Nikon Plans `New Concept' SLR Camera as Early as This Year

[cc_chang2]

<p>I made a similar post earlier but never got published. Did I forget to hit the submit button or was it deleted?</p>

<p>Any way, the rumor has it that this camera has a 2.5x crop sensor to position itself between the high end P&S and the m4/3 and NEX cameras. Losing the mirror can shrink the camera body and the lens to some degree; however, as the Sony NEX cameras demonstrate, it is hard to shrink a zoom lens if the sensor size is big. Thus it makes sense if Nikon were to take this route by offering a smaller camera/lens combo using a sensor that is smaller than the 3/4 sensor but still much bigger than those in the P&S. If the targeted consumers are the P&S crowd and dSLR users who are looking for a light travel camera, then one can overlook its many potential compromises: (1) the difficulty in getting shallow DOF, and (2) slow AF (due to Nikon's track records in CDAF). </p>

<p>To take advantage of the new camera body, in which the distance between lens mount and the sensor is shortened, the lens can be made more compact. It is suspected that Nikon will introduce four new lenses to take advantage of this new form factor. It seems almost certain that many adapters will be available to allow the new camera to communicate with existing Nikon lenses, and I am sure some of these, especially those from Nikon, will allow the camera to control AF and/or VR. However if one uses a much larger lens, say the 24-70/2.8 on such a small body, it will be hard to balance and totally defeat the purpose of buying a small camera body to begin with. I tried to mount the 17-55/2.8 on the Panny GH1. Yes, it works well but what is point? These cameras together with pancake prime lenses will make a very portable system that can deliver very high IQ.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>To CC Chang: I don't delete posts very often other than cleaning up empty and duplicated posts, mainly on our Wednesday image threads. The only post I have deleted in this very thread was one posted by Left Ayyones due to the copyrighted materials he reposted here. In such situations I always send an e-mail explanation. However, other moderators and admins can delete posts also.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Any way, the rumor has it that this camera has a 2.5x crop sensor to position itself between the high end P&S and the m4/3 and NEX cameras ....<br>

<br />It is suspected that Nikon will introduce four new lenses to take advantage of this new form factor. It seems almost certain that many adapters will be available to allow the new camera to communicate with existing Nikon lenses</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Now, I wonder who/where is the source of your rumor with such specifics about 4 lenses? If Nikon uses a small sensor with a 2.5x crop factor, which is smaller than 4/3, it is almost pointless to have a adapter for F mount lenses since even a 24mm wide angle will be like a 60mm short tele on FX.</p>

<p>Since Nikon's own CEO is "leaking" information on various occasions, something new is clearly coming. However, this thread has reached a point that people are just posting rumors such as the lens mount changes, which I hadn't heard for almost 20 years. As I have pointed out before, so far in 2010, Nikon has not released any new DSLR (or any other camera with interchangeable lenses) at all. With Photokina starting on September 21, I would imagine that Nikon will have official announcements in the next month or so: <a href="http://www.photokina-cologne.com/thefair/dates_opening_times.php">http://www.photokina-cologne.com/thefair/dates_opening_times.php</a></p>

[cc_chang2]

<p>Hi Shun, most likely I forgot to hit the submit button. I understand that this site is not interested in "rumors;" thus, even if mine were deleted by someone, no big deal.</p>

<p>A while ago, someone spotted a series of patents that Nikon submitted for the design of such a camera. It is not clear whether Nikon is intended to use these patents for their own cameras. However with the leak from Nikon recently, it makes this possibility alive in on-line forum again. I tried to post a link to such discussion in the forum from dpreview but was rejected by the system as linking to rumor site. Anyway if this info is not credible, it can just stops right here.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>CC Chang: If I need to delete your or anybody else's post, I'll let you know and explain why. You might not agree with my reasoning, but I have nothing to hide. The only exceptions are those "obvious" situations such as duplicated posts, blank posts, etc. We don't go around and randomly delete posts.</p>

<p>For some companies, patents can be a major source of income. If some other company needs to use a related technology and infringes on their patents, those other companies have to pay up. Those patents may or may not actually lead to any products of their own. The last company I used to work for had a strong emphasis on patents for that reason; they viewed that as a cash cow and hired a bunch of patent lawyers.</p>

<p>Since you expliciately mentioned that Nikon will introduce 4 lenses, I wanted to check whether you have specific information. If not, I'll treat that just like the many many other rumors posted to various web sites.</p>

[paul_b.1]

<p>If the camera is SLR, it must have a mirror...,but the mirror does not have to move (and wear). The pellicular mirror it is not something new (was introduced by Canon on EOS 1RS , back in the 90's). Maybe Nikon will implement this technology in futures cameras !? In this case the only moving part will remain the shutter . And this part is very easy to eliminate... . A redesigned diafragm (with 100% closure) + an electronic shutter will do the trick.</p>

[User_2000406]

<p>The pellicle mirror was introduced in *1965* in the Canon Pellix and has continued to pop up now and then in various models of SLR. Nikon has also used it.</p>

[photo5]

<p>Bill, didn't know Nikon ever had a Pellix mirror in a camera. Which one was that? I know the F3 has a semi-transmissive mirror to relay light to the meter, but that is not what a Pellix mirror is. A pellix mirror is a fixed mirror that does not move, and allows viewing and photographing at the same time.</p>

[User_2000406]

 

Nikon F3 High Speed Camera, 1996/7, with 13 frames per second using a pellicle mirror.<br />

 

<p>http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf3ver2/variations/f3hspeed/index.htm</p>

[User_2000406]

<p>There's another Nikon with a pellicle mirror, the F2H of 1976: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf2/f2/variants/f2h/index.htm</p>

<p>Also, it's a pellicle mirror, not a "Pellix" mirror: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellicle_mirror</p>

 

[wolf_rainer_schmalfuss]

<p>Nikon is looking for a long time for an <strong>way out</strong> of the small SLR bayonet mount. This will provide now a good chance.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>Nikon is looking for a long time for an <strong>way out</strong> of the small SLR bayonet mount. This will provide now a good chance.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Wolf, this is the 2nd time you have posted such baseless statement to this thread.</p>

<p>I am going to close this discussion; it has drifted to about various Canon and Nikon pellicle mirror SLRs anyway. Clearly Nikon will have something new soon, whatever "soon" means. Photokina is starting in late September. New product announcements from various manufacturers to be showcased at Photokina should be coming in August and September.</p>