Nikon has the future in mind with mirrorless full-frame camera

Rumours of a new mirrorless Nikon camera with a full-frame sensor have been escalating in the photography world in recent months.

Mirrorless full-frame cameras are almost unheard of in the photography market. That’s because full-frame sensors, which offer a greater depth of field over standard digital sensors, are often reserved for the most high-end DLSR (digital single-lens reflex) cameras that money can buy.

Mirrorless camera bodies, which do away with in-built mirrors that direct light into the view finder, are more common on compact cameras. They are lighter and more compact than DLSRs, but often lack the lens customisation options offered by their heavier full-frame counterparts.

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The idea of a camera that combines both technologies is therefore hugely appealing to photographers.

Nikon experimented with the concept in 2011 when it launched its Nikon 1. The camera was the first mirrorless product from the company, but it lacked the full-frame sensor professional photographers were looking for. It was taken off shop shelves two weeks ago, prompting rumours of a replacement in the near future.

Yesterday the company confirmed those rumours, announcing that a new mirrorless camera body was in the pipeline complete with a full-frame sensor.

The yet-to-be-named camera will come equipped with Nikon’s Nikkor lenses as standard, which are the same lenses used in the company’s DSLR range. Nikon DSLR owners will be able to sell their old camera body for a new, lighter mirrorless camera without needing to buy expensive new lenses.

Arguably the biggest draw is the adapter for Nikon’s range of F-mount lenses. The company has been producing F-mount lenses since 1959 and these are considered to be among the best on the market. Camera owners who have near-60-year-old lenses can still use them on the hi-tech mirrorless camera.

It’s not known when the mirrorless full-frame camera will arrive. Nikon has only released a shadowy preview image [pictured top] of the camera. Pricing, the firm says, will be announced “at a later date”.

The Verge says the new product represents Nikon’s belief that mirrorless cameras are “the future of professional photography”.