It seems as though Canon may be removing yet another DSLR. This time, it’s the 6D mark II, and according to Canon Watch, the popular body has already been discontinued in Japan. This potentially puts another nail in the DSLR coffin and points further towards the mirrorless pathway for the camera brand.

But for Canon mirrorless fans out there, 2024 could be an exciting year. According to an extremely reliable source from Canon Rumours, both the EOS R5 mark II and the long-anticipated R1 camera bodies could be announced in the next couple of months, with the launch expected to coincide with two major sporting events.

Canon successfully launched the EOS R3 at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Models were sent to photojournalists and sports photographers to use as part of the coverage. It proved to be an extremely popular and effective marketing campaign.

It looks as though Canon will be repeating this publicity stunt and have both cameras available to use at the Euro 2024 in June and the Paris Olympic games in July.

Like last time, however, the cameras will most likely not be on sale for the general public until later on in the year. I would predict Autumn time for that to happen.

It all makes a lot of sense when you consider that both the R5 and R3 camera bodies have had a significant price reduction this month.

However, if you’re currently looking at an upgrade to an extremely high-spec Canon mirrorless camera, and money is no object, you might want to wait a little bit to see what this year brings.