Hi Renato,
I think the surprise of the market as Nikon promised, still has to come. As some one hinted (not from Nikon) it might be an entry level FF camera due to the lenses coming out or a compact hybrid camera probable aimed for Photokina.
Nikon mentioned it is a newly developed sensor by Nikon, so I think also by that it is not same as some of the competition (Sony.) Im not a tech freak, so it might be that Thom or others have some finer details soon about the sensor development on this sensor. Nikon never explains in detail who or where the sensor is made if its coming from.
The sensor is not a Sony, I've shown the evidence in several posts. Thom wrongly says it's the Sony NEX sensor on his website, and so have a few other sources. I think they've just made an understandable but incorrect deduction based on the same pixel count. I have emailed Thom to ask where the information came from, I'll see what he says.
In any case, as Nikon's first
ever consumer camera with a Nikon sensor, the D3100 is hugely significant, and a game changer. In the consumer markets, Nikon's product offerings have always been constrained by what Sony has to offer on the sensor front. Now, Nikon is freed of those constraints. Some of the consequences can be seen - at a stroke, Nikon has overcome its previous video limitations. If this sensor has the sema quantum efficiency as the D3S sensor, it will be the best APS-C sensor for low light yet.
As to Nikon's product development directions, it removes many of the constraints that would have been there in the past. Maybe Nikon will continue using the same MP count across most of the DX range, or maybe it will switch to a policy of increasing the megapixel count up the range. They may develop another new sensor for the D90 replacement (18MP + to beat the 60D?). They may go up to 2k video capability. Who knows, the constraints are off, but my bet is:
i) A higher MP DX sensor for the D90 and D300s replacements (D7000 and D9000?). This would need to be competitive with the higher end Canon APS-C cameras, and 14.2 isn't enough. I would think 20MP, given that generally Nikon has more MP than Canon at the beginning of a generation.
ii) A 24-25MP FX sensor to go in the D3s and D700 replacements (D4 and D800?). The new EXPEED may well handle this kind of pixel count at 9-10FPS, and would provide the D4 with similar reach to the 1DIV, which is the major area the D3s is deficient.
iii) a 34.6MP FX sensor for the D4X (just re-uning the pixels off the D3100 sensor).
Plus, of course, whatever's requred for the EVIL, rumoured to be 2.5x crop.
