Photokina 2018: Meet the new cameras Drool-Worthy and Oddball

In less than two months, full-size mirrorless camera options have grown from two to five major brands adopting larger sensors in smaller bodies. At the beginning of the year, the photographers only had the Sony range or Leica 's luxury option, but during the Photokina 2018, the world' s largest photography fair of the year. year, Nikon, Canon and Panasonic all had new cameras without mirrors. . And if Photokina is an indication, including Zeiss and Zenit's full-screen surprises, 2018 is the full-frame year.

Nikon and Canon avoided the noise of the Photokina and unveiled full-format mirrorless cameras in late August and early September, respectively. While major DSLR brands have long been expected to develop competitors in the Sony a7 lineup, Photokina has brought another less-anticipated player into the game. Panasonic, a major player in Micro Four Thirds cameras, unveiled S1R-free mirror cameras and S1 full frame.

The Panasonic S1R and S1 bring a handful of unique specifications to the table, including 4K at 60 frames per second. Stabilization inside the camera body also works with stabilized lenses, and unlike Nikon and Canon, Panasonic cameras have two media slots.

But perhaps even more interesting, the S1R and S1 already have lenses compatible with the 2019 version, thanks to a partnership with Leica and Sigma using the Leica L-Mount. This partnership will allow photographers to combine lenses and bodies from all three brands.

In an interview, Sigma suggested that the company will also develop a new mirror-free integral image. However, Sigma will use a Faveon design that can create better color reproduction. The interview also suggests that Sigma's own SA will be withdrawn in favor of L-Mount.

In addition to offering more choice to photographers, the sudden explosion of the mirrorless structure leads to more competitive prices. Scott Peterson, an industry analyst with Gap Intelligence, says the average price of a full-frame camera has dropped 18% between 2016 and 2017, but has already dropped by 40% in 2018, just for introductory prices. Part of this major price difference is due to more entry-level options such as the Canon EOS R, Nikon Z6, Panasonic S1 and Sony a7 III (launched in February) against fewer new top models of range,.

"The megapixel race has started and the size of the sensors is being deployed to attract consumers," said Peterson. "Just like" the better it is, "the more it is great" is an easy message to understand for consumers. It shows brands listening to their audiences and actively tries to counter the hesitations around smaller sensor models. With this increased involvement, the price erosion for full-frame cameras will continue and grow as the format evolves from niche to mainstream. "

Mirrorless was not the only category to see full-screen sensors. The optical company Zeiss has launched its first full-frame camera, the ZX1, with a fixed lens of 35 mm. But the most intriguing is not that Zeiss designed the sensor to calibrate perfectly with the lens, but with Adobe Lightroom integrated into the camera. The ZX1's largest touch screen and software allows photographers to edit on the same camera that they were filmed without using the smaller sensors inside the smartphone's cameras.

Zenit has also returned from more than 10 years of absence of cameras with Zenit M, a full-size digital rangefinder based on the company's historical models. Full details are not yet available, but the company said the device would be equipped with an f / 1 lens.

The growth of the full mirrorless version has led many photographers to question the future of the Micro Four Thirds format, which is 10 years old this year. But Panasonic and Olympus both suggested that the category was going nowhere. Olympus held a rather silent Photokina without new camera announcements, but the company's current mirrorless camera display emphasized the portability of the smaller format.

"Our philosophy is to focus on the personal mobility and spontaneity of our customers with compact and lightweight, but technologically advanced products to produce exceptional image quality. As a result, Olympus will continue to feature unique mirror-less cameras that offer superior performance to single-lens SLR cameras, "said Shigemi Sugimoto, Head of Imaging Division, Olympus. He added that size, as well as stabilization, distinguish the line.

While the major players in Micro Four Thirds claim that the format is not going anywhere, reducing the cost of the full-frame could also lower the cost of the reduced format. Although the new Panasonic full-format cameras have yet to be priced, the average cost of a full-size new camera in 2018 is $ 2,338, according to Gap Intelligence data. While Micro Four Thirds may still have room for portability, the $ 1,700 price of high-end models like GH5 and OMD E-M1 Mark II may need to be reduced to give photographers more than portability.

Full-frame was not the only sensor to grab titles during the Photokina – or to lower the price. Fujifilm has unveiled the GFX 50R, which is not only smaller but also $ 2,000 cheaper than the introductory price of the GFX 50S. The medium format camera will also be joined by a 100-megapixel version next year, Fujifilm shared during the show.

Leica will also launch next year a new medium-format camera with the 64-megapixel S3, with 4K video and a 3 fps burst speed.

The 2018 photography show also attracted a handful of expected and surprising announcements, including an instant camera capable of filming with the Fujifilm SQ20. Ricoh debuted in the field of the all-new GR III, a compact camera with a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor and three-axis stabilization.

Photokina also did not miss any lenses, especially new lenses from Hasselblad, Zeiss, Sigma and Panasonic.

Peterson expects Photokina to come to an end, so most camera launches of the year are over. Sony, however, is traditionally making announcements in October, and the company, which now has several generations of mirrored copies, has remained silent. (Sony announced the A7R III, for example, on October 25, 2017.)

Traditionally, a show held every two years, 2018, marks the first edition of Photokina. Next year, the show also goes up in May, which means that the next is close to a year and a half of year. With the change, the 2019 issue could receive fewer announcements, but again, 2018 has already registered more than a few surprises. Photokina ends on Saturday, September 29th.