Is the upcoming FF mirrorless lens mount change more than smoke and (no) mirrors?

[Bravin Neff]

Yeah... Nikon has the opportunity to do this really right. The size of the new mount and the fact that they put a traditional off sensor phase detect unit in the adaptor suggests...

Woah, I must have missed this. Is this an established fact?

 

[scottinpollock]

It is pretty clearly documented in the patent application.

Nikon Mirrorless - Nikon News and Rumors - NikonForums.com

 

[Deleted member 13260]

So it looks like two bodies, both FF, one a low pixel count job.
That puzzles me. Would have thought a DX equivalent body would have more market relevance, attracting sports and wildlife shooters.
That'd be the only reason I'd buy anyway.

 

[bpdougd]

So it looks like two bodies, both FF, one a low pixel count job.
That puzzles me. Would have thought a DX equivalent body would have more market relevance, attracting sports and wildlife shooters.
That'd be the only reason I'd buy anyway.

Nikon has always been expert at attaining niche status for products even prior to launch.

 

[Deleted member 13260]

About as niche as a coffin?

 

[eric d.]

FF stays FF thats right, a small body will not be the best for good lenses.
Look at the smaller sonsor mirroless MfT Olympus E-M1 Mark II with a 300/4Pro attached: it is not lighter than a D500 with an 300/4PF VR and even bulky, ok bulky is the wrong word..

Anyway: Perhaps the also upcoming 500/5.6PF VR is not made for F-Mount, but for Z-Mount ?

 

[73Z1]

There is a video at dpreview.com, "A wildlife photographer's perspective on the Sony a9", where a D5 wildlife shooter lists some of the advantages he found using a mirrorless body. I believe that the advantages of a larger Z-mount on a mirrorless body will kill any prospect of a D6 being released. Just as DSLRs have replaced film SLRs, the mirrorless body is the body of the future. If Nikon does their mirrorless "MSLR" FF body well, it will drive vast new sales.

Just as the ability to see an image "as exposed" on the rear LCD of the DSLR has replaced many a hand held exposure/flash meter, the ability to see the image to be recorded on the senor in the viewfinder real-time, will obsolete the mirrored DSLR. The electronic viewfinder (with future enhancements) will open up vast new areas of low-light photography where the mirrored DSLR cannot compete.

Not that long ago a lot of photographers said that they saw no need for so many megapixels when the D800 was first released. The advantages soon became apparent and a lot of "not me" folks with excellent D3(s)/D4(s) bodies bought a D800(E) body as well. As good as the D800 and D810 were, the additional MP and dedicated AF, lead to D850 demand that Nikon was unable to meet until now. Large advances in tech capability will force upgrades.

If Nikon does their mirrorless "MSLR" FF body well, it will not only drive new sales, it will be as if Nikon introduced a D850, right after the D2s. Every area of operation will be open to advancement at a staggering pace. I expect 30/60fps FF still shots, full power ulra-high speed flash sync, full sensor AF, and 8K video, to be standards relatively quickly. It is an amazing time to be involved in photography.

 

[Pa]

There is a video at dpreview.com, "A wildlife photographer's perspective on the Sony a9", where a D5 wildlife shooter lists some of the advantages he found using a mirrorless body. I believe that the advantages of a larger Z-mount on a mirrorless body will kill any prospect of a D6 being released. Just as DSLRs have replaced film SLRs, the mirrorless body is the body of the future. If Nikon does their mirrorless "MSLR" FF body well, it will drive vast new sales.

Just as the ability to see an image "as exposed" on the rear LCD of the DSLR has replaced many a hand held exposure/flash meter, the ability to see the image to be recorded on the senor in the viewfinder real-time, will obsolete the mirrored DSLR. The electronic viewfinder (with future enhancements) will open up vast new areas of low-light photography where the mirrored DSLR cannot compete.

Not that long ago a lot of photographers said that they saw no need for so many megapixels when the D800 was first released. The advantages soon became apparent and a lot of "not me" folks with excellent D3(s)/D4(s) bodies bought a D800(E) body as well. As good as the D800 and D810 were, the additional MP and dedicated AF, lead to D850 demand that Nikon was unable to meet until now. Large advances in tech capability will force upgrades.

If Nikon does their mirrorless "MSLR" FF body well, it will not only drive new sales, it will be as if Nikon introduced a D850, right after the D2s. Every area of operation will be open to advancement at a staggering pace. I expect 30/60fps FF still shots, full power ulra-high speed flash sync, full sensor AF, and 8K video, to be standards relatively quickly. It is an amazing time to be involved in photography.

I agree with much of what you are saying. In fact, the thought that has been lurking in my head for some time is that before long we will look at today's DSLRs the same way we look at yesterday's film SLRs...a basically obsolete technology. It's sad to think that with all we have invested in these wonderful devices, they will soon be gathering dust. It is the way of technology.

I fully expect that Nikon will offer an adapter that will allow us to continue to use our F-mount lenses for a while, but I'm equally sure that we will all eventually migrate to the new Z-mount lenses designed specifically for the new cameras.

 

[Jonathan F/2]

Bodies change, but glass largely remains unchanged. I'm still adapting everything from older Nikon Ai-S lenses, to Russian Helios glass and Voigtlander Leica mount lenses. For the most part they all have their own unique characteristics. I'm more worried that future mirrorless glass won't be as future proof, due to most if not all having very short flange ranges (harder to adapt) and all-electronic controls (eventual obsolescence).

 

[Jonathan F/2]

FF stays FF thats right, a small body will not be the best for good lenses.
Look at the smaller sonsor mirroless MfT Olympus E-M1 Mark II with a 300/4Pro attached: it is not lighter than a D500 with an 300/4PF VR and even bulky, ok bulky is the wrong word..

Anyway: Perhaps the also upcoming 500/5.6PF VR is not made for F-Mount, but for Z-Mount ?

Another issue for some of these mirrorless lenses is price. You can pick up a Nikon 300mm f4 AF-S anywhere from $450-700 USD used depending on condition. If the new Nikon mirrorless camera does come with 5-axis IBIS, that lens will be the best stabilized bargain 300mm + adapter on the market!

 

[Pa]

Bodies change, but glass largely remains unchanged. I'm still adapting everything from older Nikon Ai-S lenses, to Russian Helios glass and Voigtlander Leica mount lenses. For the most part they all have their own unique characteristics. I'm more worried that future mirrorless glass won't be as future proof, due to most if not all having very short flange ranges (harder to adapt) and all-electronic controls (eventual obsolescence).

My interpretation is that Nikon is establishing a new lens mount which they expect will be a replacement for the old F-mount. Their teaser videos suggest to me that they consider this to be a new era (like the 1950s when the F-mount was created) which will establish a new paradigm.

Another issue for some of these mirrorless lenses is price. You can pick up a Nikon 300mm f4 AF-S anywhere from $450-700 USD used depending on condition. If the new Nikon mirrorless camera does come with 5-axis IBIS, that lens will be the best stabilized bargain 300mm + adapter on the market!

I agree with that, except the old 300/4 AF-s is very heavy and bulky, especially compared to the new 300PF.