INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Chatter arose last year about a high-end Nikon full-frame mirrorless camera that is slated to join the Z7 and the Z6
At the time, Nikon executives confirmed to Japanese news outlets that a mirrorless version of the company's pro-level sports DSLR, the Nikon
announced this year.In April 2019, Nikon was rumored to have signed an agreement with Sony to purchase the IMX455 sensor, which is a 61.4MP
35mm full size CMOS sensor capable of handling 12-bit 8K video
If true, it won't be the first time Nikon has used Sony sensors and probably won't be the last.Then a new Z series camera design patent
leaked in August last year, with many expecting that to be the high-resolution Nikon Z8 pro mirrorless shooter
According to a screenshot from what is allegedly the Z8's Japanese user manual, the rumored camera will also have 12-bit, 14-bit and 16-bit
supposedly for CFexpress.While there's still a lot of unknowns when it comes to the Nikon Z8, the camera maker will definitely be under a
lot of pressure to outdo the Canon EOS R5, which is shaping up to be, perhaps, the most powerful mirrorless camera yet.If the rumors of the
sensor resolution are true, then the Nikon Z8 is unlikely to be the mirrorless cousin of the D5 (or even the newly announced Nikon D6)
60MP sensors will use up a huge amount of power and, thus, will likely not be able to cope with continuous shooting speeds of 12fps or
higher.While the sensor itself is capable of 8K resolution outputs, we're not sure the Z8 will be able to match the EOS R5's video specs if
Nikon uses its current Expeed 6 imaging engine under the hood
Unless there's a brand new, more powerful processor being developed, the Z8 might fall short in the video specs department.That said, the
arrival of the Z8 is necessary if Nikon is to stay competitive: the Canon EOS R5 aside, Nikon needs something to compete with the likes of
Sony's Alpha A7R IV as well
Moreover, it's about time Nikon released a new Z series full-frame camera
If the Z8 arrives this year, it will be the first since the Z7 and Z6, although the crop sensor Nikon Z50 did join the ranks last
year.There's also whispers of a replacement for the Nikon D850 high-resolution DSLR as well, although other than it possibly using the same
60MP sensor, there's no other word on it.
