I sometimes compare things to "how many brad loafs" something costs ? And how was it back in the days ?

38 years ago, a roll of Fujichrome 50 D professional was 19 SEK (Nybro Photo, 1986), while a loaf of bread was 12 SEK. So, you paid 1 1/2 loaf of bread for one roll of slidefilm. Today you have to pay 13 loafs of bread, for ONE roll of color slidefilm.

BAM !

THAT'S WHAT I MEAN; it just feels wrong.

You start to realize how disproportional prices have become. It isn't even resembling normal inflation or so. It is just beyond crazy, instead.

Naturally, I do feel sad sometimes that we have come to this. Personally, I can feel sorrow that my once beloved passion of photography, has gotten so... I don't know how to say it. Where "Gettings things" and "Desiring things", overtakes the heart of creation. That artificial induced scarcity (and extreme prices) start to destroy the sense of Creations and Beautiful Art. It becomes something else. Something off balance (so say the least).

Psychopathic

Greed feeds greed. More always wants more. Reminds me of psychopathic characters, which in the large scale of things in this world, appear to have become the most favored "trait", like a fungus infecting and overtaking everything it gets in touch with.

So; I don't feed it.