Mirrorless special

Heavily rumoured, much anticipated and now finally with us, the new mirrorless system marks the start of a new journey for Nikon. We take a closer look…

We reveal Nikon’s long-rumoured, brand-new, full-frame mirrorless system!

Nikon may still have a wealth of DSLR users to cater for, but it’s recognized that with so many photographers now swayed by portable, high-end mirrorless options, the company could only remain absent from the party for so long.

So, by pitching its new model at the enthusiast/professional end of the market, Nikon has made its intentions clear: this is a serious camera for the discerning user who wants all the advantages of its Fx-format DSLRS but with the additional perks of using a new mirrorless system.

With a full-frame 45.7MP sensor at its heart, the camera will appeal to the same type of user as the D850, which has been a clear influence on this new model. Yet the addition of a second mirrorless model, with just a handful of differences, immediately broadens the appeal of the system – more on this on page 107.

It certainly appears, on paper, to be a perfectly viable choice for the photographer shooting sports and action, in addition to more resolution-hungry applications. The option to shoot at 9fps matches the D850, but the autofocus system is decidedly more advanced, offering 493 phase-detect AF points that cover around 90% of the frame wedded to a contrast-detect AF system. This makes it better suited against moving subjects and focus during video recording, which here is offered at a 4K UHD resolution.

Electronic viewfinders are still a point of contention among photographers, and those moving away from optical viewfinders on DSLRS may feel apprehensive. Yet with a 0.80x magnification and a 3.6 million-dot resolution, together with a 60fps refresh rate, Nikon has focused on making it as clear and lifelike as possible.

The LCD screen positioned underneath this is just as impressive, tilting up and down and responding to touch. It bears the same 3.2in dimensions as we’re used to seeing on Nikon’s cameras, and its 2.1 million-dot resolution is pleasingly high.

The fact this has been complemented by a small LCD on the top plate should further make the transition from a high-end DSLR to a mirrorless camera as pain-free as possible for all those who may initially prefer a DSLR.

Design

A camera may be specified to the level you require, but if it doesn’t fit well in your hands, or is awkward in operation in some way, you might find adjusting to it a struggle.

So it’s great to see that Nikon has managed to design the camera with a deep grip without compromising on the overall size and portability of the system. Part of this is explained by the slim body, which allows for the grip to be more pronounced, and this in turn makes it easier to handle when using those larger lenses.

The body itself is said to be weathersealed to the same standard as Nikon’s D850, with seals around potential points of dust and water incursion. On the inside, the shutter has been rated to 200,000 actuations, while the requisite magnesium alloy used in the build brings the same benefits of rigidity and low weight that we’ve long enjoyed with Nikon’s high-end DSLRS.

System compatibility

Much like its now-defunct 1-system, launched back in 2011, Nikon has started from scratch in developing this new series, but it has ensured that existing users will have it easy if they already have a collection of F-mount lenses and flashguns that they would want to continue using.

While many will no doubt want to take advantage of the new optics and compatible accessories that will be developed for the system, F-mount lenses can be used on the new camera through an adapter. This adapter promises the same speed and functionality as you’d get when using AF-S and AF-P lenses on a DSLR, with full autofocus support and the additional advantage of sensor-based Vibration Reduction. As is the case with other sensor-based systems, the camera will also partner this with lens-based VR, should you end up using such an optic.

The camera is also set to be compatible with the same Speedlight flashguns as Nikon’s DSLRS, and it uses the exact same battery as the D850, despite its body being quite a bit more portable.

As is standard on mirrorless cameras, it can’t quite match the D850 for battery life,

The camera is set to be compatible with the same Speedlight flashguns as Nikon’s DSLRS

but it does offer a convenience the D850 doesn’t, namely the option to charge this in the camera through the USB port, with a small light on the side of the camera indicating charging status.

And there’s more…

Nikon has actually announced an additional model, and this camera’s spec sheet only differs in four key areas.

The first is sensor resolution. In place of the 45.7MP sensor we get a 24.5MP sensor, and, as we may expect from this lower pixel density, sensitivity is the next point of difference between the two, with a native range of ISO100-51,200 against the other camera’s ISO64-25,600 span.

Burst rate is a further point of difference, at 12fps instead of the main camera’s 9fps. The final key difference between the two concerns the autofocus system, which offers 273 phase-detect AF points rather than 493, although both systems marry phase- and contrast-detect AF systems to form a hybrid setup.