Canon's making a huge mistake. Speak up.

I recorded this over the weekend and reached out to our Canon rep for comment, of course. He got back to me and I added his response into the video after recording.

In short: Canon seems to be using their patents to block third parties from making lenses for the mirrorless RF mount. It's not uncommon for tech companies to do this; Apple does it so they can charge third parties to connect to their infrastructure. However, I think this is huge problem for Canon users because Chelsea & I built our careers on less expensive third party lenses... and that's true for hundreds of photographers I've known who built their careers using third-party lenses because they simply couldn't afford the expensive L lenses.

The fact is, it's not too late. Canon can listen, so please write a comment sharing your feelings and your experiences using third-party lenses. Contact Canon on social media and let them know what you think and how this impacts your feelings on the RF mount.

[aceure]

I recently bought an R5 with the expectation that the market would naturally expand with 3rd party products, lenses, etc... Had I known I was blindly investing into closed proprietary product ecosystem I certainly would NOT have gone with the R5. This is a bait and switch in my opinion - obviously there are no rules that state companies must allow for others to use their tech, but if you consider that the industry operates with 3rd party adoption over decades and decades, the argument could be made that this market adoption rate is as close to a given as could be expected. I feel like Canon owes it to their customers to disclaim their product strategy when it is this impactful to the way the product can be used in the market, as the market typically operates.

[DarrellYoung]

I was thinking of adding a Canon R5 to my kit. However, with no aftermarket lenses available, I won't consider Canon. I see a large number of aftermarket and native lenses for Canon's competitors. I don't like limitations. This is a declining market, and unless Canon is about to start making smartphones, they better recognize the foolishness of their ways. Canon, you are aggravating your potential buyers, just to make a few extra bucks. How foolish!

[sandnessmj]

I’m honestly so glad that this news came out. I’ve been waffling between Canon and Sony, with the biggest drawback to Canon being the lack of available RF mount lenses. I likely would have gone with Canon and waited (indefinitely) for some 3rd party lenses to come out. Sony is about to sell another a7iv!

[justinelliott]

Currently shooting with a Canon 5D Mark IV and was planning to upgrade to an R5 sometime within the next 8 or so months, but now I'm second guessing that decision and may give Sony a closer look. For me personally, it goes beyond simply forcing me into Canon glass for native RF mount, more frustrating to me is the almost "bully" mentality that Canon is apparently displaying with this. I'm also concerned that if there isn't competition within the RF mount realm, what's to stop Canon from charging even more crazy money for lenses in the future? Very concerning Canon.

[bradleyverde]

I've been shooting Canon for ~15 years, starting with a point and shoot, then a rebel, then a 6D, 5D IV, finally to my current combo of an R5 and an RP. I've resisted any urge to switch systems to this point, but the lack of third party RF lenses is infuriating. To this point, I'd assumed it was just a matter of time before we'd see offerings on the market - to hear Canon is actively blocking third party manufacturers absolutely makes me second guess making any investment in the RF system. This maneuver is so incredibly short-sighted by Canon and is absolutely a deterrent to not only people wanting to buy into the RF system, but also to people sticking with the RF mount.

[christopherfrost]

Tony you've inspired me to make my own video about this subject - something I've been tempted to do for a very long time, and the huge weight of comments it's picked up within 24 hours have certainly said a lot about how Canon's customers really feel. Thanks for having the cojones to publish this.

[christianfranke]

It's a big, big mistake for Canon not to give access to 3rd Parties to build RF lenses... And already now some of the most exciting lenses will be first launched for Sony platform. I just upgraded to Canon R some weeks ago... If I had this info some month ago I would have left to Sony or Nikon

[rlshe]

I usually upgrade my camera body about every 5 years. For the last 18 years I have been a Canon user. On my last upgrade I picked up an R5 body. Had I known that Canon would abandon it's customer base by preventing 3rd party lens manufacturers from making RF mount lenses, I would have never purchased this body. Before this becomes common knowledge, I am considering selling my R5 while it still has some market value and switch to Sony. Sony is likely a better choice anyway and certainly more loyal to it's customer base.

[MinrasDotCom]

I was with Canon for about 20 years, and last two years I was waiting for something similar to R6 but with 24-30Mpx. But twelve hours after your video I ordered Sony a7 IV. Because I don't want to be vendor-locked by a bunch of marketologists/lawyers, instead I'll contribute to a more open economy and more client-oriented competitor. P.S. I love Sigma Art lenses.

[DennisKapatos]

You hit the nail on the head with this video Tony. Canon has really produced a compelling product lineup with their RF mount, but buyers need to be aware of what they're getting into. Good on you for raising the issue. This summer my friend who was shooting Nikon DSLR's professionally for many years decided to switch to a mirrorless system and had narrowed down his choices down to Sony and Canon. He asked me what I thought, and once I mentioned this 3rd party lens issue and showed him the difference in price (and he got to try them both out) he chose Sony.

[juanquispe]

Sony sips coffee: No, it's not a mistake. Keep on doing that!

[EFCyniclone]

My dad gave me his old Canon T3i, which is how I got into photography. When I wanted something better, I went to the 7D Mark II. Earlier this year I got an M6 Mark II. I've been using a mix of 3rd party and Canon lenses on all of them, and I was saving to buy the R7 next, but now I think I'm going to spend some time seriously evaluating some other cameras; the Fujifilm X-T4 in particular. The fact that Tamron and Sigma already offer lenses for X mount is a crucial factor in that consideration.

[DanPandrea]

I remember buying the a6300 and researching lenses. I was looking for that perfect balance between image quality and affordability. At that time, nothing came close to Sigma’s 30mm f/1.4. Even after all these years, Sigma’s APS-C prime trinity is revered. So revered Sigma decided to extend the compatibility to Canon’s EF-M (basically extending the mount’s life for another 1.5 years). Third party brands matter, they actually keep the user loyal to a certain mount.

[johnboyaz]

I have been loyal to Canon since I owned an AE-1 35mm film camera. I currently have the R5. It was a stretch for my budget to upgrade to that body. The thought that Canon is willfully blocking third party lens manufacturing makes me feel betrayed by a company that I have advocated and defended in the past. My loyalty is not being rewarded.

[dondavis]

Thanks for this timely video. I've been a Canon shooter for 15 plus years and have been saving up to make the switch to mirrorless and buy the R5. The only thing holding me back has been trying to get some clarification on the compatibility of 3rd party lenses. Sorry Canon, now, someone else is getting my $7, 000.00 budget!

[pabloszi]

Thank god I bought a Sony. At the decision-making stage, I was thinking about Canon. The lack of third-party lenses was one of the biggest factors in my decision. Now I definitely do not regret it.

[MrNicoJac]

I was on the fence between going from Canon to Sony. Because I'd be making that decision for the rest of my life - switching once is bad enough.
If Canon does not have Sigma lenses but Sony does, then I don't have to make that decision anymore - it will have been made for me...

[ZeddysDad]

Wow I’m so glad I stumbled on this. I’ve been slowly building funds to replace my Eos 6D and was going to go for an R5 with adapter initially to reuse my large Tamron glass selection but slowly rebuild up 3rd party dedicated RF lenses as Canons aren’t priced for consumers imo. This is an absolute deal breaker for me so I’ll be looking at other platforms. Nice one canon.

[AbleLawrence]

This is a deal breaker. After buying my first RF body, this comes a shocker and I would not be recommending Canon until and unless this change

[jbaswoll]

I just had this conversation with high school kid that wanted to purchase their first camera. He was considering the Canon R6 and Sony A7iii. I gave him pros and cons for each. And the biggest con I had with Canon was not having third party glass. Once he seen the price difference he was really considering Sony.