A Flagship Z Camera, 8K Video, and Affordable Lenses
Nikon will be releasing âa flagship Nikon Z-series mirrorless cameraâŠwithin the year,â said Keiji Oishi, a Department Manager of Nikonâs Imaging Business Unit. The camera âis being developed with the goal of surpassing the D6.â
This comes from a recently published DPReview interview with Oishi, which touches on the past, present, and future of Nikonâs camera business, including new cameras, lenses, Nikonâs mirrorless sales success, and the pursuit of 8K recording.Â
The development of a flagship mirrorless model is welcome news for Nikon fans; it firmly reinforces Nikonâs commitment to growth and innovation in the face of supply struggles and questions about the companyâs viability.
While Oishi didnât offer many details on Nikonâs upcoming flagship camera, he did claim it âwill respond to the advanced needs of professionalsâ and will âdebut a newly developed, high-resolution stacked CMOS sensor.â The term âhigh-resolutionâ is a relative one, but this could signal Nikonâs intent to compete with the upcoming Sony a1, an all-around powerhouse packing a 50 MP sensor, class-leading autofocus, and 8K/30p recording.
In other words: Nikonâs flagship model may look to satisfy more than just professional sports photographers. Were the camera to pack 45+ megapixels while offering fast autofocus and shooting speeds in the spirit of the D6, itâd be capable of capturing sports, events, portraits, and even pro-level landscapes.Â
As for video:
Oishi claims that Nikonâs engineers âare considering powerful video features such as 8K that respond to the needs of all kinds of content creators and professionals.â
So while 8K video isnât a guarantee, itâll likely find its way into the upcoming flagship model. With the 2020 arrival of the Canon EOS R5 and the days-away release of the Sony a1, Nikon will soon be the only leading camera manufacturer without an 8K hybrid camera. And while Nikon is ostensibly a stills-centric brand, the 8K bandwagon is one that it wonât want to miss.Â
So when can we expect this high-resolution, high-performance, 8K powerhouse?
Given the lack of recent leaks, donât hope for anything before summer 2021, and fall or winter is a realistic possibility. But weâll definitely see the camera before the year is out, assuming all goes to plan.
A few other interesting tidbits from the interview:
Nikon aims to produce lenses âwith a focus on more compactness and affordabilityâ in the hopes of âmak[ing]âŠlenses more accessible to more people.â This will come alongside an effort to offer an expanded lineup of APS-C Z-mount cameras.Â
(Currently, Nikon only offers a single APS-C Z-mount model, the Z50.)
Nikon camera sales have âdefied expectationsâ these last few months, especially with the launch of the Z6 II and the Z7 II. As Oishi explains, âIn the last quarter, we reported record mirrorless sales, which was helped by strong performance of the Z7 II and Z6 II. We observed strong sales of new products, both mirrorless cameras and lenses.â
Oishi thinks the hot Z6 II and Z7 II sales come from DSLR holdouts; he states that âmany loyal Nikon users [were] waiting on the second generation of the Z series,â and that, thanks to âthe improvements we put into the second generation,â Nikon DSLR shooters have finally bought into the Z system.
This is all excellent news for Nikon fans, and while the company still has a long way to go, itâs clearly taking steps in the right direction.
Now over to you:
What do you think about Nikonâs upcoming flagship mirrorless camera? Where do you see Nikon headed over the next few years? And what affordable lenses would you like Nikon to produce? Share your thoughts in the comments below!