New gear and rumors of new gear – it's the stream that keeps the gossip mill of the photography world turning.
And when it's Nikon gear, that steady stream can often turn into a flood because, let’s face it, people love the Japanese optics manufacturer.
Ending months of speculation, Nikon has confirmed that a mirrorless camera is on its way but details will have to wait.
According to Nikkei, one of the largest and most trusted news outlets in Japan, those fans will have another reason to love Nikon this August 23rd when the company officially announces its new mirrorless device in full. You might be wondering what the big deal is since so many companies show off new gear around this time but, for Nikon, it is kind of a huge moment.
For those that may not hang on Nikon’s every word, this is a big deal as it is the company’s first foray into the mirrorless market, a highly competitive niche dominated by Sony and Canon.
Details remain sketchy at the moment but press rumors speculate that all will be revealed in Tokyo on August 23rd, including the camera's release date, final specs, and, most importantly, pricing.
In terms of performance, expectations range from everything plus the kitchen sink to a device barely capable of taking a picture of the comparable Sony unit, depending on who you ask. As with all rumors and hints of rumors, there’s a lot of bias swimming around out there, too.
Analysts think the company is gunning for a release this Fall/Winter in time for the critical holiday shopping season and the company is throwing a ton of effort behind the product to meet this deadline.
The new Nikon mirrorless will compete head-on with Sony and Canon as the company hoping to differentiate itself through “the best optical technology including lenses” according to Nikkei. Additionally, Nikon has scheduled fan events to take place throughout Japan beginning in September where many people think the company will take the opportunity to show off their new mirrorless units to their most devoted customers.
You can watch a video from the company teasing the new camera here on YouTube.
Are you excited? Leave your thoughts in the comments below
1 Comment
Don’t you think it is quite ironic that after years of industry watchers condemning mirrorless cameras as being somehowe ‘inferior’ that now the ‘big 3’ are adopting mirrorless that it somehow has transitioned into something to get excited about ?