Nikon and full frame

JohnR

I just recently subscribed to a Nikon listmail and this guy from Japan (the moderator of the list) said this in email to everyone:

There is no idea about pricing out yet, because the camera is still in
the testing stage. I heard from 2 different people, one in the
USA and one here in Tokyo, that the camera looks very much like the
D2x (which is a nearly perfect shape anyway) and sports a 24MP
(almost) FF sensor. The sensor seems to be a development by Sony
again.

Except the feature that you can use FF or DX lenses - the latter
switches the camera automatically into a DX High Speed Crop mode with
a 1,5 factor and 12MP just like the D2x - there seem to be no big
surprises or additional features, but both sources say that the images
- which I didn't see - are so incredible sharp and full of detail,
that D2x images look pale in comparison.

I can only imagine that the price tag is way higher than the D2x,
but at this point in time there can be only guesses, because the
market can develop in all directions and if Canon releases something
similar cheaper, Nikon has to react on this too. But yes, I expect at
least a list price of $10k, with a street price probably cheaper.

Just FYI: the current list price for the D2x is 600,000yen in Japan,
while you can buy it for about 480,000yen.

interesting.

A friend told me:
"I would worry about lens resolution with that many megapixels crammed in that 35mm sensor, not to mention how small the pixel would be. I doubt if Nikon or Canon can do that while retaining quality.."


Thoughts or comments?

chuckice

JohnR wrote:

Thoughts or comments?

Yes. I want two. And I'll believe it when I see it since the D200 was in the rumor stages for almost a year!!!

JohnR

chuckice wrote:

Yes. I want two. And I'll believe it when I see it since the D200 was in the rumor stages for almost a year!!!

and they in fact DID come out with the D200. So perhaps by the time they do come out with this I can afford it!

wxwax

I hope it's true. Competition is good for all of us.

Harryb

Interesting John. I have trouble with the 24 MP though. The $10,000 price tag would present an interesting choice - my marriage or the camera.

Good thing I love my D2X.

Matthew Saville

I'll believe it when I see it. It seems very un-likely of Nikon to have (whether by accident or on purpose) information about something this big leak out this far in advance.

But hey, it just means a D200 will be $XXX cheaper by the time I go to buy one, right?

-Matt-

ziggy53

JohnR wrote:

...interesting.

A friend told me:
"I would worry about lens resolution with that many megapixels crammed in that 35mm sensor, not to mention how small the pixel would be. I doubt if Nikon or Canon can do that while retaining quality.."

Thoughts or comments?

Thanks John,

I would also be interrested in how well it works.

There is no doubt that high-megapixel count sells cameras. People had the same concerns about the Canon 1Ds MKII at 16 MPix; how many lenses can support that resolution? I'm not sure we ever had a definitive answer to that question.

I think we just have to wait and see if this plays out as a "real" product, or just a "concept". I have no doubt that eventually someone will produce a 35mm FF dSLR camera at 22-24 MPix total resolution.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this will happen,

ziggy53

leebase

I thought no one needed or wanted full frame any more....just like they didnt' need or want more then 4mp (smile)

I hope it comes out...as a Canon shooter...I cheer on all the advances the other companies make.

Lee

NHBubba

Combo FF and DX lens mount?
Is this possible? Is it possible to have a mount that accepts both FF and DX lenses? I know the Canon EFS mount supposedly has a shorter 'back-focus' and has an element that extends into the body, closer to the image plane. This element means that the EFS glass could never be mounted on a FF camera as the larger FF mirror would hit the element while moving upwards. Is the Nikon DX mount different in this respect? Or would this combo mount body have some sort of special mirror w/ some sort of compound movement that would keep it clear of the lens?

If Nikon could make that happen, they would clean up. It is literally the best of both worlds!

Matthew Saville

! I once heard this question asked on Nikonians or DPReview, and the other forumers just about bit the guy's head off- they called Canon utterly careless for making a lens that would damage the camera, and "Nikon would never do something something so mechanically stupid" ...or something along those lines. Talk about a touchy subject!

Anyway yeah to answer your quesion, Nikon's DX lenses are mountable on any and every Nikon F-mount camera, AND all of Nikon's F-mount lenses, all the way back, (to what, the 70's?) are mountable on Nikon's DSLR's. There is I think one lens that requires mirror lockup not to cause camera damage, but I think it's one of those insane fisheye lenses that has a front element the size of a parking garage mirror...

Therefore Nikon could easily make an FF camera that flipped to "DX mode" and would either crop a normal 35mm lens to 1.5x, or would "fit perfectly" with any 1.5x crop DX lens. This is what I'm pretty sure Nikon would do IF they ever were to go to FF. (And by "go FF" I mean "come out with an FF DSLR", because their DX DSLR body lineup would NOT get neglected or disappear if they went FF...)

-Matt-

SCS_Photo

Y'know... this would be the time to make the viewfinder swappable like the F5. Think about it: mount a DX lense, and mount a DX viewfinder. Or have one with telescoping elements. That would rock.

I'd love more viewfinder options on dSLRs.

Matthew Saville

SCS_Photo wrote:

...
I'd love more viewfinder options on dSLRs.

YES!!!

zigzag

Matthew Saville wrote:

...Anyway yeah to answer your quesion, Nikon's DX lenses are mountable on any and every Nikon F-mount camera, AND all of Nikon's F-mount lenses, all the way back, (to what, the 70's?) are mountable on Nikon's DSLR's. There is I think one lens that requires mirror lockup not to cause camera damage, but I think it's one of those insane fisheye lenses that has a front element the size of a parking garage mirror...

If I recall correctly, that was a 3rd party (Peleng) fisheye lens, not a Nikon or DX lens. But you're right: the F-mount is universal.