Nikon Z50—the end of the MP race?

[BJL]

Just kidding, but if we draw such sweeping conclusions from the A9II announcement ...
I am struck that Nikon has gone with a new version of its custom 21MP sensor (adding PDAF to the D500 sensor) instead of a probably cheaper, higher pixel count one off the shelf from Sony. For better video? Higher frame rates? Better “per pixel” performance stats in reviews?

[BernardLanguillier]

Just kidding, but if we draw such sweeping conclusions from the A9II announcement ...
I am struck that Nikon has gone with a new version of its custom 21MP sensor (adding PDAF to the D500 sensor) instead of a probably cheaper, higher pixel count one off the shelf from Sony. For better video? Higher frame rates? Better “per pixel” performance stats in reviews?

They may also have wanted to:

Maintain a coherent level of performance (frames/s,...)?
Lower cost?
Be consistent with the approach they have chosen for FF mirrorless?
Keep some relative appeal for the cameras they will be releasing next?

Nikon’s strategy seems to be define several years ahead and they have always been very careful about minimizing the number of different “part numbers” by reusing tech introduced in higher end cameras later in lower end models.

Cheers,
Bernard

[kers]

I just used my nikon 1 camera ( j5) on my last vacation to find out that the sensor (20mp) is not bad at all, but the lenses are not very good.
The 10mm pancake is never sharp on the side of the image.  Only the normal 18.5 mm lens is good. The 30-100mm zoom is in between...
So i am disappointed in Nikon in that respect. They made only 2 pro (serious) lenses for that format.

I hope they will do better with the zoom lenses just introduced for the Z50. A kit is still over 1000€ so not cheap.
The 4k cropped video and no ibis is a bad thing, making video not very useful. Every phone has stabilized video...
So i do not think it will be a very popular camera. better save some money and go for that ( refurbished) Z6.

[Peter McLennan]

No headphone jack - useless for single system video.

[DP]

Just kidding, but if we draw such sweeping conclusions from the A9II announcement ...
I am struck that Nikon has gone with a new version of its custom 21MP sensor (adding PDAF to the D500 sensor) instead of a probably cheaper, higher pixel count one off the shelf from Sony. For better video? Higher frame rates? Better “per pixel” performance stats in reviews?

Nikon already has a deal to buy that 20mp sensor from Sony Semi for D500 - so they simply decided that price from existing deal is better ....  same silicone - just changed CFA toppings to accomodate PDAF...

[BJL]

DP: Nikon also buys 24 MP sensors for several DX models, and with the higher volume both for. Ikon purchased and total Sony Semi sales, I’d think the 24MP sensor would cost Nikon less

[BernardLanguillier]

http://www.sansmirror.com/newsviews/2019-mirrorless-camera/october-december-2019-newsv/my-view-on-the-nikon-announ-2.html

Cheers,
Bernard

[KLaban]

http://www.sansmirror.com/newsviews/2019-mirrorless-camera/october-december-2019-newsv/my-view-on-the-nikon-announ-2.html

Cheers,
Bernard

He mentions that Samyang is likely to beat Nikon in producing compact primes in Z mount. Is this likely given it's a 'closed' mount?

[BernardLanguillier]

He mentions that Samyang is likely to beat Nikon in producing compact primes in Z mount. Is this likely given it's a 'closed' mount?

They can and will reverse engineer it.

Cheers,
Bernard

[KLaban]

They can and will reverse engineer it.

Cheers,
Bernard

Thanks, Bernard.

[BJL]

http://www.sansmirror.com/newsviews/2019-mirrorless-camera/october-december-2019-newsv/my-view-on-the-nikon-announ-2.html

Cheers,
Bernard

Thanks; Thom H. is as usual a good read. One inside scoop he adds is that an “entry level” Z30 has been prototyped. It seems that Nikon and Canon keep serving the highest volume, highest grossing (even if not highest profiting) sector that gets people to enter heir systems and thus makes those who then get more ambitious about gear to choose that brand rather than another.  But even Thom joins the chorus of “no,  concentrate on higher level stuff that us more serious photographers want”.

[armand]

This is deja vue, cheap ok stuff for APS-C and the quality stuff for full frame. I don't foresee many quality lenses for the Z50, just as they didn't come up with much for the current F-mount APS-C. At least they kept the same mount so you can use some of the better full frame lenses.

[BernardLanguillier]

This is deja vue, cheap ok stuff for APS-C and the quality stuff for full frame. I don't foresee many quality lenses for the Z50, just as they didn't come up with much for the current F-mount APS-C. At least they kept the same mount so you can use some of the better full frame lenses.

The possibility to use all the Z lenses and to adapt both DX and F mount lenses make this camera a lot more interesting than the Canon M ever will.

You can use a Z50 as both a back up camera, as a x1.5 longer reach option.

Cheers,
Bernard

[kers]

You can use a Z50 as both a back up camera, as a x1.5 longer reach option.

Cheers,
Bernard

You better use the dx part of the Z7... + ibis

[armand]

You better use the dx part of the Z7... + ibis

That's what I said earlier, it doesn't make sense getting this if you have the Z7. It might be reasonable if you have the Z6 and want more reach from your F-mount telephoto lenses, the caveat being the autofocus performance of the Z50. Most of those lenses will have OIS.

[jeremyrh]

The Z50 can be operated using the ML-L7 bluetooth remote - which is nice.  But why the heck is the Z6/7 not compatible with the ML-L7 ??  I love Nikon, but guys - sometimes you make it hard to keep that affection :-(

[BJL]

This is deja vue, cheap ok stuff for APS-C and the quality stuff for full frame. I don't foresee many quality lenses for the Z50, just as they didn't come up with much for the current F-mount APS-C. At least they kept the same mount so you can use some of the better full frame lenses.

That seems to be the sad universal truth for “mainstream format” cameras from companies who also have  36x24mm format cameras with some ability to share lenses. The mitigating factor is that for long enough focal lengths, lenses for the larger format can work well, even if a same-brand adaptor is needed. But it is far from ideal for normal to wide options, or for zoom ranges that mesh nicely. That’s why as a fan of good smaller format gear, I prefer MFT or Fujifilm over the “gateway” systems of Canon,  Nikon or Sony.

[BernardLanguillier]

That seems to be the sad universal truth for “mainstream format” cameras from companies who also have  36x24mm format cameras with some ability to share lenses. The mitigating factor is that for long enough focal lengths, lenses for the larger format can work well, even if a same-brand adaptor is needed. But it is far from ideal for normal to wide options, or for zoom ranges that mesh nicely. That’s why as a fan of good smaller format gear, I prefer MFT or Fujifilm over the “gateway” systems of Canon,  Nikon or Sony.

Well, the 14-30mm f4 S on a Z50 will be a truly excellent and compact 21-45mm lens. I could live with that.

There never was in the F mount days any wide lens that was a suited for a DX body. It seems clear that that lens was designed with both FX and DX in mind.

Cheers,
Bernard

[BJL]

Well, the 14-30mm f4 S on a Z50 will be a truly excellent and compact 21-45mm lens. I could live with that.

There never was in the F mount days any wide lens that was a suited for a DX body. It seems clear that that lens was designed with both FX and DX in mind.

I disagree: using a 2X wide zoom as a “standard zoom” for a smaller format is exactly the sort of cramped hack that early DSLRs had to put up with before Nikon pioneered format-specific DX lenses (and Olympus did likewise in 4/3” format). A good “Z-DX” standard zoom would be more like an f/2.8 with 3X zoom range or about f/4 with 4X or 5X zoom range—you know, like what every full-fledged lens system for a format that the maker takes seriously. Look back at what Nikon did when DX was its only DSLR format.

[BernardLanguillier]

I disagree: using a 2X wide zoom as a “standard zoom” for a smaller format is exactly the sort of cramped hack that early DSLRs had to put up with before Nikon pioneered format-specific DX lenses (and Olympus did likewise in 4/3” format). A good “Z-DX” standard zoom would be more like an f/2.8 with 3X zoom range or about f/4 with 4X or 5X zoom range—you know, like what every full-fledged lens system for a format that the maker takes seriously. Look back at what Nikon did when DX was its only DSLR format.

Except that 21-50 isn’t a standard zoom, it’s a wide zoom.

Cheers,
Bernard