Let’s start talking about the upcoming Nikon mirrorless camera
I have been reporting about the new Nikon mirrorless camera for over a year now, but I still don’t have any reliable technical details. Several different scenarios are possible:
- Nikon will bring back the Nikon 1 with a new and better adapter. Maybe they can squeeze a slightly bigger than 1″ sensor inside the CX mount?
- Nikon will create a new mount for their upcoming mirrorless camera and introduce a new adapter to use existing Nikkor lenses.
- Another possibility is that Nikon may introduce two different mirrorless cameras (possible mix: Nikon 1/F-mount/new mount)
- Nikon has already filed several patents for full frame mirrorless lenses but I am still not sure what sensor size Nikon will select – all the reports I received point to a “large” or “larger than Nikon 1 sensor”. I think it is safe to assume that if they go with a new mount, it will be 100% full frame compatible.
- At least two new Nikon mirrorless lenses will be launched with the new mirrorless camera.
The only matching information across all my sources is that Nikon is working on a new adapter for their upcoming mirrorless camera
Reportedly Nikon is putting a lot of effort in the development of a new lens adapter for their next mirrorless camera. The new adapter is supposed to be very complex and it will be expensive. Nikon wants to make sure the autofocus is fast and is backward compatible with old Nikkor lenses (AF-D included). This brings me to a new Nikon patent that was recently filed in Japan (I have no idea if this is what Nikon is working on):
Nikon patent for pellicle/translucent mirror autofocus adapter to use current Nikkor DSLR lenses on a mirrorless camera
The patent describes a mirrorless camera with a hybrid sensor and an AF adapter with a pellicle (translucent) mirror and a dedicated phase AF module (similar to the current Sony LA-EA4 adapter). The AF adapter will compensate for the DSLR flange distance and will allow the use of DSLR Nikkor lenses on the new mirrorless camera.
Additional information from the patent filing:
- Nikon Patent No: JP 2017-138624 (P2017-138624A)
- Publication date: August 10, 2017
- Original filing date: May 23rd, 2013
The same patent also describes a hybrid PDAF sensor (see more PDAF Nikon sensor patents field in the past):
As usual, Nikon patents are no guarantee for future products – I just found an interesting link between the rumors I received and the recently published patent.
Nikon mirrorless camera mockups by Broxibear.
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