blackest Loc: Ireland

Why would Nikon want to start yet another lens series with a crop mirrorless. It is more likely a medium format mirrorless for those with the money for such a system.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I was in the semiconductor industry for many years. I can tell you with certainty that large semiconductor chips are much harder to build than smaller ones...the chance of a flaw (or flaws) in the chip rendering it unusable climbs greatly as the size increases. When digital cameras first hit the market in the 1990s and early 2000s, it was very nearly impossible to produce chips as large as a full frame sensor that were fully functional and affordable. That is the reason that early cameras were built with sensors smaller than the 24x36mm dimensions of 35mm roll film frames. There was no other real reason to move to anything other than the traditional frame size in mainstream SLR format cameras. Everyone was conditioned to it and had been for many years. It was just a manufacturing and economic necessity at that time.

Now that we think that the manufacturers are planning to "rationalize" their product lines around a smaller number of options, meaning that they are planning to offer fewer choices, there is really no logical reason at all for them to offer two different sensor formats in their new form factors. The new camera design allows for a smaller camera body format and the new optical design also allows for the design of more compact lenses...at least in the lower performance echelons. This all adds up to the fact there is no real reason to offer DX/APSC/whatever alternate format mainstream cameras...there is just no net need for it. So while it is certainly possible for the manufacturers to do whatever they want to do, there is not really any driving need for it. I'm fully expecting that each company will offer MILCs in one format...whichever one they are offering now...for quite some time. One set of design rules, one line of lenses. And if they do decide to offer two line of MILCs, then there is really nothing holding them back from continuing to offer two camera families, mirrorless and SLR, again, if they should decide to do that.

So if you want to bet on the future, my suggestion is that you best be prepared for a very complex bet. I've just gone ahead and equipped myself for what I need and expect to need in the short and intermediate term

JD750 Loc: SoCal

There is no Z5, it’s only a rumor.

There are no APS-C, “z” lenses in Nikons roadmap thru 2020. Is that a A clue?

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

They could not go larger as all the cameras were 35mm thus the lenses were designed to that format. Difficulty of going larger than 35mm format would be very silly as a whole new incompatible series of lenses would have to be created

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Nikons own patent drawings clearly show a mirrorless crop sensor body with no EVF. Definitely not medium format nor D500 level replacement. Most probably a D5600 replacement, and with the S mount lenses all FF S lenses will fit and fully function. All F mount DX lenses will work as well via the FTZ adaptor.

dick ranez

I would get the D500 if I absolutely needed a new body - it's probably the finest crop sensor camera Nikon will make and take advantage of the lenses that I had. Until Nikon comes out with a wider selection of Z lenses, I'm content to sit on the sidelines and wait. I'd feel the same way about the Canon 7Dii if it were a Canon decision. If I was told that today I "had to go mirrorless", I'd end up with a Fuji system, not because of the capabilities of the various bodies (impressive in themselves) but because of the variety of lens options.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Why is the Nikon z mount called S mount?
Was not that the old Nikon rangefinder mount designation.
I thought they were Z mount for Z cameras.
Interesting.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Nobody understands the mystery of Nikon model designations. Maybe they have a dart board on the wall with numbers and letters and they use that to name the new models.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

I want to think everyone for their comments including my private message friend. You have given me so much to consider. I am going to stop and give it a month or two and revisit the topic. It will be next spring before I really get back into photography and until then I really don't need a second camera. I am leaning toward the D500 now and that is what I will purchase unless Nikon offers something new to consider. Thanks again, you have really helped me in this choice decision.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Nikons S and SP rangefinders did use the "S" mount designation in that day. Same ad the first SLR used the "F" mount and it was simply called the Nikon F. Since that time SLRs and DSLRs have had many names all still using the same basic F lens mount.
Nikon has chosen to use the Z for all their mirrorless bodies now, but the lens mount was designated "S" in honor of the factory in Sendai, Japan where the Z bodies were designed and they are also all built there as well. That leafs one to believe there may eventually be other bodies that will use the S mount. Only time will tell.

blackest Loc: Ireland

Something entry level then. The reason i suggested medium format was mirrorless it could be practical to handhold. The last thing any manufacturer wants is for you to be happy with your camera and not buy an upgraded model.

I think once you are past say $4000 for a body your into a luxury market where being able to afford it isn’t a question anymore. I can’t see anything but larger sensor size to improve IQ. It could well be incredible at low light

I think it would impress me but it is out of my reach.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I'm afraid you may have missed my point entirely, which is that the smaller sensors probably wouldn't exist at all except that it was physically impossible to produce enough full frame sensors when the market was created, and if enough could have been produced somehow, nowhere near enough people would have been able to afford tthem to get things rolling.

A rule of thumb at that time was that a chip which was twice as large would cost about eight times as much to make.

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

My mistake, I meant both Z mirrorless cameras from Nikon, Z6 and Z7 are in no way related to his D500.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

I tend to doubt that a crop sensor Nikon mirrorless is that much a priority with Nikon since DX glass is less expensive and used more by hobbyists, etc. The higher prices for FF glass that advanced users have is a much greater investment that Nikon should be motivated to protect.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

We will have that question answered for us in the next year or two, I would GUESS.