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... that Olympus and Panasonic announced the Micro Four Thirds (M43) system. DPReview has published a potted history of how those two companies have developed the system since then*. As DPReview says, at the time, the adoption of mirrorless technology in the M43 cameras did not seem that significant. Yet, later this month Nikon will be launching a new mirrorless system, the success or otherwise of which will determine the company's future. And based on what it was saying earlier this year, there can be no doubt that Canon will soon be following suit.

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/59596 ... mirrorless

* Look out for the section about Olympus introduced its initial M43 offering as a .... block of wood, a vital material in the world of photography. I recall Pentax going to two Photokinas with its 645 digital camera concept also made from wood before it belatedly launched an actual working camera.

Frankly, Nikon's current marketing campaign leading up to the launch of its new mirrorless cameras is a big yawn. It looks as though the new models will be premium priced and of little interest. The main benefit of Nikon (and presumably Canon at some stage) entering the market is that it increases competition. Mirrorless cameras are mainly electronic and have few moving parts, which means reduced manufacturing costs. Not that I expect that to be reflected in the prices demanded, at least not initially. On the other hand, Sony has set the bar with its £2k A7 III even though I suspect that still represents a substantial markup on what it actually costs to produce*.

Over at The Online Photographer, Mike Johnston asks an interesting question. Do people want Canon and Nikon to succeed with their late entry to serious** mirrorless systems? In the comments, it becomes apparent that in terms of company size, Nikon is the minnow and the brands we consider to be the smaller concerns are part of much bigger organisations. Canon being the exception as being a market leader in a number of industries. It is a topsy turvy world in the camera industry.

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.co ... cceed.html

* Sony has a stated aim to be the leading camera producer by 2021, but has a strange way of going about it. Why does it expect customers to buy a battery charger separately? Why cannot it introduce lossless compressed Raw files? Compared to the assured products from Canikon, it has a slightly odd way of doing things.

** The Nikon 1 range was, in some ways, a very competent system which Nikon never took seriously and eventually walked away from. So much for supporting customers. Canon's mirrorless offerings have, to date, been low end and it has yet to introduce all the components to make EOS-M a real contender.

Mike Johnston has written a follow-up to his "does Nikon deserve to succeed" article (for which he received some flack) in which he gives various examples of how companies have failed to predict the future. Around 20 years ago, photography stood on the cusp of digital imaging. Kodak's response? The APS film system and PhotoCD. When the switch to digital did occur, it happened remarkably quickly. In late 2004, most cameras being sold were film. In less than 18 months, it was hardly possible to buy one.

We are at a similar juncture now with mirrorless cameras. Canon and Nikon were able to thrive on the switch to digital because they repurposed their film systems. The lenses did not need to change and rapid improvements in digital imaging meant that customers were upgrading more frequently than is necessary today. With mirrorless, the lens mount has to change as well. A few years ago, an assistant at CameraWorld told me that most full frame cameras they sold were Sony's mirrorless offerings, with customers buying relatively few DSLRs. Sony is now claiming that in 2018, its full frame cameras has outsold both Canon and Nikon in the US. No doubt helped by the A7 III, which it cannot manufacture fast enough.

Quite apart from the technical capabilities of the new cameras, there is also the question of supply. In the past, Nikon has consistently underestimated demand for its new models. It will be bad news for the company if it does so with its new models this time, especially as Canon invariably has sufficient stocks available from day one of a launch. Whatever happens over the next few months, both Canon and Nikon have to get a lot of things right and it will be fascinating to see what happens in this second digital revolution.

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.co ... riety.html

So now there is confirmation of the new Nikon Z6 and Z7.

https://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2 ... z7-cameras

Nikon is clearly going for the premium market but the model numbering would seem to leave scope for less expensive cameras lower in the range. By continuing to sell its older cameras, Sony has been able to offer a full frame camera and lens for £569 and it is possible to purchase an A7 II for less than £800. By contrast, the official price for the Z6 is £2,099 and £3,399 for the Z7. An interesting and inconsistent rate of conversion when the dollar equivalents are $1,999 and $3,399 respectively. Even allowing for the inclusion of 20% VAT in the UK price, Nikon would seem to be providing an opening for unofficial importers.

As an addendum, if the current slow response times of the DPReview website is anything to go by, there is a lot of interest in the new cameras.

One of the problems which Nikon has traditionally had with launches of its new cameras is the inability to meet initial demand. Kirk Tuck in the US says the D850 is still backordered there a year on. History is repeating itself with the Z7. Bear in mind that this type of high value camera sells in relatively low volumes. Worldwide sales of 100,000 in the first year would be a good result for Nikon.

https://www.dpreview.com/news/820808444 ... ome-buyers

One of the questions arising from the Nikon launch of its Z range is when there will be a response from Canon. I could not believe that they would let Nikon gain an advantage over the next few months, but there has been surprisingly little in the way of leaks. Canon Rumours is now claiming that 5 September will be the day when Canon reveals everything. Story from PetaPixel.

https://petapixel.com/2018/08/28/canon- ... ember-5th/

Both DPReview and Petapixel (probably others as well) are running stories which suggest that Canon's launch will indeed be on 5 September. It looks as though there will be only one camera body but a few more lenses than Nikon announced. If the camera has 30 MP, as one site is suggesting, it potentially places it in 5D territory.

What is more interesting though is the possibility that Panasonic will also have a full frame model, to be revealed on 25 September which is the eve of Photokina. The full frame space could be getting crowded. Panasonic, of course, is actually the real subject of this thread since it was 10 years ago that it gave the world its first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera.

https://www.43rumors.com/ft5-panasonic- ... tember-25/

It is happening as I type, Canon is announcing the EOS R mirrorless camera.

If you are really that impatient to learn the details, PetaPixel has published leaked specs and photos.

https://petapixel.com/2018/09/01/canon- ... pecs-leak/

And here is the Canon EOS R in all its glory.

https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/l ... s-r-121557

Now, here is the paradox. Both Canon and Nikon have announced high end models which will sell in relatively few numbers. The majority of cameras with interchangeable lenses are DSLRs with APS-C sensors, mainly manufactured by Canon and Nikon. Yet despite being bestsellers, neither of those companies properly supported those cameras and most lenses were designed for full frame. At least that gave customers the option to upgrade to a full frame sensor later on. A while back Canon launched the EOS-M range for its mirrorless APS-C cameras and it looks as though it will maintain that line and EOS R independently of each other. Canon obviously thinks it hs the numbers to make that approach work. Nikon has yet to announce its strategy, which will probably occur at next May's Photokina.