1D MKIIN Successor - FPS v Sensor Size?

To all those who keep up with the technology side of things do you think it's feasible for Canon to introduce a IIN successor that's full frame yet maintains FPS while being at the same/similar price point as the existing IIN? 8.2 MP is all I need but 10 MP would be nice. Do you think 10MP, FF and 8.5 FPS is possible for Canon without blowing their R&D budget or is going for 8.2 MP and 8.5 FPS and adding in FF a stretch?

As it stands now the IIN specs are great for my needs. I'm not looking to upgrade now though However, when it comes time to upgrade what I'm after is versatility - I want my wides to behave like wides yet be able to use the same body's shooting speed at the ball game.

I do not think it's feasible to introduce a 1DMkIIN successor anytime soon...hell, it just came out last fall. I also think unless the price goes up a fair amount, it's gonna take one hell of a lot to squeeze much more than 8mp into 8.5fps. maybe 10? Don't know for sure. As for FF...don't count on it. If they did that, there'd be no market for the 1DsMkII or its successor (which, by the way, is far more likely to happen, in my opinion).

The 1D is a specialised body targeted at pro photographers, each group of whom have their own specific needs - portrait/landscape guys need their pixels, sporters need their speed. Canon has to keep both camps happy and whether a IIN successor is in 6 months or 18 months I can't see how the decision of going FF will be the only factor in pulling away sales from the already low volume, highly specialised 1DS mark II - a camera which I might add given it's price, development era and comparisons to the 5D is showing its age (no disrespect to current owners ).

But anyway, ignoring the marketing side of things for the time being (whether Canon will hold onto the 1.3x sensor has been discussed ad nauseum) has the IIN maxed out technology such that a FF, 8.5 FPS at 8.2MP (or even a slight bump up to 10MP) is the most that can be achieved cost effectively? Specifically I'm interested to know what it is about sensor technology that can't advance it further? Let's be logical here 8.5 FPS, 1.3x, 8.2 MP has been on the market for what, 30 months now .

It is technically feasible that by fall 2006 Canon could have a 22MP, 8FPS camera.
So a 10MP 8.5FPS or a 12MP 8FPS would also be quite possible.
The catch is at the same price point by this fall. I would guess not likely on the price for two reasons.
One there would not be a significant demand to go from 8 and 1.3x to 10MP and FF as in a way there are two differing markets for those capabilities.
Second, Canon is expected to come out with the new flagship this fall and they will want the professional crowd to go for that one first at $7000-8000 so would from a marketing perspective not want a lower priced competing photojounalist model (albiet with lower capabilities) available at the same time.

Lastly it has not been a long enough period of time to upgrade the 1DM2N or the 5D yet. But the 1DsMkII is over due.

Just my opinion,

I keep hearing from people that sep/oct time is when the 1dmk2n will be upgraded not sure why somthing about a show at that time if i recall this is what stops me from when in july I have the cash getting the 1dmk2n dont want to blow that much cash and have it upgraded within a month or so!

I dont think they will go FF 10mp maybe, but think they will stick with the 1.3 for now the 1dsmk2 however ill be very surprised if we dont see a new one of them before the year is out

The next 1D will be while before it's out IMHO...

But I think it may very well be full frame, based on a Statement made by Canon soon after the release of the 1D MkII ... in which Canon laid out a roadmap that included continuing development of both Full Frame and APS-EFS "1.6X" sensors only.

The implication was clear and strong that the "1.3X" sensors would be phased out.

I believe the current MkII "N" is very likely to be the last 1.3X Camera Canon makes.

I hope I'm wrong.

Thanks for the comments guys. I guess like Longwatcher says, technologically it's feasible the only issue is whether Canon do it matching the IIN price point. That and it's fruitless to be talking about such upgrades without considering the product line up, sales and marketing side of things.

don't factor in the IIN as a new model so much as an update. A 1ds/1d combo is very feasible to me, I just really hope there isn't a mode button you have to choose from as with the Nikons.

I would not be surprised if the 1DMarkIIN successor will have the 12.8MP sensor found in the 5D now, and 8.5-10fps with the 45pt focusing and all the bells and whistles of the 1-series body. This would be the "sports and photojournalist" model, and the 1DsMkII successor may be 22MP with maybe 4-5 fps and all the usual bells and whistles.

This way canon does not have to put all that much into R&D because the 1DMkIIN successor would use the 1Ds chassis and the 5D sensor. Focusing mechanism is borrowed from the 1Ds, buffer gets improved, and a faster full frame shutter is the only real R&D expense.

Then the real chunk of the R&D money goes to the new 22MP sensor.

Let's assume read/write speeds of memory increases with time. By the next iteration, it would be safe to say that buffering could be faster and deeper, so buffering is not an issue. Nikon has been taking advantage of Write Acceleration technology, so maybe Canon may have its own version soon.

I agree,
I think Canon eventually wants to merge the 1D line into one camera in the future, but I'm not sure when an economical 16+MP camera capable of 8fps can be made.
1D/pro lines are not replaced at the same rate as the amateur lines, if memory serves me right, so I don't expect the IIN to be replaces very soon.
If they can't merge the 1D lines by the next product cycle, I do think that the 1DMark III may have the 5D's FF sensor with the 8fps. Now that would really rock!!!

If so, my 1Ds would be for sale. Quickly.

I'm not familiar with how Canon has updated their range historically but have they come up with an "N" type model in the past? i.e. a model which has minimal upgrade over the predecessor and is assigned a model number indicating just that. The blood and guts of the IIN has been around for close to 2 1/2 years now and may very well have been a stop gap model.

yes, they have had N models in the past, I think it was for a film body though. I think the Mark II N is the first "N" for a dslr.

there was a eos 1 and eos 1n and then the eos 1nrs (pellicle mirror system)
elan 7, 7e, 7n, 7ne

As a sports shooter, I wouldnt want a fullframe Mark. 8mp is enough for me, computer is slow enough haha. I dont want to spend more money to catch the computer up whenI could be buying a nice L .