During the era of DSLR cameras, Canon held a dominant position. Up until the film camera era, Nikon’s F series was the market leader, and even in terms of autofocus lenses, Nikon had the upper hand as evidenced by its release of the first DSLR, the D1, in 1999. However, in 2003, the market leadership shifted. Nikon focused on semi-professional products like the D1H and D100 after releasing the D1, while Canon took a different approach. In 2003, Canon released the EOS 300D, the first DSLR priced at under $1000, ushering in an era where anyone, not just professionals, could use a DSLR. Although Nikon also released the D70, a DSLR under $1000, it was already too late as the EOS 300D had created a buzz in the DSLR market. Canon took the lead in the transition from film to digital cameras, and in 2005, they further solidified their position by releasing the EOS 5D, a full-frame DSLR aimed at professionals. This marked a turning point in the competition between Nikon and Canon.
Meanwhile, Sony struggled to make its voice heard in the market dominated by Canon and Nikon. According to IDC Japan’s 2010 data on the global digital camera market share, Canon held 19% of the market in both 2009 and 2010, making it the second-largest player, while Sony held 17.9% in 2010, ranking second. Nikon ranked third with 12.6%. However, in the high-value DSLR market segment, Canon’s market share was 44.5%, Nikon’s was 29.8%, and Sony’s was only 11.9%.
In 2013, Sony turned the tables in the market with the introduction of the A7, a full-frame mirrorless camera. Mirrorless cameras, which first appeared in 2008 with the Micro Four Thirds mount, were initially considered alternative cameras for beginners before the launch of the Sony A7. Sony targeted professional users by combining high-quality image capabilities with a compact and lightweight design, leading to a shift in the market. While initially unable to satisfy the high standards of professionals who had been using DSLRs for decades, Sony’s mirrorless cameras gradually won over many professionals.
Looking at the 2018 full-frame mirrorless market share in Japan, Sony dominated with over 99% market share from 2013 to July 2018. Canon and Nikon only entered the mirrorless market in October 2018, causing Sony’s market share to drop to around 67%. Nevertheless, many professionals had already switched to Sony cameras by then, making a comeback for Canon and Nikon unlikely.
In 2024, Sony maintained a 49.7% share of the mirrorless camera market in Japan, while Canon held 20.2% and Nikon held 12.6%. The remaining share was divided among Fuji, Panasonic, and OM System. Sony’s mirrorless cameras, which have established an ecosystem ahead of Canon and Nikon, are currently more widely used in the commercial market and beyond.
Canon now aims to regain its foothold in the professional market that has been taken over by Sony. With the release of the EOS R1, Canon is targeting professional users who have not yet switched to mirrorless cameras. The EOS R1 features a 24.2-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor and leverages deep learning technology to achieve up to 96 million pixels in-camera. It supports a standard sensitivity of ISO 102400 and an expanded sensitivity of up to 409600.
The camera can capture up to 40 frames per second in electronic shutter mode and 12 frames per second in mechanical shutter mode. The focus performance has been enhanced based on the Digic X processor and Dual Pixel CMOS AF II. Tracking capabilities include cross-subject response, upper body detection, and head area estimation, supporting action shots and priority shooting of up to 100 registered subjects. Additionally, the camera features a pre-shot continuous shooting mode that can go up to 20 frames, flicker prevention, and the ability to use flash even in electronic continuous shooting mode.
The viewfinder uses a 0.9x magnification 0.64-inch 9.44 million-dot OLED, while the display features a 2.1 million-dot 3.2-inch swivel LCD. External interfaces include a USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C, LAN port, HDMI port, microphone and headphone jacks, and terminal jack. The camera can record 6K 60fps RAW video without external connection and offers various recording options such as 4K DCI, 2K-D Fine, 2K-D, and FHD Fine. The weather-sealed performance of the Canon EOS R1 is now on par with the Canon EOS 1D series.
Released alongside the EOS R1 is the EOS R5 Mark II, featuring a 45-megapixel CMOS sensor, AF performance comparable to the EOS R1, up to 30 frames per second continuous shooting, support for upscaling to 179 million pixels in-camera, and up to 8K 60fps RAW video recording. The EOS R5 Mark II is priced around 5.49 million won, while the EOS R1 will be priced at around 8 million won when released in November.
Canon and Nikon both continued to release DSLRs for several years after the introduction of the Sony A7, only phasing out DSLRs after five years. Realizing their mistake before Sony completely dominated the market, they began releasing mirrorless cameras in 2018, marking the end of the DSLR era.
Fujio Mitarai, Canon’s CEO, hinted at the discontinuation of DSLRs with the release of the Canon 1D X Mark III in 2020, and Nikon also phased out DSLRs with the D6 in the same year. Canon hopes that the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II will offer a new alternative in the professional full-frame camera market and aims to win over the hearts of the few remaining professionals clinging to DSLRs. Can Canon regain its position from the DSLR era with the EOS R1? While convincing everyone may be a stretch, at least some are likely to make the switch.
By Nam Si-hyun, IT Donga journalist ([email protected])