Nikon shares rise as Nikkei suggests mirrorless launch

I agree that this is a good choice. Particularly with the ability to use current Nikon lenses with adapter, preserving VR and AF, this camera can provide a small high quality sensor for telephotos for wildlife shots, far superior to the superzooms. My 80-200 f/2.8 becomes a 220-540 f/2.8 - imagine what you'd pay for that for APS-C or FX. My 70-300 is only f/5.6, but now it's a 190-800 f/4.5 - f/5.6 VR. I'm looking forward to testing these combinations. The center sharpness of these lenses is quite good, should hold up well to a 10 mp sensor at this small size.

For this application, Nikon clearly needs to add a supplemental battery pack that uses at least 4 x AA batteries to power the larger lenses over a day. It could sit below the camera, or at the side to provide a more solid grip, and include a secure tripod foot.

For the system to be complete, I need a 6mm or 7mm (which could be a 6-15 or so zoom), a 12mm f/1.4, a 30mm f/1.4, and a macro somewhere in the 30 to 60mm range.

Interestingly, as the existing mirrorless manufacturers push towards the compact upgrade market, they have left a sizeable hole in the market at the enthusiast end. The LX5 / G series and S90 range have shown there to be a attractive market for high end compact / range finder cameras. Perhaps a bit more diversity will be forthcoming if Nikon and Canon enter the sector.

For those of you who might want to try a MFT (well-used acronym for the Micro Four Thirds system) cam, you absolutely cannot beat this deal:

http://tinyurl.com/3crrkoq

Please note the great features, including an interactive, articulated 3" LCD screen. The cam has a 2X crop factor. This is a second generation camera, so it isn't the most modern, but it comes well-recommended and well-featured.

I have one and also the MFT/EOS adapter to allow me to use my EOS lenses

I love it. I have no connection with the retailer in the URL, either.

peeech

Many people are unhappy about rumored x2.7 crop factor in rumored Nikon mirrorless camera, but here is why I think Nikon will make a great decision should they choose to go with small crop.

1. To really standout in competition with mirrorless you need smaller form factor and to achieve this you have to reduce Lens size. (only possible with smaller sensor considering sensor technology available today)
2. Keeping old mount and semi-mechanical connection and long flange does not make sense in a long run. Nikon need to release new mount sooner or later so it might be now.
3. Smaller crop will not cannibalize their own FF and APS-C sales. They can only keep top selling and pro models of DSLR and stop making cheap stuff and lenses.
4. Smaller sensor doesn't mean bad image quality, you can just physically crop the Large sensor and reduce the resolution.
5. Nikon can make small lenses at lower cost but can still charge the price of the its APS-C equivalents, thus yelling bigger profit.
-cont

Nikon needs to do something cool ,like a FM 2 body that can take a manual lens and auto focus lenses ,no screen on the back instead a EVF to split prism , a 12mp full frame sensor .

Do not underestimate Nikon. They are not known for making poor products or implementing them poorly.

My guess is they have waited to enter the MILC market so they could see what features and abilities the market wanted. They had no need to be first, they are doing very well financially, so this isn't an act of desperation for them.

The market leader is rarely the innovator or the pioneer. It is whoever implements best. And Nikon is pretty good at implementing.

Nikons route will be interesting to follow.

Sony's route have been smarter than they understood themself.
They have opted for a rather large mount (for an APS sensor) with short flange distance.
And this have opened the path for alot of adapters, and alot of forgotten gems gathering dust have come alive, and enthusiasts buy NEX for that reason.
I don't see Nikon chosing a smaller sensor and still keep the mount wide enough for adapters, so this doesn't seem to be an effort to wake older lenses from the dead.

DPR needs a general article describing what mirrorless cameras are. It should be at least as good as this entry from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera

I learned a lot I didn't know about this new class of cameras from reading the Wikipedia entry. In contrast, the most extensive information I could find on DPR was a few paragraphs at the end of their Digital SLR Buying Guide.

A search of DPR's site reveals only press releases from manufacturers and forum discussions. Lots of talk from users on the Forums about this subject but very little guidance from DPR.

Not a good showing for a site that bills itself as, "one of, if not the, premium digital photography site."

The bottom line? As of now, if you need to educate yourself about this new type of camera technology you're not going to find the information you're seeking on DPR.

"Now your talkin'! Leap frog, the APC, and go FF. Mate that with a stellar, f/1.8, or better, normal prime! All in a total package, smaller than the D5100, and it's a done deal! Priced at no more than $500 to start"

Thrown an all-purpose robot/mech servant, and a harem of 57 young virgins, and they almost got me sold!

Great News if its true......but if smaller sensor size than 4/3 is provided I dont think it will help much than the already existing coolpix range....

IF this rumor about 2.6 crop factor Nikon is right I am perfectly confident it will NOT have a rangefinder. I mean / what for? You would need very fast lenses to get any decent DOF effects any further that macro anyhow with sensor that small. So AF will do just fine. This will be a higher-end camera for masses which will try to get the market share from m4/3 and high end compacts like XZ-1 or LX5 with whatever new features or design they will come up with.

Do not get me wrong - I really hope it will be well thought out and come with good lenses - but it is not going to be a poor man's M9 (go to NEX or GXR for that). Let's put our expectations on realistic level, otherwise shortly after introduction the camera will get all the bashing possible like it happened to X100 ...

i want a mirrorless nikon with range finder... but can still use the AF/AF-S lenses... i love these lenses and they work perfectly superb.... no need to invent new lenses.... but wanting to try new bodies.... :)

A few people are saying Full Frame on a mirror-less E-mount system, but I don't think it will work, I think you will get massive vignetting. I think the distance from the lens mount to the register of the sensor would be too close with the current mount. Nikon and Canon would need to make a different mount, or a wider body. I'm not even sure APS-H will do the trick.

i just wish canon would make a m4/3 system with in-body image stabilization and evf or ovf that looks like their old range finders.

i think 2.6x is cool. this could be THE perfect digital super16 filmcamera.

i hope for a hackable OS when it really tries to combine a camera with a phone. that could be the next gh-1 (gh13)

Yeah, yeah, this is old news, EVERYBODY knows about the 1" mirrorless Nikon system to be announced and even photos of the lens mount have been circulated by Nikon for the last few months and this vehement denial from Nikon's end is just a page taken from Apple's book. And now even DPR is playing the game...

Honestly, this article reduces my faith in the quality of dpreview, if they can't take better pictures than this...

Nikon could always buy x100 & x10's and re badge them for the Japanese market, while still selling the old technology stuff outside of Japan where it still makes them lots of money. Perhaps another option would be to buy Sony mirrorless cameras and retro fit Nikon mounts instead of just using Sony sensors.

But the fact that it is highly unusual for Nikon to publicy denounce the announcement, suggests there may still be no camera. Surely otherwise they would just sit back, smile and say no comment, as people waited hopefully for the new release, meaning other brands would loose out in the mean time as people waited to see Nikons offering.

Personally I think it ultimitately inevitible that canonikon will have to go down the mirroless route though.

woody

My take is that for this to be interesting it has to be significantly smaller w/ lenses than the current mirrorless cameras. IQ needs to be competitive with m4/3.

Lens Wishlist:
Quality pancakes from wide angle to mild telephoto. Pentax make a 40mm pancake for their dslrs which would be 108mm on a 2.7 crop factor so that's possible.

In-body VR to keep lenses small plus a shallow mount and this could be very attractive. Of course it'll probably be completely different :)

By keeping the sensor smaller, it reduces the issues of vignetting and peripheral loss of sharpness if Nikon chooses not to shrink the size of the lense by too muh (let's hope so). Let's also hope they nikon lenses wont' have those horrible bokeh other brands so far offer. But there wouldn't be muh DOF to play with. TO be honey such a camera should be a convenience camera for outdoors more for serious stuff and as such DOF is less of a concern provided there is no funny artifacts in the bokeh.

Let's hope not too much money is being asked for.....

I quite disagree with those who dismiss the 2.7x crop factor.
Many photographers enjoyed (and still do) the Canon s95, the Oly xz1 or the Pana lx5 type of cameras, in spite of their obvious IQ inferiority compared to DSLRs.
Getting an interchangeable lens camera about their size with a noticeably better IQ, small, lightweight lenses and high quality optics would be a tempting offer to many, IMHO.
Provided of course, that camera and lenses are priced reasonably by Nikon.

I personally think Canon has better lens options especially in the telephoto area. I can't imagine switching makes as hikenhi, you'll just switch back later.

I don't know if it is for lough or tears when you see the dinosaurs of an industry to follow each other or minor competitors after making serious announcements of their non interest on something the other part launched.
No matter if they did it for pure business purpose, always profitable I presume, they lose face among their fans and clients.
It is sad indeed when the little fish adopt the usual procedure of the big fish when they become big.
Principles of market someone will say... I see that...
But when the big boys follow, at least they have to follow producing something outstanding, for the same principles...

I sure hope that the rumor of the 2.7x sensor crop is a bad joke. I'm waiting for a FF mirrorless, not a compact with interchangeable lenses.
Do you even get any DOF with that small sensor???

As for Sony's lack of lenses, that is a non issue, those cameras work brilliantly with any lenses trough adapters

Mirrorless and CDAF seem to be the big thing in Japan....personally I love EVF's for the live histogram, but nothing is better than OVF when you need the shot.

I think mirrorless will assume the stature in the marketplace of P&S if C&N stop with the MP race and concentrate on DSLR innovation.

I still live in a fantasy world where Nikon will some day make a retrofit 24 MP sensor back for my F3Hp. Still the best camera I have ever owned.