During CP+ 2025, we had the opportunity to meet with the executive team of Canon Corp, consisting of Go Tokura, VP and General Manager of the Imaging Division, Manabu Kato, head of the IBO (Imaging Business Operations) division responsible for products, Yasuhiko Shiomi, director of the IBO division in charge of development, and Tetsushi Hibi, director of the IBO division dedicated to optics.
This was a chance for us to discuss the launches of the Canon EOS R1 and R5 Mark II, talk about the new PowerShot V1, and explore the recent lenses in the Z series. Here’s the interview.
In 2024, Canon unveiled two full-frame cameras, the EOS R5 Mark II and EOS R1. Has their launch been successful? Can you share any sales figures with us?
Go Tokura: From what I can say, as we anticipated, both models are performing very well. I must also say that there’ve been some back orders ever since the launch, so I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to those who’ve been waiting for our products. We’re doing our best.
Regarding the R5 Mark II, the situation has improved, so whoever needs it should have better access to it now. Regarding sales figures for these two models, we are not releasing any numbers. However, if you look at the performance of our group, these two models have contributed greatly.
While the EOS R5 Mark II seems to be winning unanimous approval, the EOS R1 appears rather modest, especially considering its role in the lineup. What were the choices that led to this camera? Why wasn’t it more differentiated from the EOS R3?
Yasuhiko Shiomi: We have developed the EOS-1 series models over several generations. Our standard has always been that each new EOS-1 series model must surpass its predecessor in every aspect. – that’s like the golden standard for us.
In that sense, we have been planning and developing this R1 camera. For professional photographers, specifications are certainly important, but reliability is equally crucial. The EOS-1 series models are crafted with a consistent philosophy of quality as flagship cameras. The mirrorless EOS R1 inherits the philosophy of the EOS-1 series and meets the same stringent quality standards as its predecessors, without any compromise.
That’s the thinking behind our planning of this product. Of course, we understand when people notice the same pixel count between R1 and R3. But I hope users will recognize the differences between the models. For example, the AF performance is overwhelmingly improved, including the cross-AF.
In terms of precision and performance, it has greatly improved regarding rolling distortion, shutter speed, and the EVF. So spec-wise, if you actually know how to use it, you’ll see the difference, and we’re confident that professionals will notice that difference.
You also improved the EOS R5 Mark II. So maybe the differences between R5 Mark II and R1 might not be significant, and I think you see it in sales—EOS R5 Mark II might be really successful because some professionals who considered buying theR1 say, “Okay, R5 Mark II is enough,” and maybe more versatile because of its higher megapixel count, it can handle a variety of scenarios. How do you distinguish between thosetwo?
Yasuhiko Shiomi: Well, let me just start by The R5 Mark II is more of a hybrid camera aimed at achieving high performance in both still images and videos, whereas the R1 is a camera designed to reliably capture the best photos even in harsh environments.
Go Tokura: Let me try to portray it from a professional perspective. R1 is made for professional photographers—that’s something we’ve established. And professionals like to continue to use the one with the number 1 on it, as you know.
While the EOS R5 is certainly also used among professional photographers, it is not mainstream as a ‘professional camera.’ So they want to make sure the new EOS R1 has to be better than the previous one for professionals. That’s why we had to leverage all of the functions that go into R1. If you compare each of the specs, you’ll notice that there are certain things that aren’t covered by the EOS R5 Mark II, but are definitely covered on the R1 for professionals who want to take good photographs.
Regarding lenses, Canon launched five “hybrid” lenses for both photo and video. Why does video take such an important place in the RF ecosystem?
Manabu Kato: I think there are several reasons. One aspect is the evolution of cameras themselves. In the past, video cameras and still cameras were completely separate devices, but with the advent of the mirrorless camera era, the fusion of both has progressed significantly.
Now, even with the camera you have, you can capture beautiful videos, right? I think that’s the main reason why we’re starting to see this hybrid lens demand in the market. Another reason is, of course, the trend among users or customers.
Recently, in the professional market, there has been a trend towards downsizing equipment and reducing manpower. In the amateur market, the spread of smartphones and social media has led to an increase in users seeking higher quality and more creative video expressions. As a result, both professionals and amateurs are increasingly using a single device to shoot both videos and still images.
So I believe that one single camera that can do both has become much more in demand among users. Of course, we need to respond to such needs and trends, so our Z series is exactly for that purpose. We need to have hybrid lenses as well.
Can you give us more details about the new AF VCM motor? How is it different from USM? What are its benefits?
Tetsushi Hibi: Our new RF 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm F1.4 prime lenses are equipped with VCM. On our products, we use different types of actuators for autofocusing: VCM, USM, and STM. The strength of VCM is that it can respond to high torque, meaning it can operate heavy lenses very well. So of course the trade-off is it does get a little bit larger, however you can handle the heavy lenses much better.
So will we see VCM motors in more telephoto zoom lenses in the future?
Tetsushi Hibi: Yes, I think our policy is depending on what the product intent is, we will decide which actuator goes into what. But again, it’s a possibility.
In 2024, the big revolution was the arrival of third-party lenses for the RF mount, but only for APS-C. Why is that? Why aren’t there any third-party lenses for full-frame RF mount?
Go Tokura: Regarding third-party lenses, I can’t go into detail about the contracts with third- party lens manufacturers, so please don’t ask. Having said that, third-party manufacturers have their own strategies and plans. Within the past 12 months since we last met, they’ve actually come up with several products.
We will be keeping an eye on what kind of third-party lenses will appear in the market from now on. What’s important here is that we do monitor, we do listen to our customers, and we would like to reflect their needs and demands in our products.
Meanwhile, Canon launched a bright and relatively affordable zoom, the RF 28-70mm F/2.8 IS STM. Is this a way to fill the third-party lens segment and prevent them from entering the RF mount for full-frame?
Tetsushi Hibi: We’re always listening to what customers have to say, and this kind of lens is really in high demand, which is why we try to accommodate their needs and wants. Having said that, we don’t really say that it’s irrelevant to any third-party lens manufacturer developments.
Our f/2.8 lenses have the brighness, the bokeh, and high image quality everybody aspires to achieve. To cover that, we have the three major lenses, what we call the Trinity lenses. But they’re still too expensive for many people who aspire to take similar photos. That’s why we accommodate their desires with this RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM lens.
Go Tokura: Just thinking about the overall lens line-up, we already have around 50 lenses now. But when I look at the portfolio, there’s still a lot we need to cover and work on. And basically, what we all do in product development and planning is responding to customer needs.
Maybe can we say that Canon has the industrial system and capabilities to create all kinds of lenses, so maybe Canon don’t need third-party lens manufacturers and prefer to control the full-frame options?
Go Tokura: I think for any business to have a successful strategy, as you suggest, there might be a desire to control the market. Yes, that’s a fair point. While it is ideal to meet all of our customers’ diverse needs with Canon genuine products, considering the constraints of development resources and costs, it has been impossible to achieve, even during the EF lens era.
Users want diversity and options, which is why we have partners working with us. This approach has allowed us to build an extensive lens portfolio in the past, and having satisfied customers is fundamental to everything we do. So I believe that’s the approach we’ll continue to follow.
2024 was largely focused on full-frame. Can we expect any new developments for APS-C in 2025?
Manabu Kato: Well, of course, APS-C is a very important aspect of our business, so we’re putting a lot of effort into it. I cannot divulge any new product planning. We understand your expectations. Please stay tuned—we’re committed to meeting them without disappointment.
Canon continues to invest in VR and 3D photography, particularly with an Apple partnership for spatial video. What’s Canon’s idea behind this?
Manabu Kato: First of all, the imaging industry is now shifting from 2D to 3D, and given this trend, we do see the potential for market expansion. However, as of today, we’re not seeing any such market expansion. That’s the reality.
Of course, we’re putting more weight into 3D and have planned many measures, as you can see in the exhibit downstairs. But we cannot do this alone because you need high-quality content, good applications for 3D video editing, as well as actual devices to watch the high- quality content, which is the difficult part.
So we do feel that there needs to be good collaboration and cooperation between different companies and players. One good example of that collaboration is with Apple. But not only with Apple—we’d like to collaborate with different partners to make sure that we bring the best to 3D.
Canon is launching a new PowerShot V1 with a unique 1.4-inch sensor. Can you explain the choice for this camera?
Yasuhiko Shiomi: Yes, well, we are using a larger sensor and, both for stills and video, image quality is much better with this one compared to a one-inch sensor. Another reason is it’s a sensor we made in-house, and we have been accumulating our knowledge and experience of autofocus for mirrorless sensors that could be shared and reflected in this product.
Go Tokura: Yeah, it’s compact, but the positioning is it’s going to be our compact flagship. There’s also a fan, so it could be durable for long-time shooting. I think you could make full use of it—it’s a hardcore camera.
Is it the first product to use this 1.4-inch sensor?
Yasuhiko Shiomi: Yes.
In an interview with the Nikkei newspaper, Canon’s CEO Fujio Mitarai mentioned the possibility of outsourcing some of their entry-level compact camera production to other companies. What’s the strategy while compact cameras are experiencing such growth?
Go Tokura: Well, when we say compact camera, these small cameras with embedded lenses, the total volume of the market was about 120 million per year at their peak. But today, it’s only 1/40th of this volume. So we are currently producing all of them domestically in Japan.
I think all the companies, including us, thought that the compact camera market in general had shrunk so much that we accommodated that shrinkage too much, which is why you see less supply right now and people waiting. But I think that will be resolved soon on our end because we are ramping up production.
In 2026, the Canon AE-1 will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Subsequently, Canon is one of the rare manufacturers not to have a vintage-looking mirrorless camera. Any thoughts about that?
Manabu Kato: Well, thank you. I’m really glad to hear you’re an enthusiast of the AE-1 because I love that camera too.
Thank you for the question about the vintage look, styling, and design. It’s not as simple as “okay, let’s design this camera to make it look vintage.” In a camera like this one [EOS R5 Mark II, Editor’s note], we have the camera part, the lens part, and the accessory part, and they all have to coordinate together to form a camera. That’s why we have to start designing from considering: “if we change the camera part, how will it affect the lens, how will it affect the accessories?” These are the things we consider first in making our designs.
And we are really focused on grip operability, the positioning of dials, buttons, and other things. So if we were to do this with the AE-1 design, would it truly achieve the kind of operability and usability we need in a Canon camera? That’s what it boils down to.
But I hear you, and there’s actually a lot of demand for vintage looks, and it’s not something we ignore. We actually embrace that. But these technological challenges, as well as business viability challenges, are things we’ll have to prudently consider before we can go ahead with a vintage design.
Fujifilm and other manufacturers are showing that it looks like a good business decision. Regarding ergonomics, you could decide to do a vintage-looking camera with no grip and offer the ability to add an additional grip or handle for when it needs to be carried securely?
Manabu Kato: Thank you for your insight. We’ll take in your advice as well, but again, we’re not in denial of vintage design, please don’t get us wrong. It’s just that how we can achieve both is what we’re currently looking into.
Why have you decided to make two versions of the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM Z, one white and one black?
Manabu Kato: As you know, in still photography, our telephoto lenses are basically white, because that’s what it is. But video shooters don’t like the white that actually reflects and appears in the video image. So the demand was for a black one. And so we had to accommodate both needs.
Go Tokura: Of course, internally, you could imagine we all said one color would suffice, but that wasn’t the case. So it was the right answer at the end of the day, because both groups wanted different colors and they’re both selling well.
What is Canon’s strategy in terms of computational photography?
Yasuhiko Shiomi: Well, on the R1, of course, we could do upscaling and noise reduction. But for other cameras, we have the DPP application. And function-wise, it provides much more diverse services. For example, debayering is possible and other image processing is possible to ensure high image quality. We could also do a lot of optical-related corrections through the app.
We try the new technologies on the app. Once it is proven and verified as viable, we develop it for the camera (which needs some development time). Therefore, technology that is well received will be put into the hardware itself, and that’s the kind of cycle we’re going through.
Go Tokura: A side note: we’re not just going to focus on software’s quality improvement. The evolution of hardware is not going to stop, and of course, the same goes for software.
We need to be mindful while approaching image processing, and see what role AI will play and how far we could actually create something. So even when that delicately balanced world is coming our way, I believe that from the hardware we need to get the maximum data and information out as possible, and that’s something we’ll focus on.
Also, do you have any plans to incorporate content credentials features inside your professional cameras?
Go Tokura: We are going to pursue content credentials through our products. Within this year we should be able to provide that capability in our existing cameras such as EOS R5 Mark II and EOS R1.
Thanks to Canon Corp for this interview. We also thank Marion of Canon France for organizing this meeting.
