See full version: Camera rumors in 2021: what cameras are coming, officially and otherwise
"Because it's, a lot of people love it, but at the moment it's stuck in the product cycle where it really needs to wait for the next sensor to come out, and we need to get into a cycle where the flagship camera gets the new sensor and then the ones below that get one." [links]
Of course, technically "Olympus rumors" are now "OM Digital Solutions rumors", following the official divestment of the imaging division (along with audio devices) from Olympus Corporation at the start of the year.
At this point, he was asked by photographer Koichiro Saito, "In other words, there is a possibility of collaborating with other companies?"
While the prospect of running photography tours is a little left field, the idea of partnering with other companies makes a lot of sense. Hasselblad, for example, provides cameras for drones like the DJI Mavic 2 Pro (though of course, the former is owned by the latter), and Leica supplies the camera system for phones like the Huawei P40 Pro.
However, there have been plenty of official communications to interpret – and just as many rumors, requiring a pinch of salt. So what is the current skinny?
There has been endless speculation about how long OM Digital will keep using (or, indeed, is allowed to keep using) the Olympus brand name. Finally, at CP+ 2021, we got something resembling a proper answer; the brand will continue to be used "until Olympus fans are satisfied" that the new company is continuing the established traditions and products that Olympus is known for.
"As of now, we have no plans to enter the APS-C market, because we know that Micro Four Thirds and full-frame can coexist without any cannibalization. If we moved into APS-C, there might be some overlap between Micro Four Thirds and APS-C, and between APS-C and full-frame, so I don’t think we’ll go in that direction." here
"Initially, we really wanted to appeal to high-end users, to show that we could make those high-end cameras, to prove the quality of our cameras," said Yosuke Yamane, director of Panasonic's Imaging Business Division. "In the future, we’re going to introduce mid-class, and different ranges of cameras." more
The Canon EOS R5 and Sony A1 are 8K cameras that are already on the market, and the Sharp 8K Video Camera is supposedly still set for release – but it looks like Panasonic will be following a 'better late than never' strategy. [links]
"Overall, we’ve had a lot of appreciative comments from high-end users. What’s hindering us in the lower-end segment is size, weight and price. So we need to understand those obstacles, and we’re considering the development of new products in order to penetrate into a wider market." more
Much as it must be irritating to be gazumped by Canon, Sony and Sharp, Panasonic will be waiting a bit longer to bring 8K to the masses. "We will be ready for 8K soon, but we can’t tell you the timing. We need a little bit longer before we can introduce 8K cameras. It won’t be [in the very near future]."
Current page: Nikon rumors 2021
Even so, Nikon fell to fifth place in terms of mirrorless market share last year – behind Sony, Canon, Fujifilm and even Olympus – with just 7.5%. So, with the mirrorless sector feeling very much make or break right now, what Nikon rumors are swirling at the moment?
Recently leaked designs appear to confirm these rumors, as they show an APS-C size sensor in a camera body with a Z-mount. In addition, there's no electronic viewfinder to be seen, suggesting that this release will compete with other entry-level cameras such as the Fujifilm X-A5 and the Panasonic Lumix GX80.
While the Nikon Z50 is the little sibling of the Z-system family, it won't be the most junior member; there is talk that we will see the release of an entry level Nikon Z30 at some point this year (the 'ZX0' seems to be Nikon's naming convention for bodies with an APS-C sensor).
While the Big N definitely kept its focus on DSLRs in 2020, with the slightly disappointing flagship Nikon D6 and the fantastic Nikon D780, it also dropped three new mirrorless cameras – the entry level Nikon Z5, and refreshes of its original 2018 Z cameras, the Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z7 II. And this year it gave itself arguably the biggest shot in the arm to date with the Nikon Z fc – a beautiful retro-styled camera with a Nikon Z50 heart beating inside it.
That may not seem like much to go on, but there are actually 9 things we know about the Nikon Z9 already. For instance, that 8K video spec means that the sensor resolution will be at least 39MP for standard 16:9 and at least 44MP for DCI. And the latest reports are that the Nikon Z9 will have a 45MP sensor – which jibes with previous rumors that it would feature similar resolution to the 45.7MP Nikon Z7 II. So we're probably looking at a camera in the same ballpark as the Canon EOS R5 and Sony A1 when it comes to megapixels.
The previously rumored Ricoh WG-7 waterproof camera is now officially announced but it seems that the announcement was only for the Japanese market – here is the translated press release and additional information: more
A waterproof compact digital camera capable of continuous 2 hours of underwater photography at a depth of 20m New release of “RICOH WG-7” High-grade model with a new webcam function that can also use high-intensity ring lights- Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. (President: Shinobu Takahashi) has made it possible to use it as a new Web camera in addition to its well-established high waterproof performance, and it can be used not only outdoors but also in everyday business scenes. We are pleased to announce the release of the high-grade model “RICOH WG-7” of digital cameras. This product is a high-grade model with the highest toughness performance of the waterproof compact digital camera “WG” series, such as waterproof performance at a depth of 20 m, drop impact resistance from a height of 2.1 m, and cold resistance at -10 ° C. You can enjoy ultra-high-definition still images with 20 million effective pixels and high-quality video with 4K resolution even in harsh environments, and you can also record location information on images taken with the built-in GPS unit and log recording when moving. is. In addition, it has a new function that can be used as a high-quality Web camera by connecting to a PC, and it is very handy due to the built-in large-light variable ring light and the shortest 1 cm close-up shooting function, as well as the display of participating users during a Web conference. It is easy to take magnified shots of small parts while illuminating them brightly, and explain and display them online. (source: Ricoh)[links]