Nikon to launch Next Generation Full-frame Mirrorless Cameras

In a major announcement on July 25, Japanese camera manufacturer Nikon declared that it is currently working on a new next-gen full-frame (Nikon FX-format) mirrorless camera with Nikkor lenses and a new camera mount. The camera giant claims that a “new dimension in optical performance” will be achieved with the adoption of this new mount. The announcement comes just days after the Nikon 1 mirrorless camera lineup was discontinued. Nikon’s last mirrorless camera, the Nikon 1 J5, was launched way back in 2015.

An F-Mount adaptor is also under development which would enable the use of numerous F-Mount Nikkor lenses with the new unnamed full-frame mirrorless camera. Details around the camera’s pricing and release date will be shared soon. However, a report by Nikon Rumors claims that two new mirrorless cameras are in the lineup, one with a 48-megapixel sensor and the other with a 25-megapixel one. The first one is said to get a price tag of $4,000 (around Rs. 2.75 lakhs) while the “budget” 25-megapixel option might have a starting price tag of $2,500 (roughly Rs. 1.72 lakhs). However, there is no evidence or official statement from the company confirming the same.

The last one in the Nikon 1 series, Nikon 1 J5 was announced in April of 2015 at a starting price of $499 (roughly Rs. 34,300) for the variant with 10-30mm (27-81mm equivalent) F3.5-5.6 VR power zoom lens.

Mirrorless cameras, essentially, are much more portable, lightweight and user friendly compared to traditional DSLRs. They consist of a single, removable lens and possess a digital display instead of an optical viewfinder. A mirrorless camera shows what the image sensor is looking at, while a DSLR shows what the lens sees. Nikon will continue to develop its iconic lineup of digital SLRs along while focusing on next-gen mirrorless technology.