Is that the next photobusiness from Samung? At CES they displayed their big 360 degree camera marked under the #projectbeyond hashtag. And overall it really looks like Virtual Reailty is the next big thing (or big hype): Also Nikon launched the Keymission 360 degree camera.
Will this end like the 3D story or will those cameras really become mainstream in a few years from now? Well we will see…
You can now preorder the new Panasonic 100-400mm MFT lens at Amazon.com (Click here).
Let me catch up with some other “mirrorless” rumors I got in these last couple of days:
Fuji:
On January 15 along the X-PRO2, 100-400mm and X70 Fuji will also announce a quite strange new camera: The X-E2s! Fujirumors reports: “the most relevant changes/improvements compared to the X-E2 will be firmware based.“. Very strange…
Olympus:
Olympus will announce the 300mm PRO lens on January 6th and the PEN-F by end of January (43rumors).
Sony:
Sony is rumored to go back to a Sony A-mount camera announcement. Not sure this will be the first “A-mount mirrorless” camera. The A6xxx is probably due for a Cp+ release in late February.
A couple of store employees told me that the Ricoh Theta S did sell at “tonnage” in their stores. So I check the Amazon camera ranking (Click here) and indeed the Ricoh is on top of the sales! It’s great news for a company that struggled to make meaningful sales the last couple of years. Pity they stopped to develop the GXR cam. I am now wondering if that 360 degree camera could become a hit like it happened with action cameras…
The Ricoh Theta can be bough here at Amazon, FocusCamera, Adorama and BHphoto.
The system camera and compact camera market is shrinking. That we know already. But the following numbers of Futuresource are giving is some insights in new photographic trends:
That increase is driven by the exponential increase of smartphones. Few more details:
So what happens to the “classic” system camera world? Futuresource writes:
While smartphones represent the primary camera device for a growing share of consumers, the opportunity for users to ‘step up’ to digital cameras grows with every new photographer.
“It is clear that digital cameras maintain key technical advantages over multifunctional camera-devices, in terms of bigger and superior sensors and optics, and manual control, commented Arun Gill, Market Analyst at Futuresource Consulting. However, smartphones are setting the bar in terms of smart UI’s, connectivity and mobile apps, which represents a growing usability delta between smartphones and digital cameras.”
In short: If you offer premium system (or compact) cameras you will have more chance to sell your cameras!
found via Photoscala.
2015 is over and I expect 2016 to bring quite some major innovative products. Both Nikon and Canon will get more “serious” with mirrorless. And Sony will keep improving and probably bring some sort of professional A9 model. Fuji will update both the X-T and X-PRO line. And MFT will bring some new high end GH5 and E-M1II cameras.
So now let us know…
Loading ...Samsung reports at Korea Times that:
“We do not have any official plans to withdraw from the camera business. We still have employees working in the division.”
And an interetsing addition regarding the Nikon partnership rumor:
“Should Nikon seek Samsung’s camera business, it could be for diversification of its product portfolio.”
Interesting… :)