Personal ramblings on photography
News (industry, events)
Petapixel is reporting two Nikon Z related news.
Leica just announced the M10-D a M-mount rangefinder digital camera, that doesn’t have a screen or other controls at the back. Sounds familiar? It seems the timing is in sync with the Pixii I talked about yesterday. Similarly, to control anything but aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation, you have to use the companion smartphone app.
The Leica M10-D is a stripped down version of the M10-P. Is it cheaper? No. Both have an advertised street price of USD$8,000.
It is not everyday that there is a new rangefinder camera not made by Leica.
The French startup Pixii announced their camera.
The Pixii is a rangefinder digital camera (yes, an actual rangefinder) with an M mount for the lenses. Of course M39 screw mount lenses can be used with an adapter. There is not much known about the specs, neither the sensor size, nor the price. One of its key features is that it doesn’t have a screen, but rather just have connectivity to a smartphone.
From PetaPixel:
No word yet on pricing or availability. PIXII says those details will be announced in the coming weeks.
To be continued…
Also at Photokina, Fujifilm announced a new camera in their GFX series: the GFX 50R. The GFX 50R is to the GFX 50S what the X-E1 was to the X-Pro1: a more compact version of the 50 megapixel medium format mirrorless, in what they call a “rangefinder style” body (it is not a rangefinder camera). The GFX 50R also has a dual SD card slot. Available in November (2018) for US$4,500. DPReview has the details.
And to double it up, the announcement included news of the development of the GFX 100, a 100 Megapixel successor of the GFX 50S, to be released sometime in 2019, featuring phase detect auto-focus and in-body image stabilisation, as well as 4K video ! But will they solve the problems with such a large sensor? The price is speculated to be around US$10,000.
One more thing. According to The Verge, Fujifilm showed a XF 33mm f/1.0 R lens. F ONE POINT ZERO ! Coming in 2020.
(Updated 2018/09/26: added links to specifications)
Right now, Photokina is happening in Cologne.
Panasonic, as rumoured, announced the Lumix S, a full frame mirrorless camera using the “L-Mount”. L-mount is the mount from the Leica mirrorless Leica SL (not the M rangefinder) and is the result an alliance between Panasonic, Sigma and Leica.
Petapixel dubs it “the mirrorless wars”
This is not Panasonic abandoning the M4/3 format.
What DPReview knows so far which is not that much:
Panasonic has announced it is developing two full frame mirrorless cameras: the 47MP S1R and the 24MP S1. Both will be built around Leica’s L mount, allowing their use with existing Leica lenses as well as lenses promised by both Panasonic and Sigma.
For the lenses:
Alongside the two cameras, Panasonic has announced it will introduce three lenses: a 50mm F1.4, a 24-105mm zoom and a 70-200mm 2.8. It has also said it will introduce more than ten lenses before the end of 2020.
These, in addition to the existing (expensive) Leica lenses available for the Leica SL.
Unlike the GH5, the S1 and S1R cameras don’t have a flip out screen. It does video in 4K60P with no indication whether it is cropped or not, in body image stabilisation, two card slots (one XQD, one SD). Currently the performance and image quality is unknown.
The camera is definitely aimed at the professional market as Panasonic introduce “pro-level service” for the cameras.
Availability is scheduled to be early 2019, with no pricing disclosed yet.
Will Olympus be joining the game later?
In all the buzz around the Canon EOS R full frame mirrorless, almost unnoticed, Canon announced the EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM lens for the EOS M:
Aimed at entry- and enthusiast-level photographers, the EF-M 32mm F/1.4 STM is a small (1.99in/50.5mm long) and light (8.29oz/235g) lens that’s the 35mm-equivalent of a 51mm lens, which provides an angle-of-view that’s similar to the human eye.
It is the fastest lens for the system, an almost equivalent to the 50mm f/1.4 found on the EOS line. If I had an EOS-M, I’d probably get it to supplement the 22mm f/2 (pancake).
But will that system live in parallel from the EOS-R? For how long?
And third time is a charm. Just yesterday Canon announced their fullframe mirrorless, Fujifilm just announced the third iteration of the Fujifilm X-T series, the X-T3. This is not a revolution in Fujifilm’s lineup: it is not a switch to fullframe as they do not have to do that, but an improvement.
I bought a Fujifilm X-Pro1 in 2012, pre-ordering it. This was the first generation camera of the series with all its quirks, and back then there was only 3 prime lenses. The X-series lineup is very compelling with many excellent quality and reasonably priced lenses, all in a relatively compact package, thanks to the APS-C sensor size.
I haven’t had the chance to see the X-T3 yet. This is based on spec and reviews.
What does the X-T3 brings to the table? It replaces the now 2 years old X-T2, with a wide range of improvements: a newer sensor up to 26Megapixels and a faster processing unit, with faster autofocus. An improved EVF with a faster refresh rate and higher resolution.
New video capabilities make this camera a good contender in the movie camera segment, with native 10bits 4:2:0 internal recording (sadly in HEVC H265), and 4:2:2 on an external recorder. The headphone jack no longer require the battery pack. 4K 30fps no longer crop, only the 60fps is cropped x1.18. The Eterna film simulation found in the X-H1 has been added as well. Sadly the flip out screen found on the X-T100 isn’t part of the upgrade. Fujfilm, pretty please!
Another interesting feature is the sports shooting mode where the captured image is cropped x1.25 allowing the viewfinder can show the outside of the frame, with a burst rate of 30fps.
Hit
Miss
A welcome update, I’m now holding off to get the X-T3, mainly motivated with my foray into moving pictures.
After all rumors, a week after Nikon, Canon has released the EOS R, that appear to be a 5D MarkIV stuffed into a mirrorless package; some people say it is more like the 6D MarkII. The EOS-R feature the new RF mount, and 4 RF lenses have been announced, as well as 3 EF to RF adapters. At US$ 2,300 body only (CAD 3,000 up North), it is a bit more expensive than its competition.
All of this is based on the specs as I haven’t had the privilege to see one, even less touch one.
Early reviews say the autofocus works fast, whether in stills or movie mode, as well as with adapted EF lenses. This is good news.
Here is the 4 lenses lineup:
Only the two cheapest one have IS.
Now the EF to RF adapters. Plural as there are three. There is the basic one for CAD 130 that just connect the lens, a second one that for CAD 260 provides the control ring that EF lenses are missing, and a third one that provide drop in filters (but no control ring) for much more money depending whether it is a ND filter or a circular polarizer. This is an essential part to convince Canon DSLR users that the don’t lose their heavy investment in lenses.
What is the control ring? It is an extra ring on RF lenses that can be mapped on the camera to perform a specific function. You can use it to change the aperture, the ISO, the shutter speed or other things. And this is the same ring that one of the EF adapter provides so that you have the functionality with EF lenses.
Hit
Miss
While far from perfect, Canon seems to have released a compelling and capable package. It really feels that they deliberately crippled some features (like the video capabilities) to protect higher end system. With a steep starting price, there is no guarantee that this will have the success they hope given the fierce competition ; with patience it might just become in a few years, the only interchangeable lens camera system sell.
Nikon finally officially announced the Nikon Z, their new mirrorless digital camera system. Mirrorless is not new for Nikon as they just discontinued the Nikon 1, but this time they are getting serious.
And there is a lot of hate about the Nikon Z, haters are gonna hate.
So let’s review what’s the offer:
The Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7, are the first two mirrorless cameras with a full frame sensor from Nikon, and they use the new Z-mount. Priced at US$2,000 and US$3,400 respectively, they fall in the same price, the Sony α7III and α7RIII. Both cameras share a lot in their design, handling and appearance. The main differentiator between them is the sensor resolution, maximum ISO, maximum FPS and number of autofocus points, like the two Sony models mentioned.
Note: I haven’t seen it nor touched it – I’m not part of that circle of people. This is a commentary on the specs, you have been warned.
One little distinguishable feature, that you can already find on some of the Fujifilm cameras like the GF50 or the X-H1, is the top LCD screen. A matrix of dots instead of predetermined display: this allow a greater flexibility in what can be displayed.
The controversy comes from the memory card slot. First, there is only one: there is a (relatively small) number of people in that market segment that want two slots, as a safety against losing a shoot when a memory card fails. Second, and that’s probably the worst in my books, is the use of the XQD format. No. Not yet again a format nobody else uses.
Z-mount
Let’s talk about Z-mount a little bit. Since 1959, Nikon has been using the F-mount on their SLR system. Neither aut-focus nor digital made them change the lens, even though there are different classes of F-mount depending on the presence of an aperture ring or screw auto-focus (i.e. the auto-focusing system is on the body with a mechanical coupling, instead of in the lens). Since Nikon managed to go that far without changing the mount, why doing it now?
As I explained in a previous post, a mirrorless system would allow a shorter flange distance to be able to benefit from a more compact form factor. Since that make the lens incompatible, why not changing the mount? This is were the Z-mount comes. Dropping all the legacy baggage it address some of the issues. One of them is the diameter that has prevented from making very wide aperture lenses. At 55mm, it is probably one of the largest diameter for that size of sensor (or film format), and Nikon already announced a Noct lens: Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 lens.
With a flange distance of 16mm, not only you have a slim body, but you also have more possibilities in term of adapted lenses. And there will be an F-mount adapter priced at US$250 that will allow using F-mount lenses immediately, albeit you lose some of in-body image stabilization efficiency by having only 3-axis VR.
3 lenses will be available in Z-mount at launch, priced a bit over the top:
At least 9 other Nikkor Z lenses are planned until 2020, including Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95
Video
Video isn’t forgotten with the Nikon Z. A range of resolution and frame rates, with 4K HD up to 30 fps, and 1080p HD up to 120 fps for smooth slow motion, mic in, headphone out. A notable omission is the flip out screen, but this is on par with the Sony. The 1080p120 mode is cropped, while all the other modes are full frame.
Caleb Pike from DSLR Video Shooter has some praise for the Z6 on the specs (video):
You can shoot 10-bits N-log 4K in full frame, albeit with an external recorder, with a camera that cost around US$2,000. Something that is usually cost much more. He also believe Nikon colour science is superior to Sony, something that will have to wait to be confirmed.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter
The Nikon Z seems to be a glimpse into what Nikon think is its future in the field of high-end camera. From what I can see, they stroke the balance to be able to satisfied advanced users (professionals or not), both in the area of photo and video, and will be able to handle the transition away from DSLR which I believe is happening.
I wouldn’t call the Nikon Z ground breaking. They don’t seem to do anything that no one else did before, but it looks like they engineered a camera system that seem to have almost all the ingredients to work. While not perfect, and a first generation product, I’m pretty sure the Nikon Z will be damn fine cameras, and their pricing is within the competition.
One more thing
Nikon is sorry that the Z7 is Selling so Quickly… and Canon has an announcement in that area soon.
Not sure who remembers the Nikon 1 mirrorless ? DPReview informs us tgat Nikon just announced they discontinued the Nikon 1, without a surprise.
The move to kill off the Nikon 1 line shouldn’t come as a surprise. In addition to the rumors flying around, the newest camera in the lineup was launched more than three years ago on April 2, 2015.
In comparison, Canon EOS M seems to have more traction in the market place.
Despite rumors, Nikon still doesn’t have a mirrorless system to replace this. Will they?