rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

with all due respect, your argument is idiotic and lacks knowledge of assembly line procedures and processes.
--Bob

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

No, I do not understand, no matter how many times you repeat the same thing. If the new camera has a shorter flange distance, there would be room for an adapter that would put the back of the lens exactly the same distance it is on any current camera, and the characteristics of the lens will remain the same. No change. Period.

Bill_de Loc: US

I have no idea about the engineering that goes into these things, but logically what you are saying makes sense. Hopefully we'll know soon.

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JD750 Loc: SoCal

rcarol

Why would it be stupid for Nikon to use the F mount on their new cameras? Just curious!

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

I read the reference to their possible new cameras on Nikon Rumours and also the comments on the article afterwards. The comments were most useful, possibly more so than the article.
There are a number of reasons some of which are, not in any order, and probably only a few that I picked up ie there are probably many more.
1. The diameter of the F mount itself is very small and makes the lens longer than it needs to be. Why, because the larger the diameter the more light comes through and therefore the lens can be made smaller. It looks as if, for a variety of reasons, Nikon has a smaller initial diameter, probably historic.
2. The obvious one is if Nikon makes a completely different lens mount that ALL your current lens with an F mount can't be used. Therefore you must buy a whole new set of lenses. As you can imagine that will annoy the hell out of all existing users so Nikon has a bit of a problem keeping everybody happy. It is not sure what Nikon will do about this but one way out is to make an adapter that will take take the F mount and fit it to the new mount. This adapter will be expensive because it has to represent to the lens a lot of stuff not required in mirrorless.
3. I think it is inevitable that Nikon must change at some stage as others already have.
4. One of the reasons that mirrorless works is because it means everything can be smaller and lighter. This means a new lens mount. On a mirrorless camera the space between the sensor and the lens mount is shorter hence everything is more compact. You cannot have compact and retain the F mount because an F mount has a bigger space between the mount and the sensor. Nikon might make an adapter that will fit an F mount into a wider mounting hole to try and minimise lost space. You might lose a small amount of the effective viewing.
5. One thing that might happen is Nikon, and others, might go for a larger than FF sensor to aim for medium format. This might gain an extra F stop because of the larger inlet hole therefore more light getting in. This costs nothing in the overall scheme of things except you can't do it with an F mount.
6. Nikon is about the last player to get involved in mirrorless alternatives to DSLR. Because they are late it will be harder for them to keep everybody happy.
7. One thing that should not be forgotton is that you don't have to switch to mirrorless as all your present gear will still work.
Issues for Nikon and you is that DSLR used prices and values will drop. The implementation is of huge concern to Nikon. The move to mirrorless will probably happen way faster than anybody anticipates. In five years DSLRs will go the way of film cameras is my GUESS. L brackets will become useless as the shape of the body will be different and probably smaller. Doin't think that this won't happen. One thing that is quite obvious from reading UHH is the universal interest photographers have in getting something smaller but there are penalties for this. Point & shoots, moves to other manf and smaller mirrorless cameras, complaints about how big and large users cameras are etc.
Now it is possible that Nikon could take their existing bodies and fit the sensor closer to the front. And work on other ways so that you are minimally impacted. But don't dream or hope that this will be so because they will be the only manf who does and in a few years would leave them so far behind that Nikon would be history.
We are in for interesting times.
If none of this makes much sense then go read the Nikon Rumours stuff especially the comments at the end (there are a ton). If you don't then perhaps you aren't that interested anyway.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Because you'd be stuck with large and heavy lenses in a world of light weight and you wouldn't be able to take full advantage of the new technology. I expect an adaptor will be available, probably at release, but I am waiting, and expecting, some excellent, lighter glass. Best of luck.

no nameJoe

Am an old man in my 83 with a bag full of nikon lenses and cameras , also a couple of Sony mirrorless as I see it I am satisfied with the gear that I have and it is not that I can not afford them could buy either one of them with no problem by the time nikon would have co%ected all the bugs out of their new system I will be long gone over to the other side I am not the only one in that position from what I gather reading the blogs That means that my kids will get more cash when I am gone

no nameJoe

IDguy Loc: Idaho

There were similar price estimates before the release of the D850. Could be a marketing tactic to have consumers think the actual release price a bargain.

Bill_de Loc: US

Hopefully that cash will buy them all new cameras.

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HOT Texas Loc: From the Heart of Texas

Come on Bob your smarter than that, without new models to sell that assembly line is dead just like dlsr's.

rcarol

I have to take issue with your statement that a full frame mirrorless camera would have lenses that are lightweight and smaller. If you take a look at the Sony line of FF mirrorless cameras you will see that the bodies are smaller than an equivalent DSLR but there is very little weight loss attributed to lenses for mirrorless cameras. In fact, the weight of the lenses, to a large degree, negates the advantage of the lighter, smaller body of the Sony mirrorless cameras. It is true that the lenses for crop sensor mirrorless cameras are lighter and smaller than their FF counterparts but that can be said of DSLRs as well.

Bill_de Loc: US

Are you trying to put a dent in all the hype?

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cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Take any issue that you want, all is fine with me. Just my thoughts. When Nikon releases their new 'system' we'll all know! In any case, I am expecting this new glass to be both lighter and smaller. Best of luck.