Thursday 28 November 2013

Nikon DSLR and lens predition 2014 (Nikon D400)

The year is almost over and Nikon did have a couple of surprises for us in 2013, but I wasn't that far off last year, so lets see if I can predict what to come from Nikon next year.

First lets take a look at what kind of cameras I predicted last year:
  • Nikon D7100 (I was expecting more of an upgrade to the old Nikon D300s, but still a great camera, but it has one major problem from being a great upgrade from Nikon D300S. It misses a big buffer)
  • Nikon D710 (We got that one, but in a retro look and without video. The Nikon Df)
  • Nikon D400 (A miss. Was expecting a model below the Nikon D600. A entry level FX model. Guess they got hang up on sensor problems in Nikon D600)
Besides theses Nikon announced the Nikon D5300 with GPS and wifi. A bit of surprise, but I think they regret that they didn't put the features into the Nikon D5200 and pushed forward the launch of this model. So what are Nikon going to launch in 2014?

I expect a Nikon D3300 where the focus will be small. Getting the camera as small as possible and use the same sensor that is in the Nikon D7100 and Nikon D5300 and I think it might have wifi like the Nikon D5300, but doesn't have GPS. Otherwise I only expect a small upgrade compared to the Nikon D3200. Expect it in August/September in time to pick up sales in next years Christmas sales.

I do expect a Nikon D300S replacement this year and I will hold on to my belief that it isn't going to be called Nikon D400, but more likely Nikon D9000. It just fits better with the naming schema where the Nikon Dxx is for FX and Nikon Dxxx is for DX. So why now and not in 2013. Well Canon didn't release they Canon 7D Mark II either and Nikon still wants as many as possible to jump to the FX ship. Nikon knows that Canon is going to ship their Canon 7D Mark II next year and they can see that cameras like the Pentax K-3 and Olympus OM-D EM-1 is starting to give the Nikon D300S users options on other platforms. So it is going to be a lot like the Nikon D7100, but with a 9 FPS (Nikon D4 has 11) and buffer around 50 (Nikon D4 has 75) in raw format. I think that this camera will be announced sometime during the first four month of 2014.

The last camera that Nikon is going to introduce the model below that Nikon D610 with less features. Nikon is getting pushed by mainly Sony on the price and they need a model below the Nikon D610 to get some of the sales. I think it is a going to be a lot like the Nikon D610 with 24 megapixel, but with a worse autofocus, fps and other features being less. Should hit the market with a price around $1400-1500. And I think it will be called the Nikon D400.

I don't expect any professional level cameras in 2014. So no Nikon D5, Nikon D4s or Nikon D4X. Best chance is a Nikon D4s just in time for the world championship in Soccer in Brazil, but I don't expect it. They made the difference between the Nikon Df and Nikon D4 bigger than the difference between Nikon D700 and Nikon D3.

So what about lenses. That is a hard one because that it doesn't follow a predictable pattern like the DSLR cameras do. But here are a couple of guess for 2014:
  • Nikkor 300mm f/4 VR (Having upgraded the Nikkor 80-400 in 2013 it is time for this model to get upgrade as well. I just hope that the price increase isn't as big as it was on the 80-400 upgrade)
  • Nikkor 85mm f/1.2 (Don't even know if it is possible to create this on the Nikon mount. I am affraid that there isn't enough room in the mount to have a lens construction to support this. They did create the 32mm f/1.2 for the Nikon 1, but that is a different mount. I know that many would love it done on the full frame as well. There isn't much difference in performance between the Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 and Nikkor 85mm f/1.4, so time for this ultimate portrait lens)
  • Nikkor 200-500 f/4-5.6 (Don't really believe it, but Nikon at some point does have to come up with answers to these lens options coming from Sigma and Tamron. I think that Nikon is missing a huge market not have this kind of lens option)
  • Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 VR (A great lens, but time for a new version. There was 8 years between the Nikkor 28-70 f/2.8 and the Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8, so seems like it is time to upgrade this lens to better perform on the big sensors
It is going to be a very interesting year. Nikon is feeling the pressure from many different angles. Sony is very innovative and price competitive, Canon has been sleeping through 2013 and have to show up in 2014. Everyone is pushing to get a hold of a declining market. The camera companies have to find the right combination of features, price and introduction time to be the winner in 2014.





Tuesday 26 November 2013

Fujifilm 2013 year in review and Christmas shopping list(Fujifilm X-E2)

Fujifilm used the year to expand the X-System and X-Serie systems with new cameras and more lenses. The year was more a evolution than a revolution.

Lens choices have been expanded so that people that uses the Fujifilm X-System cameras have more lenses to make a choice from. The lenses that Fujifilm have introduced are all at a good price point compared to what rival lenses from other camera companies are charging for their similar lens for their system.

Three new camera bodies were introduced by Fujifilm in 2013. One is a new version of the an existing camera, where the main upgrade is the sensor, but also the autofocus speed has gotten a good upgrade in the Fujifilm X-E2 model. The two other models (X-A1 and X-M1) are almost identically with only part of the image processing being different.

Three premium compact cameras saw the daylight in 2013. Where the focus is to combine great image sensors with some great compact camera lenses to create a winning combination for those photographers that just want a small quick camera with great image quality.
And the best of the years from Fujifilm are:
  • Best new lens: XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS - telezoom coming to X-Serie cameras and with good performance
  • Best new X-Serie body: Fujifilm X-E2 - new sensor with better image quality and faster autofocus speed is a great package
  • Best new X-System camera: Fujifilm X20 - Great zoom lens combined with a great sensor and with a viewfinder at a great price
And the Fujifilm camera equipment of the year is: Fujifilm X20.

A lot of great products by Fujifilm this year and a lot of good option for Christmas presents to your wife/husband/child with a love for photography or just your Christmas present for yourself. I hope you will support my hard work with the indexes by buying your Christmas present from the Amazon links on this page or the index pages. You pay the same, and I get a small commission. Have a great holiday season.

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Sony 2013 year in review and Christmas shopping list (Sony A7 and more)

It has been a very busy year for Sony this year. A year that Sony has used to moved from having SLR cameras as their top model to having mirrorless cameras as their top model. Sony have also used the year to create a new type of camera equipment. The Sony CyberShot QX which is a lens and sensor for your smartphone.

The A-mount didn't get the main focus this year from Sony, but Sony still managed to update three lenses to "second edition" and Zeiss created one of their lenses with a A-mount.
The E-mount had a big year. The reason for this big year was that Sony decided to launch full frame mirrorless cameras based on the E-mount. So if Sony wants theses cameras to be a success you need to have different lenses available as this is half the equation to making great pictures. There is a total of 10 lenses from Sony this year with a E-mount on it. The focus of these lenses is to cover the main area that most people shoot photographs in from wide angle to medium telephoto. Many of the most popular ranges got several new options.

Two new A-mount SLR cameras got introduced this year by Sony. One is an cheap entry level model for people that just getting started with photography and want to be able to expand in the world of photography. The other is the model above with a little more functionality but still at a cheap price.

Two APS-C mirrorless cameras and two full frame mirrorless cameras got introduced by Sony. Most were surprised by Sony releasing two full frame mirrorless cameras in a very compact body and with a price that is very competitive to other full frame cameras.

A new way of thinking photography where Sony have taken some good quality equipment from some of their top compact cameras and made a lens camera that is controlled by the smart phone. So far the first reviews and impressions haven't been all positive, so expect products that might not be perfect in their first editions.
Two of the high end compact cameras got a refresh version to improve all ready great cameras. The Sony CyberShot RX10 looks like a great camera for those photographers that don't want to have an interchangeable solution, but still wants range and great image quality.

Here are my awards for Sony products 2013:
  • Best new A-mount lens: Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 (SAL-70400G2) - a great "second edition" that have a great range.
  • Best new E-mount lens: Sony E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS (SELP18105G) - if you don't jump on the full frame mirrorless waggon. This sure sounds like a great lens at a great price.
  • Best new A-mount body: Sony ILCE 3000 - isn't the best camera, but the price is so very low that it is getting close to competing with many compact cameras
  • Best new E-mount body: Sony A7 - Feature wise this camera is a little bit better than the A7R with more autofocus options, little bit more fps, better flash sync speed and it is a lot cheaper than the A7R. Overall this is just a better deal and you can use the saved money on better lenses.
  • Best new compact camera: Sony Cybershot RX10 - might be a little bit big for a compact camera, but the combination of a great sensor with a great zoom range at a constant aperture looks like a good combination. Price might be a little to high
And the Sony camera equipment of the year is: Sony A7 - small power camera body with a great set of features and with a great price.

A lot of great products by Sony this year and a lot of good option for Christmas presents to your wife/husband/child with a love for photography or just your Christmas present for yourself. I hope you will support my hard work with the indexes by buying your Christmas present from the Amazon links on this page or the index pages. You pay the same, and I get a small commission. Have a great holiday season.

Friday 8 November 2013

Canon 2013 year in review and Christmas shopping list (Canon EOS 70D)

It has been a disappointed year for Canon and Canon users. Lets look at what Canon decided to bring to the table in 2013.


Four lenses were introduced from Canon this year and it is two in the very high end and two in the very low end, nothing for the Canon photographer fan to lust after, what a disappointment. Canon already have a lot of great lenses, so maybe there isn't need for upgrades, but I am sure that there are some areas like wide angle zoom lenses that could use a new lens...
Canon brought three camera models to the market in 2013. All were APS-C products with the most of them being expected upgrades to existing models, but Canon did make a surprise in the Canon EOS 100D that is one of Canons answer to the growing mirrorless market. A year that were would you could expect from Canon, but a disappointment that they didn't do more in the full frame market.

  • Canon EOS 100D (average rating: 76%) - $550 buy at Amazon (As noted above it was a surprise that Canon announced this product, but on the other hand Canon had to response to the growing mirrorless market and Canon EOS M hasn't been a hit)
  • Canon EOS 700D (average rating: 79%) - $650 buy at Amazon (A small evolution from the previous model and comes with a better silent standard zoom lens)
  • Canon EOS 70D (average rating: 86%) - $1000 buy at Amazon (Great innovation with the autofocus module and finally a DSLR model with wifi module. Now they just need to add the GPS module)
Canon have made almost no appearance on the mirrorless and big sensor compact market. The only product that they have delivered so far is the Canon EOS M, who had autofocus issues. The year 2013 didn't bring anything new to the table other that one new lens for the Canon EOS M system and that is enough if you want to have your customers to buy into your system.
Here are my awards for Canon products 2013:
  • Canon lens of the year: Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM ("Compact" super zoom with great image quality for the professional photographers)
  • Canon camera body of the year: Canon EOS 70D (Without question the best and most innovative camera from Canon this year)
  • Canon small system product of the year: Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM (There isn't really any choice..)
And my Canon 2013 product of the year: Canon EOS 70D

Not that many great products by Canon this year, but maybe you still will be able to find a good option for Christmas presents to your wife/husband/child with a love for photography or just your Christmas present for yourself. I hope you will support my hard work with the indexes by buying your Christmas present from the Amazon links on this page or the index pages. You pay the same, and I get a small commission. Have a great holiday season.