According to this, the Nikon D400 would be using a different sensor of a more specifically Nikon design and of a lower pixel resolution.

No date, no image, though.

So, can we try and build a summary of what is known and what the Nikon-lovers must know and understand if they are waiting for their next dream photo camera?

The first thing to notice is clearly the way Digital SLR photo cameras ran one after the other in the Nikon range of cameras. I dare say that I borrowed a camera Timeline built by Wikipedia (See below). This historical approach based on the record of launch dates allows to better perceive how Nikon usually operates:

• Entry-level photo cameras replaced at high frequency
• A much quieter Pro-level range

It is immediately clear that the pro photo cameras are about to be replaced with new models, if only because of the age of the current cameras:

• 3 years for the D3x
• Nearly two years for the D3s
• 3 years for the D700
• 2 years for the D300s

From this poiint, rumors are flaring up quite naturally (just look at how many wrong rumors we collected about the Nikon D400).

But the rhythm seems to speed up with the various announcements seen recently on Facebook, NikonRumors, PCHome (China), Tech.Hexun.com (China too), and a few others.

We long considered as certain that Summer 2011 would see the simultaneous launch of two pro cameras at Nikon, but the Japanese tsunami totally changed the landscape for a company whose main pro camera manufacturing plant was in Sendai (nearly exactly at the center of devastation in March). Nikon quickly reacted and decided to move its manufacturing resources to Malaysia. The latest news tell that machines are now humming with the people you relocated (with the help of special supporting bonuses) and the “Made in Malaysia” production is nearly here (with the same quality as in Japan).

On the other hand, it seems that it transformed the Marketing calendar that Nikon had built in January 2011. All the rumors were concentrating on a Summer with a Nikon D4 and a Nikon D400 (successors to the D3 and D300s). But in the recent weeks, everybody seems to be sharing an expectation of Nikon D4 and Nikon D800 (successors to the D3 and D700). I could not seriously confirm this change but it seems that it could have been dictated by the need to optimize resources leading to something like:

1. Two Full Frame cameras in September 2011 (according to NR, it could even be August)
2. A D400 in January 2012

the only problem of this scenario: The Nikon D800 is supposed to use the Sony digital sensor being readied to power the Sony A99 which should not appear before the end of 2011 (or even the first quarter of 2012).

So, it is still possible that the rumors heard here and there are going to be corrected by facts and that in September 2011 we’ll see a Nikon D4 (with a specific sensor designed exclusively by Nikon with a “pro” label) and a Nikon D400 (with an APS-C sensor shared with the Sony A77 -or slightly modified- and an “expert” label).

Nikon D400

• 24 MP APS-C CMOS sensor from Sony
• ISO 100-51,200 (ext. ISO 102,400)
• New AF
• Continuous shooting: 9 fps
• Full HD video
• In-camera GPS?
• Two SD cards

Nikon D800 or D700s

• 18 MP FF/FX CMOS sensor from Nikon
• ISO 100-102,400 (ext. ???)
• Same AF as D700 or D3
• Continuous shooting: 9 fps
• Full HD video
• CF + SD cards

Nikon D4

• 18 MP FF/FX CMOS sensor from Nikon
• ISO 100-102,400 (ext. ???)
• New AF?
• Continuous shooting: 10-15 fps
• Full HD video
• CF + SD cards

This is still a rumor coming from a leaked image, but it looks like one of the most accurate information up to now. This is the confirmation of the tilt-and-swivel mechanism holding a large LCD screen. It was rumored, but the mechanism seems quite clear and precise. Good news for this new camera (expected in July 2011).

It’s quite certain that this is not a pre-series or a prototype but a model (enlarging the function/feature rotating button shows what is probably only a rough prototype of this part). But who cares?

As is quite obvious on the photo, there is a second camera and it appears that it could be named Alpha 65 or A65. This is the real surprise since -visually- this is a simplified A77 (the LCD seems to be tilt only and the rest looks very similar except the viewfinder/flash gap line) as Sony has been already used to in the past, but the name is breaking the few Sony conventions for cameras in a similar range since they started using two figures (A33, A35, A55, etc.) for the Alpha series. It may not mean anything specific; maybe just a glitch in the Naming Group of the Marketing Department…

The main questions are:

1. Is the Alpha 65 going to use the Alpha 77 big 24 MP CMOS sensor? The naming would point to a somewhat smaller sensor, but it’s still pure guessing.
2. Most certainly, the A65 will have a reduced sensitivity range (probably not reaching the ISO 102,400 that everybody is hoping to see on the Alpha 77, if they keep the same sensor).
3. Will they use the same viewfinder AMOLED viewfinder LCD? I would bet on “yes, the same” according to my sources who suggest that the current viewfinder will be obsolete for Sony in July (Don’t read me wrong: Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) is a 101% certainty for these two cameras).

The presence of two cameras also raises questions about pricing. We all know that the EVF is helping Sony reduce costs, increase continuous shooting speeds and ease fast AF even in video modes; But Sony may be trying to keep a relatively large margin on the Alpha 77 by giving it a little brother which would be shooting for rock bottom prices. At first, Sony may have the possibility of keeping high prices (high margins, big revenues) on the A77 with bargain prices on the A65. When Nikon presents a competing product (the Nikon D400 in September? or October?), Sony will be ready to reduce margins (and prices) kicking Nikon where it’s most painful: Price.

If I’m right, the Sony Alpha 65 will be the camera to buy this Summer and the top-performance Alpha 77 reaching its real price potential only at the end of the year (but expect a tremendously deep price fall, then: Both will fly below 1000€).

By Jove! Things are going to be interesting. The next meeting points will be:

• Sony official release of the Alpha 77 and Alpha 65 in early July
• Nikon counter-attack in September: Nikon D400

Apparently, the Nikon D400 (planned for a much later date in 2011) is not impacted.

All in all, it may mean that everything is pushed to the last quarter of 2011. the exact launch order may not be currently determined inside Nikon marketing department.

However, Nikon is now ready to launch its replacement (the Nikon D300s was launched in July 2009). So, it is useful to sum up what should be included in this camera when it is revealed to all of us.

The most obvious improvement should be a new sensor, quite certainly coming again from the Sony manufacturing plants. It should be the same as will be used by Sony on the upcoming Alpha 77 (or A77). The rumours has it that Nikon should hit 24 mega-pixels. I am not sure of this, for lack of clear signals from reliable sources. However, the sensor will show a sheer improvement in sensitivity (ISO ratings) and its image quality will be brought to very high levels by Nikon-designed software. The sensor will also provide good video capture (1080p HD at up to 30 fps, possibly a little more) with continuous autofocus (based on contrast detection) during the video shooting.

Some people have been asking if Nikon would be using the semi-transparent mirror of Sony in front of the sensor, and this will not happen. Nikon will only introduce Pellix-like mirrors on a specific camera line which will only appear in the second half of 2011. this is not ready for SLR cameras (it may even be a very long time before Nikon goes into this direction which is not really optimal for expert photographers).

Continuous shooting of the Nikon D400 will not be increased significantly over the existing D300s (already very good) and 7 or 8 fps will be on the characteristics list. However, if the Auto focus will not change (51-point AF & 5 cross-type zones), the light/exposure metering could see the arrival of an improved version of the already excellent 1005-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering II.

This looks nice (even if not really a jump forward for Nikon), but the availability date for the Nikon D400 is unclear. My sources tell that this could still be in the second quarter of 2011, but probably even very late then (May? June?). Obviously, there is no price information available, but this D400 camera should be fighting hard to drive prices down in a segment which is ready to drop down to the $1000/1000€ mark. I would expect an SRP under 1500€, possibly around 1350€, with a street price coming down quickly to 1200€.

August 4, 2009

• Nikon D3000
• Nikon D300s with Full-HD movie 24 fps, improved AF, self timer + mirror-up, cf + sd-slot
• AF-S DX 17-65/3.2-4 G VR with 72(!) mm filter

October 15, 2009:

• Nikon D700x with 24.5 MP, Full-HD movie 24 fps, improved AF and self timer + mirror-up
• AF-S Nikkor 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR (The FX-dream-walk-around-lens?)
• AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II (What everybody waited for! 82 mm filter, 1530 g)
• AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G
• AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G (No VR?)

Q1/2010:

• AF-S Nikkor 14-28mm f/3.5-4.5G ED
• AF-S Nikkor 120-450mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR II (Replacement for 80-400? 82 mm, 1480 g)

Q2/2010:

• Nikon D4 with 15.7 MP, improved 1 EV, Full HD-movie 30fps
• Nikon D400 with 13.8 MP, improved 1 EV, Full HD-movie 24fps

Q3/2010:

• AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4G VR (On the waiting list for many!)
• AF-S Nikkor 400mm f/5.6G VR (Have been missing a long time!)
• AF-S Nikkor 70-240mm f/3.5-4.5G VR (The missing medium size telezoom!)
• AF-S Nikkor 105mm f/2G DC (A small surprise. No VR?)
• AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm f/4G VR
• AF-S DX Nikkor 60-95mm f/2G VR (The DX dream-telezoom!)
• AF-S DX Nikkor 17-60mm f/2.8G VR (Replacing 17-55 with addition of VR)
• Nikon Coolpix P1DX with DX 12.3 MP stabilized sensor, 28-85/3.5-5.6 zoom (comparable to FX, actually 18-56), 2.9 inch 920k-display, movable upwards for macro.

Q4/2010:

• Nikon D4X with 30.2 MP with 1 EV improved sensitivity

So, is it for real? Is it a leak? Or is it merely a tediously built list of relatively good expectations/wishes? Hard to say. I would just remind you that this is clearly classified as a rumor.

As always, I recommend not to make your purchase decisions based upon rumors, but based upon the existing cameras and lenses. The best equipment is always the one you use (compared to the one you dream about). Your dream does not produce photos, but your camera will.

Thanks to Mash.

Supposedly to describe seemingly independent techniques, the article used (this has been changed now) what appeared to be screen copies of the LCD back screen of the Nikon D300s which is still unannounced. Many people expect that under this name (or under the name of Nikon D400) this will be the first camera from Nikon to sport dual Flash cards slots (Compact Flash and SD/SDHC) as was expected from the Nikon D700 body which shows the possibility. It should be a nice replacement for the successful Nikon D300.

Notice the large display. It looks like a 16:9 wide LCD screen. It would be quite nice to ensure that the picture is well preserved while displaying histograms alongside.

Nikon D300s via Nikon Rumours.

• 16-18 MP image sensor
• New EXPEED II processor
• HD movie function with stereo audio
• Tilt LCD display with some continuous AF capacity in LiveView (same as Sony?)
• Some new lenses announced simultaneously

Those are the best links found recently:

• 5 Elements of Composition in Photography: Pattern, Symmetry, Texture, Depth of Field, Lines.
• 5 More Elements of Composition in Photography: Framing, Perspective, Space, Balance, Color.
• The 100 Most Popular Photoshop Tutorials of 2008
• A camera obscura can be as large as a room

Most-read articles

The news YOU want!

• Download Canon EOS 500D Manual
• New rumours: Nikon D400, Nikon D750

Most visited categories

Wider issues that are at the center of your attention:

• Pentax K30D
• Nikon D400

It is interesting to notice that Japan is clearly the country where most of the attraction for the Pentax K7D appears.

While I’m here, let’s notice that the author of a book about the Nikon D400, recently apologized on his web site about the use of a non-existent product name (for a non-existent book). It seems this (and the arrival of recent Nikon new products) is the death of a rumour.

Curiosité : on nous dit que, comme le Nikon D5000, le Nikon D750 aurait un écran LCD articulé.

Reminder: These are really rumours and graphic reconstructions of what these cameras could be. If they exist in the future.

If the photos are usually quite clean and do not look like “discreetly stolen”, it is difficult to say if this is an accidental leak, an organised leak or a sophisticated hoax.

Or, was it the shooting of a commercial film for the upocming Nikon D400, Nikon D5000 or Nikon D65 (or anything else)?

Beware: I only provide the more interesting picture. The others are provide more information about the actor than about the camera.

Since this is unconfirmed -even by NR… It may be anything, starting with a possible hoax.

Partial specification:

• 15.3 mega-pixel DX APS-C CMOS sensor
• Sensitivity: ISO 200-6400
• Continuous shooting: 6fps
• HD video capture mode

The “correct” or “corrected” page no longer showing the Nikon D400.

Those are the best links found recently:

• Ligue des sites naturalistes extraordinaires to see a lot of animal photos [in French, but it’s OK]
• Teleconverters (Multipliers) – A technical overview from Bob Atkins
• Selling your Photos as Wallpaper describes all about the success of a photographer who is selling his photos as a subscription to computer wall papers.
• The Photographic Eye from B&H, by Allan Weitz

Most-read articles

• Chinese Nikon D400
• Pentax K30D: Re-evaluation by Samsung

Most visited categories

• Pentax K30D
• Nikon D400

• 12.3 MP (possibly the same sensor that comes with the Nikon D300 and Alpha 700, in its simplified version)
• No built-in AF motor
• A new built-in flash
• A tilt-and-swivel type of LCD screen (possibly the feature that everybody will be showing this year)
• Video mode(s)
• LiveView

Along with it, people expect to see the Nikon D400 that we discussed several times here on YLovePhoto.

And a price list from Nikon Japan shows the existence (soon to be official) of a possibly great new lens: AI AF Zoom-Nikkor ED 80-200mm f/2.8D. Nice!

If those big guys are now all spending money on the “Nikon D400” ad target, it must be certain that this name is going to be used by Nikon. It does not list the features of the Nikon D400, though.

• Sensor: 24.4 MP CMOS
• Rear LCD screen: Touchscreen
• Exposure adjust by 1/3 or 1/2 or 1EV
• Sensitivity: ISO 200-3200
• Memory slots: Compact Flash AND SD card
• Image formats: Raw, JPG and TIFF
• Data interface: USB 2.0

Even if this is a very partial description, it contains enough surprises to be worth mentionning. The presence of a touch-screen would really be a superb improvement (already seen on compact Point-and-Shot cameras but never before on SLRs). The arrival of SD cards on this range of SLR cameras cannot be a complete surprise knowing the trend already clear for smaller cameras. However, having a TIFF file format available is a major surprise that could lead to a big redefinition of what is used for picture output. Depending on how it is used, it could be a move to a standardized RAW format (instead of DNG) or a weird addition.

Additional note: The arrival of a dual slot memory support is well supported by the observation of the Nikon D700 body. You can easily notice that the body already has a space free for such a dual slot possibility.

Anyway, we will have to understand if this is reality or a publicity scam from a Chinese web site (in which case it works well. Everybody interested in the Nikon D400 is reading this).

Visibly, the Nikon D400 is considered more worth of rumours and comments than any other possible future camera.

Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of nikon d800 in the last 12 months.

pentax k30d 0  canon 500d 0.75  nikon d800 1.00  nikon d400 1.80

All the details on the Google Trends page comparing pentax k30D, canon 500D, nikon D800, nikon D400.

Now, this has a clear impact on the decisions in photography-related companies. Who would want to spend millions of dollars on advertisement, press information, etc. if the potential customers are not even listening because their attention is focused on managing their day-to-day life or a foreclosure? Additionally, many camera manufacturers see their prices forced up (at the worst possible time) by unfavorable evolution of exchange rates (everybody is speaking about the world-wide price hike-ups of Nikon, Sigma and a few others). So, many marketing departments of photo companies are reviewing their launch calendar.

It seems that one of the first companies to have made a decision here is Canon. The word is out that the Canon EOS 500D is currently pressured for a delay which would make its launch more in line with a less depressed market. It may be pushed from this Winter to Spring or early Summer 2009 (Northlight Images even say Autumn). Of course, this goes with the possibility for the designers to add new features if it is still possible to use this delay. This could be a good financial and technical strategy.

However, there is a lot of pressure mounting inside Canon in order to close the gap created by Nikon with the launch of the Nikon D90, Nikon D700, Nikon D3x. The Canon 500D with video features would be a good answer.

It is also said that the Pentax K30D may be delayed. Or is it that Pentax is unsure about what to include in the package right now?

Sony has a lot of things to send to the market in 2009. Scheduling the launches in steps could be natural if they need to spread the costs, but I doubt they will adopt such a strategy. Despite the financial issues they recently disclosed, they seem quite able to pursue their usual strategy of “maximum impact” which supports well the simultaneous disclosing of a wealth of products. Nevertheless, it could lead to a step-by-step availability.

Nothing seems to be said of Nikon delays. Is it because they are perceived as having such an impetus that they can’t stop pushing new good products to the market?

Whatever happens, recession is a factor that the marketing department of any major camera company must take into account. There is little doubt that 2009 (and possibly 2010) will be a bad year for all consumer-oriented industries. Since no part of the world will be doing really better than the others, this brings the need to be cautious. Let’s hope that camera brands will not stop showing us good (better?) cameras.

Last minute note: Nikon Watch just announced that both Nikon and Canon were posting decreasing profits.

Here is a Russian newspaper magazine which tells us all about it (as seen at Nikon Rumours). Impossible not to think of a mere summary of the current rumors on the Internet, but here it is in a more common language:

• CMOS 14.3 MP sensor
• Sensitivity: 100-6400 ISO
• Continuous shooting at 7 fps
• 1080p video mode
• LCD back screen: 3″ and 922,000 pixels
• Automatic adjustment of lighting and color according to ambient light
• Memory cards: CompactFlash CF/UDMA
• Magnesium alloy body
• Weather-sealing
• Price: 2000 US$

Now, people are left wondering what Nikon will be preparing next. The obvious move is to complete the Nikon D300 with some new camera that would allow to grab some more market after the still green D300. This should be the… Nikon D400 (no surprise, eh!)

But the D3x (with its out-of-Earth price) and the D700 with its emphasis toward high ISOs (at the expense of high pixel counts) leave a clearly open path for a new camera that would be a direct contender against the Canon EOS 5D MkII and the Sony Alpha 900. Give Nikon a D300 body to cram a 20+ mega-pixel sensor and you should get a… Nikon D800/D900.

I would expect these two cameras to be arriving around mid-2009, possibly in Fall to leave some time to launch an entry-level camera before Summer.