It's known that both Canon and Nikon have been readying proper answers to Sony's and Fuji's mirrorless cameras, but details have been scarce and projected timelines aren't clear. Nikon recently clarified this, saying we can expect their mirrorless offering by spring of 2019.
In the interview, Nikon Executive Kimito Uemura directly confirms that "development is underway, and [they] expect to bring one to market by spring next year." It's likely that Canon is on some sort of similar timeline, as both companies have acknowledged the inroads Sony has made both in development and market success. The question on everyone's minds regarding both Nikon's and Canon's individual offerings is which lens mount each will have. The advantage both companies have over Sony and Fujifilm is a strong customer base heavily invested in their respective lens ecosystems, but the introduction of a new mount would at least partially negate this advantage. On the other hand, the physics of the flange distance presents difficulties in this regard, and both companies have had decisions to make on how to handle the issue. Rumor has it Nikon will be introducing the Z mount, though this has not been confirmed. Either way, 2019 should be a very interesting time for the market and consumers.
![Nikon's Full Frame Mirrorless Camera Will Likely Have a New Lens Mount [Rumor]](https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/small-16-9/s3/lead/2018/01/nikon_mirrorless_camera_lens_mount_0.jpg)
As a Nikon shooter, if they don't shorten the flange distance to something comparable to an E-mount, and offer a good, cheap, way to attach legacy glass -I'll have to think hard whether or not to abandon them at this point.
You can't really have both: if they shorten the flange distance you won't be able to attach legacy glass (which needs a longer flange distance to accommodate for the mirror). Unless you get an adaptor.
That's specifically what I mean -they need to shorten the flange distance and offer a reasonably priced adapter for legacy glass.
2 versions, an adapter with af motor, which should be very competitively priced, sub-$300; and a "dumb" version which just relays information from body to lens which should be very competitively priced as well, sub-$150.
Gotcha. Yes, that would be great.
Yup, I really don't see Nikon pissing away their legacy glass. They didn't keep the F-mount going this long to just abandon it. They're too smart to do that, so I expect that they have a hat and at least one rabbit. The same goes for Canon.
I suspect that the legacy glass issue has been the main driver of both companies lagging behind. Push is past shove so they have to figure it out.
pretty sure nikon and canon are doing their best to produce M.Cameras that somehow allow their current lenses to be attached (even if not natively). It would be a huuuge mistake to discard that option.
As a life long Nikon shooter, next year is a long time. They should have had something sooner. I guess with all the losses they have incurred has really slowed down development.
Yet at the same time, them waiting this long may be a good thing. Yes, they may not have the notoriety that Sony and Fuji have in the mirrorless realm, but one would think they have been carefully watching these companies, seeing where they have gone wrong. Instead of pushing out a mirrorless system too early (Nikon 1 cameras), they hopefully will be figuring out what people truly want in a camera and waiting for better technology to come along, as it has by now.
Only time will tell whether them waiting was a good or bad thing...let's just hope that it was for the better.
Nikon and Canon may be late to the pro mirrorless realm, but they have let other companies do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to product development and technical innovations. This would theoretically free up more of their development budget for things like improving the user interface, improving on features that other mirrorless cameras offer, and perfecting good and affordable adapters for legacy glass. I agree that it would be a shame if these new pro mirrorless cameras could not accommodate current pro DSLR lenses that people have invested lots of money in over the years.
I'd rather wait until spring 2009 if it means getting a complete product. I know that it is standard operation of the tech sector to bring out half-baked products to be early to market and rely on patches to fix it later. I'd rather just get a good, well-tested, reliable product to begin with.
I am sure there will be lens adapters to carry you thru the transition period. Though I am not sold on mirrorless mainly because of battery life and night-sky photography.
2018 and is now 2019? People are extending a lot of faith to Nikon & Canon at this point. Fingers crossed, but like many, I wonder the possibility any companies first generation line would be able to compete?
>> I wonder the possibility any companies first generation line would be able to compete?
Both Nikon and Canon have made excellent mirrorless cameras. The Nikon V and J have superfast focus and the Canon M series already has dual-pixel focus. And both makers have excellent compacts, and all a MILC is is a compact with a lens mount. If Canon decide to risk cutting sales of their camcorders and release a mirrorless with dual pixel focus and log output format from a good part of the sensor, then Panasonic can kiss their GH5 sales goodbye - Sony and Fuji aren't the only makers under threat.
NikonRumors posted a patent awhile back that had patents for Nikon that included a dual drive setup to focus the lenses faster and more accurately. Maybe perfecting this has held development time as well? At this point I’m looking to pickup a Sony as it will allow silent shooting during sound sensitive events like a wedding ceremony. Still keeping my Nikon gear though.
It's a pathetic PR stunt. It says: we have nothing to show you but stop buying other brands because in a year we will have something to show you.
Two key things for me would be, like everyone else, lens compatibility I'd never ever consider a switch if all my glass had to be replaced or if the adaptor effects the lens performance in any way. The other would be a viewfinder, I absolutely hate looking at a screen to compose a shot (I probably won't get this wish).