Nikon has revealed that it’s working on its latest professional flagship camera, the D6, assuring that its “most advanced DSLR to date.” The company didn’t announce any specs (other than a photo), but it’s definitely expected to be a big leap ahead of the nearly four-year-old D5. Since that period, sensor and processor technology have undergone various drastic advancements, so we can hope to see things like eye tracking on top of ridiculous autofocus and shooting speeds.
Mirrorless cameras still cannot outclass DSLR’s as far-shooting speeds and focus accuracy is concerned, so for mission-critical sports and news photography, the D6 will be a massive success.
With the low-end and mid-range camera markets in a decline, it’s also going to be an important camera for Nikon. The $6,000 D5 can shoot 20.8-megapixel photos at 12 fps with auto exposure and autofocus, so most likely the D6 will top those numbers by a considerable margin.
Although apart from the camera itself — which strongly resembles the D5 — Nikon will be hoping to sell a lot of costly performance-oriented lenses and accessories along with it as well. In that department, it’s also launching the AF-S Nikkor 120-300mm f/2.8E F mount super-telephoto zoom lens developed for sports and wildlife photographers.
As assured earlier, Nikon also unveiled the Nikkor Z 24mm f/1.8S, a nice wide-angle prime for its mirrorless Z 6 and Z 7 cameras.
The company did not mention any of the specifications, launch date or price for the D6 or 120-300mm lens, but the 24mm f/1.8 Z prime is expected to arrive in mid to late October 2019 for $1,000.
With smartphone-based cameras already putting a lot of traditional camera companies out of business, new innovations and smooth tech can only save the industry. It will be imperative that Nikon stands at the front of this as it is the biggest player in the market.
