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Nikon takes on Sony with mirrorless camera

By Yuji Nakamura and Yuki Furukawa, Bloomberg
Published: August 26, 2018, 6:05am

Nikon unveiled its first full-frame mirrorless cameras, seeking to make up lost ground against Sony in the professional photography market.

The new Nikon Z7 and Z6 devices will feature new lenses and lens mount, and will be lighter than the current pro-grade cameras, the company said.

The $4,000 Z7, which will have a 45.7 megapixel sensor, will go on sale in late September, followed by the Z6, which will have 24.5 megapixels, cost about $2,400 and hit stores in November. “We will deliver new value to the mirrorless market,” Nikon President Kazuo Ushida said at a media conference in Tokyo on Thursday.

With Nikon’s entry, Sony will no longer have the only high-grade mirrorless cameras that excel at capturing sharp images of fast-moving objects. Canon Inc. has also said that it’s considering its own model, setting the stage for a battle for professionals and enthusiasts. Although smartphones have decimated digital-camera sales, the three Japanese companies benefit from the branding and sales boost that comes with being the main suppliers of high-end cameras and lenses for news and sports events.

“Mirrorless is no longer a niche product,” said Stephen Baker, a consumer-technology analyst at researcher NPD. “It offers advantages in size and weight and battery that make mirrorless a very competitive premium technology.”

While Nikon and Canon dominated the pro market for decades, first with film and then with digital single-lens reflex cameras, it’s becoming clearer that devices without the mirror-and-prism system offer benefits. Thanks to advanced image sensors and sophisticated software, mirrorless systems can grab light faster and stay in focus, making it easier to capture crisp images of fast-moving objects.

“We will aim for the No. 1 spot in the mirrorless market,” said Nobuyoshi Gokyu, chief of Nikon’s camera business.

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