Future Nikon R&D - A New Lens Mount?

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Future Nikon R&D - A New Lens Mount?

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NikoDoby

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The internet forums are buzzing about Mr Tetsuro Goto's interview with a french website. He's the head of Nikon's Research & Development. Some of the key points are summarized on the main blog:
http://nikonrumors.com/2010/01/20/interview-with-tetsuro-goto.aspx

Nikon is apparently considering a compact camera with an APS-C sensor that would be Nikon's own design and build! It doesn't seem to be an EVIL but a fixed lens camera like the Leica X1. Nikon is also considering a new series of lenses and mount to live "parallel" to the Fmount. Something like Olympus micro 4/3rds lenses. Or could this mean that Nikon will actually be joining the m4/3 party with it's own EVIL camera?

There was an article written not to long ago (spanish website) mentioning that a "big player" would be joining m4/3rds. It was speculated that this new player might be Fuji. The same article said that even canon was studying the idea. However now that the head of Nikon's R&D just mentioned the possibility of a new lens mount, could the "big player" actually be Nikon?

Does it make sense for the m4/3 mount and lenses to become a "standard" compact lens mount for various companies including Nikon and canon? Nikon's EVIL camera would use Nikon designed and built m4/3rd lenses but could also use lenses from others. That would encourage people, who for example already own a lot of Olympus m4/3 lenses, to buy a Nikon camera and not have to worry about building up new lenses. Hmmm...very interesting.

Posted 3 years ago #
astrophotographer

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One thing, if Nikon were to go with a new mount of their own, as apposed to m4/3, then I'd suspect they'd patent it or use some other means to control it. So far there's no patent applications. Can you copyright a lens mount?

Posted 3 years ago #
Gentoo

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astrophotographer said:
One thing, if Nikon were to go with a new mount of their own, as apposed to m4/3, then I'd suspect they'd patent it or use some other means to control it. So far there's no patent applications. Can you copyright a lens mount?

Copywrite no, patent yes and Nikon's F Mount is patented. If it weren't then any company would be able to use it without licensing it.

Posted 3 years ago #
NikoDoby

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Nikon would enter into an agreement (license) to join m4/3rd. The advantage is that it would save them the trouble of designing and manufacturing an entirely new smaller lens mount. However even more importantly it would save them the time of having to market a entirely new lens mount other than the Fmount.

In other words a Nikon m4/3rd camera could hit the ground running and take advantage of everyone who already have m4/3rd lenses and adapters for other cameras instead of convincing them that they should ditch those lenses and buy into yet another compact lens mount.

If the Nikon m4/3rd camera doesn't sell well or is some how a complete failure, Nikon can just walk away and still say that they have never changed the Fmount since the 1950's etc.

Posted 3 years ago #
adamz

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that's true about the F mount, and still incredible that You can mount 60years old lens on the newest dslr and be actually able to use it.

as for m4/3 I'm wondering what panny will show us, as the countdown is already in progress, and GH1 is marked as discontinued - not that I'm a huge fan of other brands, but getting need for a high quality, reasonable prices, small camera

Posted 3 years ago #
astrophotographer

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So, say you were a Nikon executive. You've had your engineers developing lenses, etc. for your own line of compact, interchangeable lens camera, perhaps an EVIL system. Do you go ahead and start production or do you look at the 4/3 format and decide to drop your plan and join the 4/3 group. Not an easy decision to make.

Posted 3 years ago #
PB PM

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I think Nikon would stick with an APS-C sensor, like Panasonic, rather than 4/3s.

Posted 3 years ago #
NikoDoby

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uh..PB PM, Panasonic is part of the m4/3rds group. Only Samsung has an APS-C EVIL camera.

astrophotographer said:
So, say you were a Nikon executive. You've had your engineers developing lenses, etc. for your own line of compact, interchangeable lens camera, perhaps an EVIL system. Do you go ahead and start production or do you look at the 4/3 format and decide to drop your plan and join the 4/3 group. Not an easy decision to make.

I think the real question is should Nikon have yet another lens mount that is a totally separate line? That would make three varieties of Nikon glass (FX, DX, "CX=compact"). With an adapter you could use all three with an EVIL camera.

The other possibility would be that Nikon's first EVIL camera could be just a rebadged m4/3rd camera from Olympus or perhaps Fujifilm. Nikon would just tweak it a bit. Nikon already does this with some of their COOLPIX cameras. The Nikon P90 is the "same" as the Pentax X70 and Samsung HZ25W and another Kodak 24X Super-zoom model. They are all basically the same camera with slightly different bodies, specs and logos.

Posted 3 years ago #
PB PM

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Oh right, I mixed them up.

As for the mount, that was why, in the past I suggest that Nikon should just drop the DX lens line altogether and develop more full frame, low cost lenses along side a new line for EVIL cameras. The idea being that EVIL cameras would replace DX cameras, other than maybe the D300 type of camera. I say that because, D300 users are more likely to own higher end glass anyway.

Posted 3 years ago #

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Future Nikon R&D - A New Lens Mount?

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