If you've been patiently waiting for stock of the new Canon EOS R7 or another of its mid-range mirrorless cameras to become available, you might be waiting a while longer – Canon has just announced that it'll be prioritizing stock of its full-frame cameras for the rest of the year.
In a statement about its second quarter 2022 financial results, Canon said that "we raised the ratio of full-frame mirrorless cameras, for which we prioritize production and sales".
This explains why it's still pretty easy to find stock of cameras like the Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6, but less so for mid-range cameras like the new EOS R7. In the US, both the EOS R7 and EOS R10 have been slated for a vague "end of 2022" release, while in the UK the two cameras are still out of stock.
We've asked Canon for an estimated availability for both cameras, and will update this story when we hear back. But Canon's comments in its financial results do shed light on its plans for the rest of 2022, along with the reasons why it's been difficult to buy its mid-range cameras.
The camera giant admitted that this year "supply of products has been insufficient to meet demand", due to "the global shortage of parts since last year and Shanghai’s Covid lockdown". Unfortunately, this meant that sales of camera bodies "continue to be below those of last year".
On the plus side, Canon says it expects camera production to recover "from the second half of the year", but its focus will be on full-frame mirrorless cameras and RF lens sales. And the Canon EOS R7 and EOS R10? The statement simply says "we will launch the EOS R7 and EOS R10", despite the fact that both were announced in May.
While it's possible to pre-order the Canon EOS R7 and EOS R10, neither Canon nor third-party retailers are giving an estimate of when stock might arrive – and Canon's comments in its financial report suggest it's best to assume that'll be later rather than sooner.
Analysis: Delays are frustrating but understandable
While it's understandable that Canon is prioritizing its higher-margin full-frame cameras, the continued stock issues for its mid-range bodies is frustrating for hobbyist shooters – particularly in the current financial climate.
Photographers have been waiting years for Canon to bring some of its latest technology, like autofocus tracking, to its best beginner mirrorless cameras. And while Canon has at least announced those models, in the shape of the EOS R7 and EOS R10 (which we're testing right now), there's still no indication as to when they'll actually be available to buy.
Canon's focus on full-frame mirrorless cameras has also hit the stock of its other mid-range cameras. For example, in the UK it's also difficult to buy the Canon EOS M6 Mark II and Canon EOS RP, which are again in that affordable sweet spot for keen photographers who don't have pro budgets.
None of this is Canon's fault, of course – most tech companies are grappling with difficult decisions, with Meta having to dramatically raise the price of the Oculus Quest 2. For what they offer, the EOS R7 and EOS R10 do at least (on paper) seem pretty reasonably priced – let's just hope that stock and production issues do ease in the second half of this year, as Canon has predicted.
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