Nikon 2 (by RC Jenkins)
Occasionally, I bring up a hypothetical system I’d like to see from Nikon.
It won’t happen; but this is more of a thought experiment for a discussion to get the creative juices flowing for people who think creatively and to get the defensive juices flowing for people who don’t. So get ready to pick your side and dig in. Because honestly, who really needs to hear anything at all from anyone else before just arbitrarily picking the side you already wanted to be on anyway? Here we go (again)…
The system is called Nikon 2; and Nikon 2 is the spiritual successor to Nikon 1. If you’re really good at counting, you’ll note that it’s also the numerical successor to Nikon 1. hmmm…what did that “1” stand for again…? Wasn’t it the number of units they sold? Or something like that.
Nikon 2:
- shares the Z mount and is fully compatible with all Z lenses
- does not have a huge selection of dedicated lenses
- Uses the latest, greatest sensor technologies
- Introduces novel features that would be risky or expensive for higher-end cameras
- Is affordable for more people
- Is designed primarily for producing online content
- In practice, exceeds in IQ well beyond APS-C cameras and phones
- Has a sensor that is…nope…it’s still too soon. We need more context.
So here is one example of a Nikon 2 camera’s specifications:
- 14-bit sensor readout: 1/240+
- No mechanical shutter
- HDR option on-sensor
(can quickly take 2 shots at different exposures, like an iPhone) - IBIS that can move faster & further, resulting in gimbal-like stabilization
- 4K120 12-bit raw video. 10-bit ProRes HQ 422, h.265. HD240.
- Direct USB-C connection to record or monitor video on a phone via app
- 30FPS raw stills
- Latest Expeed 7 AF
- Priced between $500 – $1000
- Rapid pixel-shift for 8K stills
(Rapid, to reduce motion blur) - Novel features, perhaps the ability to internally rotate the sensor for portrait vs landscape
- 4K native resolution (3820 x 2160 = 8MP); perhaps also a 6K option
- Sensor size: 21.3 x 12 mm (16:9 native; or could be vertical-native)
(^ There it is)
Why is it so cheap? Not only does it lack a mechanical shutter; but the sensors are far cheaper than either full-frame or APS-C. In just one simple example, suppose they use a 12″ wafer for sensors. They might be able to make 64 full frame sensors from this; but they might be able to make 240 Nikon 2 sensors from the same sized wafer. When accounting for defective sensors, each Nikon 2 sensor might be 4x (or more) cheaper, depending on the technology. For example, stacked sensors might have a higher / compounded defect rate. Here it is visualized:
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