When will Canon release a mirrorless camera?

I have been reading many Sony threads/posts over the past year and have been very impressed. So impressed that I haven't bought a FF Canon DSLR as I was planning.
I would have bought a Sony mirrorless camera but didn't want to worry about the lack of AF using non-Sony glass and adapters, especially with having two fast moving toddlers.

With this in mind, when will Canon release a mirrorless camera? Surely it is only a matter of time.
When they do, I am presuming there will be no AF problems using Canon glass. I am hoping our existing lenses will work very well with the new cameras.

I presume you are referring to the APS size camera rather than any mirror less interchangeable lens camera. They already have released 3 iterations of the APS-C sensored EOS-M.

The M line is a bit of a unicorn IMO as they chose to use a different mount as Sony did but haven't done all that much about lenses (EF-M) to support it. They did produce an adaptor to mount EF lenses but I don't know whether it allows similar or slower AF speed or accuracy.

I'd be very happy if they for example produced something like the 1DX without a mirror using their on sensor phase detect AF technology even if it slowed to a speed similar to the 7D2.

Huh?

There is already one, albeit not very good.

Cuttlefish wrote in post #17566453
I have been reading many Sony threads/posts over the past year and have been very impressed. So impressed that I haven't bought a FF Canon DSLR as I was planning.
I would have bought a Sony mirrorless camera but didn't want to worry about the lack of AF using non-Sony glass and adapters, especially with having two fast moving toddlers.

With this in mind, when will Canon release a mirrorless camera? Surely it is only a matter of time.
When they do, I am presuming there will be no AF problems using Canon glass. I am hoping our existing lenses will work very well with the new cameras.

Do you count the Canon PowerShot G -series cameras as "mirrorless?"

The G-series units were first released 15 years ago and none of them have a single reflex mirror.

There's always the chance that the G-series cameras, including the current G7x model, perform and sell well enough to discourage Canon from jumping on the mirrorless bandwagon.

Also, aren't there technical issues with the design of the EF line of lenses that prevent them from being used with a mirrorless design, along with the shortcomings of the mirrorless concept when used to capture moving subjects with longer lenses?

DC Fan wrote in post #17566918
Also, aren't there technical issues with the design of the EF line of lenses that prevent them from being used with a mirrorless design, along with the shortcomings of the mirrorless concept when used to capture moving subjects with longer lenses?

I don't know of any technical limitation of EF lenses when it comes to mirrorless designs. Are there any limitations using those lenses in live view or video on a current EOS DSLR? If you are referring to flange distance, there is no requirement in a mirrorless design to use a short flange distance. Canon could easily build a mirrorless body with the same dimensions as any of their current DSLRs - they'd need to replace the pentaprism/mirror with an EVF but that doesn't take up any more room than the current designs anyway.

What shortcomings are you thinking about with a mirrorless concept with moving subjects at longer distances? I can't think of any aside from the argument of video lag in an EVF (which IMO these day is essentially non existant anyway). I'm interested to read what you're referring to here

EOS M3 actually looks like a great camera.

I have no idea why they did not just make the EOS M1 an EF-S mount. I do not think any physics prevented it, other than the necessity for a slightly larger mount distance vs. what they used for the M mount.

I do not think any Mirrorless is quite there with the AF systems of the DSLR, but, I also do not think any mirrorless currently needs to be as capable. If your shooting sports or feeding herons, you need a DSLR anyway, and there's not much point in a smaller body to mount on a 500mm lens.

As for the OP's initial post, obviously was not thinking of EOS M (or was unaware of it due to it's underwhelming launch and now discontinued in US)

However, EOS M is NOTHING Like Sony A7 series, perhaps that's what he had in mind?

smythie wrote in post #17567252
I don't know of any technical limitation of EF lenses when it comes to mirrorless designs. Are there any limitations using those lenses in live view or video on a current EOS DSLR? If you are referring to flange distance, there is no requirement in a mirrorless design to use a short flange distance. Canon could easily build a mirrorless body with the same dimensions as any of their current DSLRs - they'd need to replace the pentaprism/mirror with an EVF but that doesn't take up any more room than the current designs anyway.

What shortcomings are you thinking about with a mirrorless concept with moving subjects at longer distances? I can't think of any aside from the argument of video lag in an EVF (which IMO these day is essentially non existant anyway). I'm interested to read what you're referring to here

Referring to the lack of native lenses over 300mm for mirrorless bodies and those systems' weaknesses in tracking autofocus.

OK, so if Canon woke up to themselves and built an EF mount mirrorless (APS-c or APS) camera with on sensor phase detect what would be the issue with the current EF lens lineup? I'm with you that there isn't really much, if anything, out there for action at distance right now though

smythie wrote in post #17566467
I presume you are referring to the APS size camera rather than any mirror less interchangeable lens camera. They already have released 3 iterations of the APS-C sensored EOS-M.......

I am hoping Canon will release a mirrorless camera that will work with Canon lenses that I use with my 7D

DC Fan wrote in post #17566918
Do you count the Canon PowerShot G -series cameras as "mirrorless?"

The G-series units were first released 15 years ago and none of them have a single reflex mirror.

There's always the chance that the G-series cameras, including the current G7x model, perform and sell well enough to discourage Canon from jumping on the mirrorless bandwagon.

Also, aren't there technical issues with the design of the EF line of lenses that prevent them from being used with a mirrorless design, along with the shortcomings of the mirrorless concept when used to capture moving subjects with longer lenses?

I am hoping Canon will release a mirrorless camera that will work with Canon lenses that I use with my 7D

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #17567272
EOS M3 actually looks like a great camera.

I have no idea why they did not just make the EOS M1 an EF-S mount. I do not think any physics prevented it, other than the necessity for a slightly larger mount distance vs. what they used for the M mount.

I do not think any Mirrorless is quite there with the AF systems of the DSLR, but, I also do not think any mirrorless currently needs to be as capable. If your shooting sports or feeding herons, you need a DSLR anyway, and there's not much point in a smaller body to mount on a 500mm lens.

As for the OP's initial post, obviously was not thinking of EOS M (or was unaware of it due to it's underwhelming launch and now discontinued in US)

However, EOS M is NOTHING Like Sony A7 series, perhaps that's what he had in mind?

Exactly.
Don't the Sony's have good AF with their own lenses?
Why can't Canon make one that has good fast AF with the existing lenses we have?

smythie wrote in post #17567486
OK, so if Canon woke up to themselves and built an EF mount mirrorless (APS-c or APS) camera with on sensor phase detect what would be the issue with the current EF lens lineup? I'm with you that there isn't really much, if anything, out there for action at distance right now though

It'd have to be thicker than the A7 series, and so people would complain that Canon half-assed it. Personally, I'd prefer a little thicker if it brought native compatibility with the entire EF lens range instead of spending for an adapter I'd be using most of the time anyway.

I think they just need to make the same sort of leap of faith that they did moving from the FD mount to the EF mount. What needs to be done can technically be done, probably even without much extra expense - someone there needs to make the argument that they're going to go all in.

If we're talking pro (or serious amatuer) usage of bodies for events and sport/action a big body is not a problem, in fact keeping that larger form and ergonomics will be a positive for a mirrorless (IMO that is where the mirrorless concept so far has failed in trying to be small because they can they've sacrificed ergonomics)

If we're talking landscape the current form factor of bodies like the A7 series isn't bad but again making things easier for pro and serious amatuer users is only going to be a good thing. Similar for macro

Studio or portrait usage? I don't know really. From what little experience I've had around studios you'd want the body to be easily swapped from landscape to portrait (and corresponding good ergonomics for such). Good support for remote flash and strobes (just imagine a studio camera with open source radio transmission for wireless flashes and strobes? pocketwizard, einstein, etc would be able to fully utilise the power of the body rather than mess around trying to test compatibility - alas, I'm smoking some serious stuff if I think that Canon/Nikon/etc would open that up). Again, being able to quickly, easily and automatically adjust settings on the fly I think is important.

Sony created the E mount for mirrorless bodies vs the A mount for their DSLR. 2 different mounts and only way to use A mount on a Sony mirrorless is via adapter.

If canon came out with a FF or even crop mirrorless that mounts EF/S lens natively, that would have be a devastating blow to the competition.

p00kienrayray wrote in post #17587093
Sony created the E mount for mirrorless bodies vs the A mount for their DSLR. 2 different mounts and only way to use A mount on a Sony mirrorless is via adapter.

If canon came out with a FF or even crop mirrorless that mounts EF/S lens natively, that would have be a devastating blow to the competition.

No it wouldn't, it would not be any different than acurrent DSLR in live view. The register distance would need to be the same as their DSLR... The EOS-m has a native adapter for EF stuff, it doesn't work well. Even if it did work well, it's a temporary solution. You can natively adapt to the EOS-m right now, even the m3.... I haven't heard of folks rushing out to get the M3...