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Canon and Nikon have stuck with DSLRs for good reason. They have comprehensive systems which are still selling well. No doubt both companies want to get into mirrorless. It is where the market is heading and the cameras have fewer moving parts which makes them cheaper to produce. The big problem is that DSLR lenses need to take account of the space occupied by the mirror which, obviously, mirrorless cameras do not.

The conundrum for the manufacturers is how to move forward without losing their existing customers. Mirrorless lenses need a new mount and that introduces risk. If customers are forced into a change, the existing tie-in no longer applies and they have the opportunity to move elsewhere. Moreover, there is an incentive to do so as it will take time to build up a sufficiently diverse range of lenses for a new system.

Nikon, famously, has used the same mount since the launch of the first F camera in 1959 so a new lens system is a big deal for them. Nevertheless, that is what Nikon Rumors is claiming. If it is true, expect to see Nikon supplement it with an adapter for its existing lenses. It is a clunky solution but allows people to use their existing lenses as they transition. Sony, rather cheekily, for a while promoted the use of a Metabones adapter to allow the use of Canon lenses on its camera bodies while they developed their own.

The other consideration is whether a new mount will support lenses for both full frame and crop sensors. It is something which both Sony and Leica have done. Sony, though, has concentrated on its full frame lenses and support for its crop sensors has been lacking. Nikon, too, has largely neglected its crop sensor DX range and relied on customers purchasing full frame FX lenses.

Canon users need not feel smug, either. The same issues and criticisms apply to that company as well. It is the reason why I long ago stopped buying anything from them and I am not alone.

More at DPReview: https://www.dpreview.com/news/551593993 ... ew-z-mount.

Mike Farley wrote:Canon users need not feel smug, either. The same issues and criticisms apply to that company as well.

Minutes after writing this, I found this report on PetaPixel which suggests Canon might still be considering its options for a full frame mirrorless system.

https://petapixel.com/2018/01/12/canon- ... ss-camera/

Thom Hogan's take. Two possible new mirrorless camera systems in 2018? Wow!

It is an interesting insight into the issues which manufacturers face.

http://www.dslrbodies.com/newsviews/nikons-2018.html

Now there is a rumour, which appears to be based on the similarity in dimensions between the mounts of the Fuji-X and as yet hypothetical Nikon Z, that the two companies will have some form of joint venture. True, there was cooperation a few years ago which was predicated on Fuji not having the capability to produce a complete digital camera system on their own. That would take a few more years with the arrival of the X-Pro1.

The main point of differentiation for Fuji's S series DSLR cameras was a unique sensor design (sound familiar?) which was supposed to increase dynamic range. Early sensors being more limited in that respect than their modern counterparts. Fuji's sensor was housed in a Nikon body complete with Nikon mount. Although Fuji is a very capable lens manufacturer, it did not produce any lenses under its own name for the camera.

On the basis that the 1 series cameras are dead in the water, Nikon has no current mirrorless offering. But does it really need to reach out to Fuji? One feature of the 1 series was excellent AF, an area where Fuji still lags behind the competition despite recent improvements. On more than one occasion when speaking to Fuji reps they have tried to justify slow AF response on the basis that some lenses, introduced within the last three years, have "older" technology. Hmm. Then there is the small matter that Fuji lenses are designed for APS-C sensors whereas the expectation is that Nikon will concentrate on full frame.

I doubt whether the main issues Nikon faces relate to technical know how. Maybe there is an argument that it needs to introduce both APS-C and full frame systems in short order to be competitive. It takes time to develop a full range of lenses so their is some logic in using those produced by an already established rival. That, though, is a short term solution and introduces the possibility of longer term issues. Nikon does not want just to sell cameras.

It seems to me that the greater challenge for Nikon will be one of marketing, retaining market share during the transition to mirrorless. In that regard, abandoning those customers who bought into the short-lived 1 series will not help the company gain trust.

More on this story from Imaging Resource:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/20 ... ra-be-like