Real portability? Nikon and Pentax are working on it

Rumours still that Nikon is working on an EVIL with a sensor with
about 1/2 the area of 4/3rds while Pentax is working on one with a
sensor the size of...a superzoom P&S!!!

Will it be like this?

http://www.pbase.com/andersonrm/image/134548398

 

Who knows?

What I do know is that the Nikon mirrorless compact system camera
(CSC) is definitely coming. It was due to be released in time for the
2011 holidays but has been delayed by the earthquake/tsunami. I don't
know what the sensor size will be, but last year's strongest rumour
was for a 3/2 aspect ratio sensor with a similar area to Four Thirds,
giving a 2X focal length multiplier from full frame or 35mm film.

Nikon has four major announcements coming in the next 12 months. Apart
from the CSC, there is the D3s/x successor (D4?), the D300 successor
(D400 or even D9000?) and the D700 successor (D800). The first
announcement is currently planned for late August 2011, but there are
no reliable rumours as to which of these it will be.

There is the prospect of 34 MP and 24 MP FX (full frame) sensors for
the D4 and D800 respectively, and a 24 MP DX (APS-C) sensor for the
D400. The sensors will all be made by Sony.

The 24 MP APS-C sensor will also appear in the Sony Alpha A77 SLT. The
34 MP full frame sensor might appear in a Sony Alpha "A99" SLT if Sony
makes the decision to offer a full frame camera.

A full frame SLT is by no means certain given the extremely slow sales
of the A900 and A850 and the huge ongoing financial losses that Sony
has endured with the Alpha system. What *is* certain is that there
will not be any more full frame Sony DSLRs.

 

If Pentax does ape their failed 110 camera, it'll fail as well. What
would you rather carry, that stupid little interchangeable lens camera
or a good quality superzoom where you don't have to change lenses?

I'll keep my FZ35.

 

Well, you have a point. Any camera outfitted with such a sensor will be a
huge compromise. I think though the selling feature will be the ability to
mount a very small lens (the old Pentax 24mm lens is the size of an old SLR
hot shoe, almost) and carry the camera comfortably in your pocket, with
perhaps a longer lens or zoom in another pocket, if needed. You can't do
that with a lumpen Superzoom.

 

The Pentax 110 SLR was a niche produce way back when. I agree it
would be crazy to ape it in a CSC, although there is already a Pentax
P&S which looks very like it:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/1001/10012505pentaxoptioi10.asp

I'm very impressed with my partner's FZ38 (same model as the FZ35).

Very, very, very few people need any more camera than this. ;-)

 

Canon G12?

Regards,

Eric Stevens

 

The FZ35/38 is a particularly compact camera, much smaller than some
other superzooms. But if you want a truly pocketable camera, there
are quite a few P&S digicams that have *both* excellent image quality
*and* a useful zoom range.

Staying with Panasonic, the LUMIX DMC-ZS10 (TZ20 in Europe) and ZS-8
(TZ18) offer a very slim, easily pocketable form factor and extremely
good image quality. A 14.1 MP sensor, an image processor with very
good control of noise, 1080i AVCHD video (720P MPEG on the cheaper
ZS-8) and a 16X zoom Leica-badged lens (24-384 mm equivalent) makes
for a very good package. All this for under $350 at B&H.

Of course these cameras won't suit the DSLR snobs, even though most of
those haven't a hope in hell of demonstrating any superiority over the
results these fine digicams can produce.

 

True enough, but will a camera that small be usable? Even for those of
us with average size hands, I can't see how it will be anything but
clumsy. Even the NEX 5 is cutting it close for being too small.

We'll see. No point debating the pros and cons of rumored cams. In the
meantime, I'll continue to enjoy the three cams I do have since I'm
pretty sure they're not rumors.

 

Hey! Does this make you a "superzoom snob?"

 

I use mine all the time, unless the situation calls for the 5D II. But
Panasonic did a nice job on the FZ35. Best JPG engine on the market, and
an auto mode that really, really works well. Love it.

 

No, but there is nothing wrong with singing their praises.

People who obsess about pixel densities and unquestioningly assert
that only DSLRs will do are denying themselves the opportunity to use
these outstanding cameras.

 

Likewise, anyone who claims that ANY camera, superzoom or not, is good
for everything is also denying reality. I've yet to see a one size fits
all solution.

 

True, but a good superzoom comes very close, satisfying the needs of
more people than any other camera type. Quite a few people find
superzooms intimidating, and want something smaller and/or simpler,
and a P&S is ideal for them.

P&S and superzooms together cover the needs of the vast majority of
camera users. Very few people need a DSLR, but many more people buy
them than need them. Perhaps mirrorless CSCs offer a good compromise?

 

Not until the Af improves. For all the hype, the AF systems (at least
the models I've tried) still can't touch SLR AF. So if you need to shoot
moving subjects you are better served by an SLR. Likewise with low
lighting situations where the larger sensors offer a huge advantage.
Combine the two, and you get high school football at night, where you
have action plus crap lighting. Luckily, I'm done with that!

Anyway, the FZ35 will see a lot of action this summer, for sure. Besides
the nice lens, the small size makes it a perfect "bike bag" camera. I
can grab it from the pouch and shoot while riding so the group doesn't
have to stop while I screw around with a camera. Works well this way, too!

 

That's changing, though not as rapidly as I thought.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH2 has an ultra-fast contrast-detect AF
system that would shame most of today's DSLRs. It is fast, decisive
and extremely accurate - the latter cannot be truthfully said of many
DSLRs' phase-detect systems, which tend to have systematic errors.

The same system is also used in a Ricoh P&S camera. I had expected
that it would quickly gain wide acceptance and be offered in many new
digital cameras this year, but I was wrong. Only these two cameras
offer it at this time.

 

I doubt that. See how many people use their mobile phone camera
and are happy enough with it --- happy enough to use it and
not carry another camera with them for most of the time. So I
respectfully submit that the humble mobile phone camera satisfies
the need of more people than the superzoom.

The camera phone is always with you, small and usually really
simple. Even a P&S cannot beat that.

Again I disagree. See above. Camera users happen to include
mobile phone camera users.

"Very few" people are professional photographers, who also
need the image quality under iffy conditions and MPix
DSLRs can offer. Amateurs by definition do not *need*
cameras, they can just find another hobby.

That would depend on why people who don't "need" a DSLR buy a DSLR.

-Wolfgang

 

It'd better be.

Dpreview, while impressed (for a CDAF), doesn't think the AF
"would shame most of today's DSLRs" ... I read there that
they'd prefer a DSLR for fast action.

I'd like to see tests in bad conditions (low light, low contrast,
both, etc.) with reliable numbers for from misfocussed to shot
time.

There are also systematic errors in sensor mountings, lens mounts
and lenses --- guess how many lenses are actually 100% parallel
to the sensor. Most PDAFs function very well, thank you.

-Wolfgang

 

I love mine too, and the FZ100 even more so.

Neither is nearly the equal of a DSLR, but when you need a superzoom and can
live with lower ISOs and the usual EVF shortcomings, these little Panasonics
are great.