Nikon I Am Coming campaign hints mirrorless

Nikon on Tuesday slipped out a teaser page giving a strong clue as to its mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. While just saying "I am coming," the page has a countdown that ends on Wednesday, coinciding neatly with the rumored launch date. The camera maker rarely ever builds up the public for a launch, either for its regular compacts or its DSLRs, supporting the notion that it's a genuinely new platform and not just a sequel.

The cameras, so far known as the J1 and V1, are both expected to have 10.1-megapixel CCD sensors with a 2.7X crop factor and a size above compact cameras but below Micro Four Thirds. Despite recent designs, neither will necessarily have a hot shoe, but the entry J1 would have a built-in flash where the V1 would replace that with an electronic viewfinder. Both are poised to make video a specialty with 1080p30 video and special modes to capture movies from stills and vice versa.

Four lenses ranging from a wide-aperture prime to a telephoto are all due to show.

Prices are still unknown, although the sensor choices and features could put them below Micro Four Thirds cameras from Olympus and Panasonic as well as Sony's NEX line. Nikon is known for only occasionally shipping quickly and might not ship the cameras for weeks.

The cameras are coming as belated reactions to mirrorless interchangeables, which are now starting to cut into the share of both Canon and Nikon in some countries. Although the category is rarely less expensive, the much smaller sizes and simpler designs are often considered more ideal both for newcomers and to pros who may want much more portable designs, such as field reporters.

By Electronista Staff