Camera News: Nikon Unveils The Nikon D780, A New Kind Of DSLR With Mirrorless Technology

Nikon D780
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After Canon’s highly anticipated announcement of the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, we also have to report Nikon’s announcement of the full frame Nikon D780, a Nikon Z 6 dressed as a DSLR.

The Nikon D780 will be available in late January at $2,299.95. Pre-orders are open at our exclusive affiliate partners B&H Photo and Adorama.

World-wide pre-order now:

Asia & Australia: AliExpress, Amazon JAPAN, Amazon CHINA, Amazon USA, Digitalrev, Adorama, B&H Photo, eBay Australia, Rakuten JP
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, DigitalRev, eBay DE, Wex Photo Video, Park Cameras, Canon DE, Canon UK, Canon IT, Canon FR
USA/Canada: Amazon USA, Amazon CA, B&H Photo, Adorama, Digitalrev, KEH Camera, eBay US, Canon USA, Canon CA, BestBuy

Some sample photos shot with the Nikon D780 are listed here.

Nikon press release:

Versatility Meets Agility: The D780 Is A New Kind Of DSLR For A New Breed Of Creator

The New Nikon D780 Will Exceed Expectations with the Ultimate Combination of Speed, Powerful Performance and Premium Features at an Uncompromising Value

LAS VEGAS – CES 2020, BOOTH #14018 – Today, Nikon Inc. unveiled the D780, an exciting new FX-format DSLR that makes vast improvements to the highly-revered D750, Nikon’s most popular full-frame DSLR ever, while inheriting pro-level features from the powerful D850 and flagship D5. The much-anticipated D780 delivers the most sought-after features to give enthusiasts and professionals an agile camera for capturing high-resolution photos and 4K UHD video with the added benefit of fast, accurate phase detect autofocusing. While the D780 retains the rugged reliability of its predecessor, the camera has been turbocharged with Nikon’s latest EXPEED 6 processor, touch operability, advanced autofocus capabilities, extensive video features, a valuable assortment of in-camera creative options and much more. The new D780 is more than a worthy successor to the beloved D750, it’s a proven performer that transcends any creative endeavor.

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  • nikon d780

Nikon cameras and lenses are world-renowned for their usability, reliability, performance and impressive image quality. With the addition of the innovative new Z mirrorless system, together with a robust and proven lineup of DSLR’s and decades of the finest NIKKOR lenses, Nikon is uniquely positioned to fulfill customer’s needs no matter how they want to capture still images or video.

“The Nikon D780 is not only a huge leap in technology over the D750, but it also integrates Nikon’s latest cutting-edge technologies to offer the best video feature-set and imaging capabilities in a full-frame DSLR,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President of Nikon Inc. “A demand exists for a successor to the D750, which offers the unbeatable combination of versatility, image quality and value.”

Perform Beyond Expectations

The Nikon D780 sets a new benchmark in DSLR performance, vastly improving upon the capabilities of the D750 by incorporating the newest technology and some of the popular features seen in the Z series, making it powerful and versatile enough to capture anything from fast-action sports to beautifully detailed night skies. The D780 is a seriously capable camera and offers the distinct advantage of being comfortable in the hands of a photo enthusiast, as well as being a popular pro-grade tool for weddings, wildlife, and production environments.
– High Resolution Image Quality: Offering the optimal balance between resolution and file size, the D780 is equipped with a 24.5-megapixel backside-illuminated (BSI) FX-Format CMOS sensor to deliver superb image quality, fantastic dynamic range, beautiful color reproduction, stellar low-light ability and sharp clarity to excel in a wide array of shooting scenarios.
– EXPEED 6 Processing Power: Designed with Nikon’s most advanced EXPEED 6 image processor, the D780 is packed with the same powerful processing engine as the Nikon Z 6 and Z 7, allowing for noticeable increases in speed. In addition to greater energy efficiency, EXPEED 6 delivers improved low-light performance, 4K UHD full-frame video with full pixel readout, and enhanced image clarity.
– Wide ISO Range: The D780 retains the low-light ability that made it a photographer’s favorite for wedding receptions and nighttime photography, producing clean files with minimal noise effortlessly. Whether capturing a dimly lit dance floor, a stage performance or an astounding astro-landscape, users can rely on the D780 to retain ultimate clarity in even the most challenging lighting scenarios. The camera offers improved ISO performance across the entire range, which now goes up to 51,200 and is expandable to 204,800.
– Blazing-fast speeds: The D780 keeps pace with the fastest action, offering shooting speeds of up to 7 fps1 at full resolution and shutter speeds as fast as 1/8000 or as long as 900 seconds2. Whether shooting the split-second action of motocross, or a bride’s walk down the aisle, the D780 lets you capture content with confidence when you only get one chance.
– Two Powerful AF Systems Optimized for Any Shooting Style:
      — When shooting through the optical viewfinder (OVF): Nikon’s proven 51-point AF system is paired with an enhanced AF algorithm inherited from the flagship Nikon D5. 15 cross-type AF sensors maximize accuracy, and the camera uses an upgraded 180K-pixel Advanced Scene Recognition System, which analyzes the scene to ensure balanced exposures and accurate color reproduction. The AF system can reliably track rapidly moving subjects such as wildlife, yet also improves on its surreal ability to nail focus in challenging light, to -4EV in this mode.
      — In Live View: For the first time in a Nikon DSLR, the D780 is infused with mirrorless technology, featuring the same 273 point3 focal plane Hybrid AF system employed in the Nikon Z 6, enabling broad coverage of approximately 90% of the frame. The system offers extremely fast, smooth and accurate AF in Live View and when recording video, a huge benefit for multimedia production. This is also Nikon’s first DSLR to feature Eye-Detection AF4, enabling a real-time tracking of multiple eyes in a scene to help ensure tack-sharp focus for portraits and candid shots.
– Silent Shooting: When operating the electronic shutter in Live View, the D780 can shoot continuously without shutter noise at up to 12 fps. Silent shooting is ideal for documenting sensitive moments like a live performance, a wedding ceremony or discrete street photography.
– NIKKOR Lenses: When combined with an extensive catalog of world renowned NIKKOR lenses, the versatile D780 knows no boundaries in taking on any artistic challenge.

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Venus Optics Adds RF Mount Versions To Three Popular Laowa Lenses

Rf Mount
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Venus Optics announced they will soon release Canon RF mount and Nikon Z mount versions of three of their popular Laowa lenses.

The Laowa 12mm F2.8 Zero-D, Laowa 25mm F2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro and Laowa 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro are the three lenses that will be released for Canon and Nikon’s full frame mirrorless systems.

Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D

World’s Widest f/2.8 Lens with close-to-zero distortion.

Featuring the widest angle of view (122°) ever offered from a f/2.8 lens, this is an ideal lens for a wide variety of shooting situations. From landscape, architecture, interior, travel to the most important, astro photography.  The lens is the lightest and most compact lens in its class. Ideal for everyday shooting. It also features close-to-zero optical distortion, allowing photographers to take landscape/architecture shots with straight lines retained. Our exclusive water and dust repelling “Frog Eye Coating” is added to the front element of the lens. For maximum creativity, you can use CPL or ND filters by adding an optional Laowa 100mm filter holder system.

Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro

The most compact and versatile high magnification macro lens.

This lens is optimized for macro shooting between 2.5X – 5X life-size. The lens is specially designed with an extended working distance (45mm at 2x & 40mm at 2.5x) and small lens barrel. This allows sufficient lighting on the object for easier shooting in the field. The lens is much more compact and lighter than other macro lenses. This lens also provides a greater depth of field compared to other extreme macro lenses in the market. The Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X is developed for both professional and leisure macro photography, to be used in the field or indoor set-ups. An optional LED Ringlight and Tripod Collar are available for added control and precision operation.

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO

Followed by the success of the Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro, the 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro is the 2nd member of Laowa 2:1 macro line-up. It features an apochromatic (APO) characteristic that chromatic aberration at both ‘in-focus’ & ‘out-of-focus’ is both invisible. This new 100mm lens can cover full frame sensor size and focus from 2:1 magnification to infinity. The lens has a similar physical size to other 100mm Macro lenses in the market but its wider magnification range allows macro photographers to capture subjects at any sizes. This 100mm f/2.8 lens can also focus to infinity and serve as a portrait lens with exceptional optics quality.

Canon RF mount version is equipped with a CPU chip and motor for aperture control via the camera. The lens is not currently compatible with electronic adapters. For people using on Sony FE mount cameras, please select the Sony FE option instead.

Have Canon And Nikon Lost The Full Frame War? Latest Japan Market Figures Suggest So

Full Frame War
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BCN rankings for the market figures 2019 in Japan are out. If there was a full frame war, there is only one winner.

If you look at the image on top you can clearly see that only one manufacturer managed to increase unit and value sales for compact cameras, APS-C cameras, and full frame cameras. Oh, it’s Sony.

Canon and Nikon sale figures are rather bad with the exception of the Canon’s full frame unit sales (up 6%, but value sales down 7%). Sony is now the leader in full frame camera sales (in Japan, but we can assume it reflects the global trend). No more full frame war.

full frame war

If you wonder how big the share of full frame cameras is compared to other systems, have a look at the image below. You’ll see it’s much less than you might have thought (these are figures for the Japanese market).

full frame war
[via Mirrorless Rumors]

Nikon Is Dying, Say These YouTubers (but there is hope)

Nikon
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Apocalyptic camera industry conspiracies seem to never end.

Tony & Chelsea Northrup say Nikon is dying, but there might be hope.

Nikon is expecting to lose $92 MILLION in 2020 on its camera business. That’s bad, but it gets worse – Nikon is planning to reduce R&D, so we can expect the rate of their technical advances to decrease. Nikon is also predicting that their market share will decrease, and the total market size is decreasing, so their revenue will inevitably drop.

We believe Nikon can pull through this, but their current plans might not be the right plans. We believe they should cater to existing DSLR customers rather than trying to push everyone to their mirrorless Z system. We believe the Z system is an area for long-term growth, but producing F-mount products will help raise cash to keep the business running in the short term. Finally, we believe Nikon should INVEST and take an even bigger loss for a couple of years, allowing them to grow their market share instead of cutting it.

Nikon’s possible imminent dead and possible ways to avoid it are further discussed in the video below.