First, a small note on the Nikon Z1 entry-level mirrorless camera: when Nikon makes a prototype, they do not name or label them in any way – see some previous Nikon Z prototypes:
The Nikon Z1 mirrorless camera picture I posted on Sunday could have been developed as a prototype, but the fact that it has a model label on the front (Z1) could indicate that it may actually be released one day. This is where the new rumors I received come to play – I was told that Nikon will announce a new DX (with an APS-C sensor) entry-level mirrorless camera. I received this information from two different sources, several weeks apart. I do not have any other details but reportedly Nikon already has a very aggressive DX mirrorless roadmap. The official announcement is expected in 2019. The new DX mirrorless camera maybe not be called Z1 (the Z1 pictured above is labeled as FX).
My personal take: given the current state of the camera industry, I just don’t see how Nikon can develop a full line of DX mirrorless cameras and lenses, keep up with the full-frame Z products and at the same time continue with the F-mount. The math just doesn’t add up. Nikon hardly announced any DX F-mount lenses in the last few years and I have a hard time believing that they changed their strategy.
Additional pictures of previous Nikon camera prototypes can be found here, here and here and as you can see they do not have any model labels:
