Hey
Nikonrumors.com posted a roadmap of the next 2 years... If its true, I am going to cry.

August 4 introduction: (Apparently the end of July presentation is for compact cameras)

* 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 presentation:

* 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 stabilised 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

This was a summary taken from nikonrumors.com. All credit to them!

Chris

* Nikon D4 with 15.7 MP, improved 1 EV, Full HD-movie 30fps

I doubt a flagship cam will have video.

thebeephaha wrote:
* Nikon D4 with 15.7 MP, improved 1 EV, Full HD-movie 30fps

I doubt a flagship cam will have video.

I think every new cam will have video.

>* AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm f/4G VR
So, I have to wait until Fall 2010?! At least, no D800 in sight.

How accurate has this site been in the past??

How I wish Nikon would release a roadmap themselves. But that horse has been beaten to a pulp by now....

thebeephaha wrote:
* Nikon D4 with 15.7 MP, improved 1 EV, Full HD-movie 30fps

I doubt a flagship cam will have video.

People thought that about autofocus once upon a time.

luminosity wrote:
thebeephaha wrote:
* Nikon D4 with 15.7 MP, improved 1 EV, Full HD-movie 30fps

I doubt a flagship cam will have video.

People thought that about autofocus once upon a time.

The thing is, for a flagship cam it isn't needed.

If I spend almost $10k on a photo camera I don't want to take anything away from the photo aspects for video when I can get a dedicated camera for video that would do a better job.

Just my opinion.

I understand that reasoning, and I think I may still believe that to a point.

But, the time is coming, rapidly so, when a DSLR will come with great video capability and the already-great image technology we have today. People are going to start expecting video for their weddings, for example, and not from a separate camera. Further, wedding photographers are going to be the subset of photographers that are going to push video technology along, I think, and into the arms of everyone, whether they think they need it or not.

The capability sometimes comes first, and the needs follow.

thebeephaha wrote:
luminosity wrote:
thebeephaha wrote:
* Nikon D4 with 15.7 MP, improved 1 EV, Full HD-movie 30fps

I doubt a flagship cam will have video.

People thought that about autofocus once upon a time.

The thing is, for a flagship cam it isn't needed.

If I spend almost $10k on a photo camera I don't want to take anything away from the photo aspects for video when I can get a dedicated camera for video that would do a better job.

Just my opinion.

True. But the various agencies and self-repped people are asking for video coverage as well if only for clips. Same with wedding photogs. IF you are the only dude who is there when there is a firefight/IED/Whatever and you can be rolling video for the online site as well as capturing stills for print and stock, you will make more money as will your agency/site. It's the future, even if it seems sucky to some. We are not talking blue-chip documentaries here, just a clip to roll. I'd be more suprised if pro cameras did not come with a video function; preferably dual stream so one could record 2k images to one card and 24k images to the second or something like that with maybe a dedicated button for each.

thebeephaha wrote:
luminosity wrote:
thebeephaha wrote:
* Nikon D4 with 15.7 MP, improved 1 EV, Full HD-movie 30fps

I doubt a flagship cam will have video.

People thought that about autofocus once upon a time.

The thing is, for a flagship cam it isn't needed.

If I spend almost $10k on a photo camera I don't want to take anything away from the photo aspects for video when I can get a dedicated camera for video that would do a better job.


In what way will, or has, video taken away from any of the current cameras, like the 5Dii, etc? None! The only add to the feature set, and don't add much if anything to the price.

Lots of PJ's who use flagship cameras LOVE the video feature. In fact many of the best wedding photogs do too! Some, like Stillmotion, arguably the best wedding videography/photography combo company around now solely uses 5Dii's for both video and stills.

I enjoy the video. I have said it time and time again. I want it on every camera I get in the future. It doesn't affect the camera one bit and for the average user it might not be suited for but everyone can use the video once in awhile.

Chris

D700x, 70-200G VRII, 35 1.4G, plus what's already in the bag...

Sign me up.

Chris Langer wrote:
I enjoy the video. I have said it time and time again. I want it on every camera I get in the future. It doesn't affect the camera one bit and for the average user it might not be suited for but everyone can use the video once in awhile.

Chris

Your absolutely right Chris and frankly in the digital world the electronics difference between making a single digital image and making a digital movie with electronic shutterings is not much. The rumor list would seem very believable and common sense with the exception of the 24fps video. If anything Nikon will offer 30 and 60 fps video. The 24fps is a production software editing issue, if an issue at all, for anyone knowledgeable in video production.

On a separate note, if the essential part of this map is true, Nikon seems committed to staying out of the megapixel race, except for the "x" cameras.

Oh please lord.

I still don't see a pro DX body listed, something like a "new" D400 sensor in a D2/3 body. I guess as full frame evolves, a high res full frame sensor with a 1.5 crop mode becomes a more flexible alternative then a straight DX camera..

Larry

Where's the long awaited 135/2 AF-S (VR)? And I guess a possible 24-135 should have VR II.

Chris Langer wrote:
* AF-S DX Nikkor 60-95mm f/2G VR (The DX dream-telezoom!)


If that ever becomes true it will be....urrmm...well I don't know really, pretty useless? 60-95mm? Just get a 85mm and go one step back or half an inch forward.

I sincerely hope the posted rumors are true, I have been anxiously awaiting a new 70-200 VR II so I can have a VR lens that doesn’t vignette, this lens if it is more than a rumor would make me give strong consideration in retiring my 80-200 AFS lens. The 85 1.4 with an AFS design would also find a home in my camera bag. I really have no interest in a new version of the 80-400 but I was recently told by a Nikon rep that it would not be unreasonable to expect to see a new version of this lens this year.

To me, this road map matches Nikon's recent track, with Nikon seeming to opt out of the megapixel race with its top-level cameras, except for the D3x so far. If they really do plan to leave the megapixel mammoths to the X class of pro cameras and make the others ISO champions, it matches what they've already done.