Is Nikon Planning to Go Retro Again?

Is Nikon Planning to Go Retro Again?

Nikon has dabbled in vintage-styled digital cameras for quite some time now, with some achieving more success than others, but they have yet to release a full frame mirrorless camera with that sort of design. That might change soon, with a new vintage-style full frame mirrorless camera rumored to be on the way very soon.

Nikon Rumors is reporting that Nikon is planning to release a new full frame camera with retro styling as soon as next week. Nikon released the Df, a vintage-inspired DSLR almost a decade ago (don't miss this hilarious review by Fstoppers' own Lee Morris). Most reviews deemed the camera as more form than function for the price, but the release of the mirrorless APS-C Z fc was met with much more positive reviews. The new camera is, unsurprisingly, rumored to be based on the successful Z fc design and feature a 45-megapixel sensor. Other features include improve autofocus over the Z 6II and Z 7II and a dedicated hardware function for a black and white mode. Of course, rumors don't always pan out, but Fujifilm has long established that their is demand for vintage-inspired cameras with manual controls, and Nikon has a history of also trying to capitalize on that trend, so I wouldn't be surprised to see such a camera emerge. Hopefully, we will see more soon! 

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Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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7 Comments

I like cameras like that, so I hope so. I wonder if they’ll go as far a producing a kind of FtZ Adaptor with a motor in it, so people can still use screw-drive lenses!😆

Just buy an analog camera, a real one

I’ve lost count of how many Nikons I’ve owned, but it’s at least a dozen film and digital cameras from the original Photomic F all the way to the Z line mirrorless.Would be great fun to combine the retro with the modern.

If the AF is truly improved and the price is $2,500 or less, it will be hugely successful.

If true, I would welcome Nikon's move. Sure, in this current market it's impossible to say whether stepping out of the same-old-design mode will always be a risky proposition, but it would be refreshing to see something that looks different. I'm sure specs-wise, it will not break any ground over the Z8 and such, but from the specs that are making the rumor rounds, there's plenty to like nonetheless. It could mark my return to Nikon for a travel camera.

For Nikon fans performance will mean nothing. They will rush to buy it just for bragging on its looks.
This has happened twice with the retro DSLR and now the Z fc.
Both marginal performers when introduced but still snapped up not for any performance abilities, which neither really had compared to other cameras but solely on looks for narcissists to say look at me, I'm cool.

I own 7 Nikon Manual AIS F-mount lenses and I waited for the price of the Df to come down from its $2746.00 tag, that didn’t happen. All the while reading of Df owners that loved their camera. Nikon is missing the boat here they need to provide a portable travel camera full frame F mount. I think the term, ‘Retro,’ no longer applies regarding dials. Medium format cameras are being used as travel cameras. I wouldn’t, but see a point here full frame in a small package could do the trick. Seems like Nikon has tried everything else, why not?