Nikon has revealed its newest digital camera, though at first glance you'd be forgiven for thinking the Nikon Z fc mirrorless was something from the company's film-based archives. Thoroughly retro in its styling, the "heritage-design" model is the first time we've seen the Z-series embrace a more traditional aesthetic, though inside you're not compromising on hardware.
Once upon a time, cameras were products that you buy with a fixed set of features that never changed, forcing you to buy a new one once you've outgrown what your trusty partner offered. These days, however, camera makers have taken a page from smart devices to offer some new or improved features via a simple and free firmware update. Some even make it feel like you've bought a newer model. That might not be what Nikon will bring to its Z 7II and Z 6II mirrorless cameras next week but it's still a substantial firmware upgrade nonetheless.
While smartphone makers are still playing the megapixel game, camera makers are looking into other aspects of digital photography that can still be improved. Nikon, for example, just boasted the development of a new stacked CMOS sensor that can shoot high-resolution images, up to 4K in fact, at a rate of 1,000 frames per second. While that a\lone might already be impressive, it isn't the only feat that this sensor is capable of.
It definitely took a while but the circle is finally complete. Canon started the train back in April when it announced new software that turned its EOS cameras into high-quality webcams. Soon, almost all camera makers jumped onboard from Panasonic to Olympus to Fujifilm to even Sony. Nikon announced its beta testing period back in August and, after three months in the oven, it is finally launching its Webcam Utility software in its stable and official form.
Why use a heavy, bulky, and fully-featured camera when your laptop or monitor may already have its own webcam built-in? That is often the question that will be asked and Nikon answer that in a dedicated landing page for the feature, something its peers seem to have skipped on. Long story short, it's all about attracting new audiences.
While a regular webcam might be enough for a video meeting, Nikon is positioning its mirrorless and DSLR cameras as a tool for live streamers, old and new alike. Beyond just high-quality optics, the cameras offer more options that webcams or even smartphones can't, like different focal lengths, shallow depth-of-field, and other knobs and buttons.
As before, not all Nikon cameras support this new model. The only ones listed include the Z 7II, Z 7, Z 6II, Z 6, Z 5, Z 50, D6, D5, D850, D810, D780, D750, D500, D7500, D7200, D5600, D5500, D5300, and D3500. Also unlike smartphones and webcams, people using this setup will be able to attach a variety of accessories to raise their production value, like mounts and tripods, LED light panels, and external microphones.
If you already have one of the compatible Nikon cameras, you're pretty much good to go even without those optional accessories. You do need a USB cable, of course, preferably the one that came with the camera, and compatible video conferencing software on both Windows 10 and, fortunately, macOS.
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The formula for digital cameras, whether DSLRs, ILCs, or mirrorless, has mostly remained the same throughout the years. Upgrades in specs like CMOS sensors and image processors are usually more modest and incremental, with resources poured instead on things like autofocus, stabilization, and other details mobile photographers may take for granted on their smartphones. The new pair of full-frame mirrorless cameras from Nikon's Z series mixes things up a bit not with a giant upgrade but with two Expeed processors inside.
Nikon is the latest camera company to release software that enables it cameras to function as webcams, a necessity in our new remote-working world. Camera companies began releasing this new functionality several weeks ago as retailers experienced a shortage of high-quality webcams and many people were forced to find alternatives while working remotely.
Nikon is offering a new gateway into full-frame ownership - or should that be obsession? - with the new Nikon Z5, promising a big sensor with a relatively small price. Based around a 24.3-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor, the Z5 gets the same EXPEED 6 image processor as its more expensive Z-series siblings, but starts out at under $1,400.
While the smartphone market is seemingly obsessed with megapixel counts, the camera industry has moved on to solve the next big problem in digital photography. In contrast to mobile OEMs, camera makers seem to be content with incremental increases in sensor sizes while putting their efforts heavily on improving other parts of the formula, specifically the autofocus system. That seems to be the vibe that Nikon is giving with the new D6 which it describes as having its most powerful AF system to date.
Nikon has expanded its Z Series camera line with the new Z50, the company's first DX-format mirrorless camera. The new model comes with a much lower price tag than the previously launched Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 models. The new Z50 mirrorless camera packs a number of notable features, including the Z mount for compatibility with Nikon's NIKKOR Z DX and Z FX lenses, as well as a large touch display and more.
In a brief statement today, Nikon confirmed that it is currently developing its future D6 DSLR, an update to the company's existing flagship D5 model. The camera maker included a picture of the future model with its announcement, as well as confirmation about -- and a picture of -- its future AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR telephoto zoom lens.
Nikon camera owners can finally transfer RAW images from their WiFi-enabled DSLR or mirrorless camera to a mobile device using the company's SnapBridge mobile app. The new ability arrived this week in an update for Android and iOS, one that also includes fast image transfers and an improved mobile design. Nikon users have been requesting the ability to wirelessly transfer RAW images using SnapBridge for years.
One of the most controversial - and expensive - components in autonomous car development looks set to get a significant price cut, with Nikon announcing plans to begin mass-producing LIDAR sensors later this year. The deal will see camera company Nikon build low-cost Velodyne laser rangefinder systems, suitable for driverless vehicles, robotics, UAVs, and other projects.