After much speculation and rumors of an imminent announcement, earlier today Nikon officially announced they will release (or at least announce) no one, but two new full-frame mirrorless cameras alongside a new lineup of lenses paired with a new lens mount. A teaser video went live a few days ago and although there is still no official announcement date or confirmation of actual specification it’s not hard to guess the gist of what they are cooking.
With this announcement, the way I see it, Nikon are basically seeing the light, acknowledging that yes, mirrorless technology is the future of photography! And while the “mirror is still KING” in various professional circles, the writing has been on wall for some time. Although far from dead or nowhere even close, the older prism-based reflex technology, will naturally take a back seat in both development and practice until it is gradually relegated to a niche market, much like shooting actual film is today.
via Nikon USA Twitter
Going back to the press release, Nikon are saying that they are also developing an F-Mount adapter designed to enable photographers to use their F-Mount NIKKOR lenses with the new camera. This is to be expected, as there are tons of Nikon lenses currently in use by photographers all over the world.
Full details, including the release date and suggested retail prices, will be announced at a later date, according to the press release.
Nikon Full-Frame Mirrorless Teaser:
Nikon will continue to lead imaging innovation with the launch of the new mirrorless camera and the continued development of Nikon Digital-SLR cameras as well as the impressive NIKKOR lens lineup. Soon, Nikon users will have two industry-leading camera systems to choose from, giving consumers the choice to enjoy the unique values that each system offers. – according to their press release.
Image by Nikon
This is far more than a major move from one of the two major players in the DSLR market; and despite this new model not being Nikon’s first mirrorless camera, it is their first full-frame mirrorless – the top tier product, where the “big boys play”.
I’d like to think of it as a shift in philosophy within the company, and one that sure will nudge their arch-nemesis Canon to get a move on and announce their 1st FF mirrorless, because you know that’s coming soon too right? Photokina is less than 8 weeks away and I can bet that Nikon will reveal specs and details beforehand and debut the camera at Photokina, if not sooner.
As for specs – I am sure it will do some form of 4K video recording, possibly in a high-bit rate – something like 200Mbps or even higher, but not 10bit. Autofocus – that’s up in the air, I am sure it will be good, but how good, it’s not possible to know at this point. I am sure the AF performance of the upcoming mirrorless Nikons will be tested thoroughly against current full-frame leaders such as the Sony a9 and Sony a7III.
Possible rumored specs by NikonRumors:
- Two models:
- one with a 24-25 Megapixel sensor
- the other with a 45-48 Megapixel sensor
- 5-axis in-body stabilization
- 9fps
- XQD and CF Express recording media
- 3.6MP EVF
- Possible new lenses:
- Nikkor 24-70mm,
- Nikkor 35mm and 50mm both f1.4
- 24mm to be available later
- Possible pricing:
- $4000/€4000 for a kit with the 24-70mm lens
- $3000 or under for the lower resolution model with a lens
According to the same rumor site (link above), the official product announcement is expected to happen on 23rd August.
Nikon have created a dedicated page on their website where you can track the latest official developments of their new mirrorless flagship(s), which can be found here: http://www.nikonusa.com/mirrorlessiscoming.
via [Nikon]
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