Canon Appears to Have Discontinued Its Last Pro DSLR, the 1DX Mark III
Canon appears to have discontinued the EOS 1DX Mark II, its last professional-level DSLR that it first announced in 2020 and has been steadily supporting via firmware updates as recently as last year.
Update 9/26: Canon responded to PetaPixel‘s request for comment and provided the following confirmation: “The EOS-1D X Mark III is no longer available for purchase directly through the Canon U.S.A. website, though it continues to be available through our authorized dealers and distributors across the country. Canon regularly transitions out the availability of older products via our website to make new technology more readily accessible and available for direct to consumer purchase.
“The EOS-1D X Mark III, which was introduced in January 2020, served as a landmark product in Canon’s history and helped continue the standard for professional performance. With the arrival of the EOS R1, Canon’s new flagship product, we are building on that legacy and ushering in the next era of innovation in professional imaging. The R1 represents the culmination of Canon’s advancements in mirrorless technology, delivering the speed, reliability and image quality that professionals around the world have come to expect from Canon’s flagship line. As for any product, Canon sales representatives are available to help identify dealers that do have the EOS-1D Mark III in stock for anyone interested.”
As reported by Canon Rumors, the 1DX Mark III appears discontinued, although Canon has not issued a formal statement on the matter. PetaPixel did reach out to Canon for comment, but due to a holiday this week in Japan, did not immediately receive a response. If Canon does comment, this article will be updated. That said, a formal comment may not be necessary as there is mounting evidence that the camera is no longer being made.
Canon Japan has listed the 1DX Mark III as discontinued on its web store and is no longer offering the DSLR as available to purchase new. In the United States, B&H Photo does still appear to have some stock available, but Adorama and the Canon USA shop both no longer list the camera available to purchase new.
The only reason there may be doubt about the report is that at the time of publication, Canon has yet to officially list the 1DX Mark III as discontinued on its “Old Products” web page, which officially lists all discontinued Canon products. The pro DSLR predecessor, the 1DX Mark II, is the most recent addition to the officially discontinued list of professional model cameras, while the EOS R and the EOS R6 are the last “high amateur” models listed. Still, it is likely only a matter of time before the 1DX Mark III is added.
Many photographers might be surprised that the 1DX Mark III wasn’t discontinued sooner since Canon has been focusing its efforts on its mirrorless, but Canon actually still sells quite a few DSLRs. Earlier this month, PetaPixel reported that Canon sold more DSLRs in 2024 than Fujifilm sold total digital cameras — 790,000 units — showcasing just how popular Canon’s brand still is.
What makes that number even more impressive is that Canon doesn’t even make very many DSLRs anymore. Counting the 1DX Mark III, Canon only sells three DSLR cameras as new; the 5D Mark IV and Rebel T7 (known as the Kiss X90 in Japan) round out the group. Since Canon’s sales numbers don’t include used equipment, that means the company is probably selling a ton of Rebel T7 cameras. It’s hard not to think that the 5D Mark IV will be next on the chopping block, given its price and the fact that the R5 series dramatically outperforms it now.
As mentioned, Canon did a great job keeping the 1DX Mark III up to date over the years. Its last major update came in March 2024 when version 1.9.0 allowed the camera to use CFexpress cards with more than 2TB capacity and fixed three bugs.
Image credits: Elements of header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
