New Nikon Digital Rangefinder!

[Highway 61]

For every forum member knocking the idea, I'm sure there are many more who see the market for a quality digital rangefinder.

Here we go again.

There were many more who saw the market for a high-quality FF DSLR the size, weight and build quality of a FM3a, and which would have accomodated the huge range of excellent Ai-S lenses (most of them being truly excellent on a 12MP 24x36 sensor, all D700 users can confirm that).

Nikon never marketed such a camera. So why would they bother with marketing a DRF they don't even manufacture any lens for yet ?

 

[flyingoko]

Here we go again.


So why would they bother with marketing a DRF they don't even manufacture any lens for yet ?

Because no one else does. Did anyone manufacture lenses for the Nikon 1 before it came out?

I just think there's a glaring gap in the market for those who want a digital rangefinder and are not prepared to pay Leica prices for a solid one.

 

[Highway 61]

Did anyone manufacture lenses for the Nikon 1 before it came out?

The R&D cost of the Nikon 1 system is only a fraction of what it would be for a RF system which could rival the Leica M system.

And Leica just introduced an... optional EVF on its last M 240 model... so it doesn't seem that the future of digital photography resides within any optical RF stuff.

And, marketing-wise, it would be a terrible mistake for Nikon to market a Leica M clone. Just because MANY people dreaming of a M will end up buying a... D800.

 

[flyingoko]

The R&D cost of the Nikon 1 system is only a fraction of what it would be for a RF system which could rival the Leica M system.

And Leica just introduced an... optional EVF on its last M 240 model... so it doesn't seem that the future of digital photography resides within any optical RF stuff.

And, marketing-wise, it would be a terrible mistake for Nikon to market a Leica M clone. Just because MANY people dreaming of a M will end up buying a... D800.

I'm dreaming of an M, but I will not buy a D800, because of the weight. I bought a D80 (to replace my M2, M3 and M6), but ended up with a D40 then a D3200 around my neck.

I want a camera with the size and weight of a rangefinder, the rangefinder of a rangefinder, replaceable lenses and an FX sensor. But if I had the money for an M, I'd use it to pay off the outstanding mortgage.

 

[Highway 61]

I want a camera with the size and weight of a rangefinder, the rangefinder of a rangefinder, replaceable lenses and an FX sensor.

Just wait for two years more and you will buy a second hand M9.

 

[wes loder]

digital back for RF Nikon?

digital back for RF Nikon?

Wouldn't it make more sense to design a digital back for a Nikon SP or S3? It would go on like a motor back, would require cocking the shutter and would require an over-the-top sensor (maybe), but would be easier than a whole new camera. I would buy a digital back for my SP in a flash if such was available. WES

 

[S.H.]

Last time I checked, the Digital Modul R was quite costly, and wasn't a commercial success. And a modular back would add quite some bulk on a RF, so if some are complaining about the M8/9 being too fat, I would like to know what they think about this contraption. Also, adjusting very precisely the flange to sensor distance would not be a piece of cake so it is not a cheap piece of mass market engineering we are talking about.

Seriously, if you want a digital RF, go buy a Leica, or use any film RF and digitize it. If there was another practical/cheaper solution, somebody would have marketed it by now. Nobody knows RF cameras anymore, almost nobody is able to use a camera in manual mode. So where is the potential market justifying all this?

 

[Highway 61]

Seriously, if you want a digital RF, go buy a Leica, or use any film RF and digitize it. If there was another practical/cheaper solution, somebody would have marketed it by now. Nobody knows RF cameras anymore, almost nobody is able to use a camera in manual mode. So where is the potential market justifying all this?

Of course.

And many folks here seem to continue to forget the essential key of the problem : the LENSES.

There is NO lens within the Nikon RF world which could provide acceptable results in front of the last generation of FF sensors. Even the Millenium Nikkor isn't a stellar performer once mounted on the M9 using the Amedeo Adapter.

This is NOT the case when it comes to the last generations of Ai-S lenses and so, the main pity isn't the lack of a Nikon DRF, but the lack of the DSLR Nikon would have sold by dozens of thousands : the FM3d (or something close to that). There IS a market for a FF 12MP DSLR half the size and weight of the D700, without all the bells and whistles dedicated to the AF-S lenses, I'm truly certain of that.

But... 🙁

 

[Jamie Pillers]

... the main pity isn't the lack of a Nikon DRF, but the lack of the DSLR Nikon would have sold by dozens of thousands : the FM3d (or something close to that). There IS a market for a FF 12MP DSLR half the size and weight of the D700, without all the bells and whistles dedicated to the AF-S lenses, I'm truly certain of that.

But... 🙁

Agree completely! :bang:

 

[S.H.]

@Highway 61 : agreed 100%