Thom Hogan confirms the rumors I posted a few days ago about Nikon launching the new mirrorless system in April. He says: “I’ve heard from two different and unconnected sources now about planned advertising by Nikon for a new camera that will run in April in both newspapers and magazines. Based upon the language used, this has to be Nikon’s mirrorless camera entry.”

I hope to get some info about the camera during the next weeks. You can contact me at mirrorlessrumors@gmail.com if you want to share some “rumors”. Thanks!

Via Thom Hogan

Image on top: The analogue Nikon S2 rangefinder

According to our veeeeeery good sources Nikon will unveil their new mirrorless system in April! Nikon developed a very advanced (and expensive) pro system not meant for the amateur market. Nikon chose to go “pro” for two reasons:

1) They wanted to enter the market by offering the very first professional mirrorless system. Current mirrorless systems like the Sony NEX, Samsung NX and most Micro Four Thirds cameras (only exception may be the Panasonic GH2) are competing in the advanced beginner or amateur market.

2) Nikon believes an amateur mirrorless system would not have appealed current mirrorless users and only cannibalize their very good selling entry level DSRL market.

We are currently investigating the possible specs of the first camera and lenses but one of our trusted sources already told us that Nikon will use some kind of “tweaked” Sony sensor. Nikon tested two sensors, a 16 megapixel and a 24 megapixel sensor. We don’t know yet if Nikon will use only one of those or both sensors!

We hope to can give you more details soon…

For months we were hearing tons of rumors about Nikon developing a mirrorless system with small sensors (smaller than Micro Four Thirds). But according to the latest rumor from DSLRmagazine this is not true. They had a talk with a “trusted source” which claims to know that Nikon is ready to launch the most professional mirrorless system on market today (NX, NEX and M43). The first camera and lenses should be announced in March 2011!

Now that’s a news. usually DSRLmagazine is well informed about what’s coming next!

According to Nikonrumors “Nikon’s Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera could be announced at CES 2011″ and they also found more mirrorless patents.

Meanwhile Canonrumors says that we will not see any new mirrorless system from Canon before 2012.

K-rumors said that Pentax will announce a new APS-C mirrorless system in February.

According to X-rumors Samsung will announce a new NX camcorder within a few months.

And here we are with the next Nikon mirrorless rumor. This time from Digitmes:

“Japan-based camera brand Nikon expects its new mirrorless DSLR-similar camera will help expand its market share in the interchangeable-lens camera (ILC) market in the Asia Pacific to 40% in 2011 and 50% in 2012, according to the company.

As Sony and Samsung Electronics have both recently entered the DSLR-similar camera market, Nikon pointed out that the DSLR-similar cameras should not cause damage toward the sales of traditional DSLR, instead the model has helped increase consumer acceptance of ILC.

According to figures from GfK, Taiwan’s ILC shipments in 2009 were about 108,000 units and the forecasted volume for 2010 has already increased from only 140,000 units in early 2010 to about 160,000 units currently, a significant growth.

In the first half of 2010, affected by tight supply, Nikon’s share in Taiwan’s ILC market once dropped to only 25%, but as the company is working on resolving the issue, the company is expected to grab 35% of Taiwan’s ILC market by the end of 2010.”

In a DC.watch interview Mr. Goto (Nikon) said that “If the lens system and body are not smaller in total, the whole meaning of reducing size is lost. If it was up to him to make such a thing, a mount smaller than the F would be chosen. It’s a new genre of camera…something that no maker is currently making. It is not targeted towards people who use cameras in their work, some will look at this product as a really fun to use camera.“

Via Nikonrumors