Nikon's EVIL

Red Pedal -- NEX-5 & Leica Summicron 90mm f2.

The long rumored Nikon EVIL camera(s), the V1 and J1 have finally been unveiled. I think people are just surprised to find that the sensor size is some weird 2.7x, and than many got angry.  Most would expect Nikon's version of the mirrorless camera to be better than the offerings from Sony and the Micro 4/3 camp, but it turns out to be not what everyone expected.  Personally, neither the J1 and V1 interest me even one bit, I guess they are not targeted at consumers like me.  I understand they do not want the new mirrorless system to directly compete against their own entry level DSLR line.  So, to Nikon, this makes perfect sense, just not to the Nikon dire hard fans who were expecting more.

The samples I have seen look disappointing.  ISO 400 is already too noisy.  Seriously, they don't look much better those from the Canon G12 point & shoot.  What's the point?

So, Canon is now officially the only major camera maker who does not have a mirrorless camera system.  If they are planning something similar to Nikon's offering, I would be very disappointed.  I am hoping Canon will make something more innovative, better than what's already or soon to be on the market.

Sony's EVIL NEX-5

When I first saw the NEX-3 and NEX-5, the word "Ugly" came to mind immediately, especially the NEX-5 which is slightly smaller than the NEX-3. The picture of the NEX-5 with the kit zoom lens looks like something only a mother would love. It's ugly. As my colleague remarked, they have resemblance to the CybleShot F-717/F-828.

The seemingly huge lens mount takes up more than half of the body, and the mount itself is actually taller than the body. This is what makes the camera look so ugly. But, horses for courses. I am sure some will find it sexy and irresistible.

Ugliness aside, I think this camera/system has potential. The very short lens to sensor register of 18mm, 2mm shorter than the micro 4/3 system, will be of interest to manual focus lens lovers. Unfortunately, due to the larger sensor, most 16mm c-mount cine lenses will not look very good on this camera. I am sure they are mountable but most will produce a round picture with huge dark area, due to the small image circle of the c-mount lenses. On the other hand, M-Mount and Contax G-mount fanatics will rejoice, especially for wide angle lenses. A 24mm lens will still be usable as a mini-wide 36mm, not a 48mm normal lens on the micro 4/3 system.

The price is one area where people will likely find it attractive. It's cheaper than the EP-1 and GF1.

Now where are those uber fast and sharp auto focus Zeiss primes?

EVIL Cameras Are Coming!

It is rumored that Sony will introduce not one, but two Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens (EVIL) cameras. The hugely popular and successful Micro 4/3 cameras, such as the Panasonic G series, and Olympus Pen series, are hard for other manufacturers to ignore. Samsung is now selling the NX10 EVIL cameras, though the specs are nothing earth shaking, but their planned lens line up looks interesting.

Sony could make a very big impact in the EVIL camera market. This is the fastest growing segment of the market at the moment, and competition is less fierce than the SLR or P&S markets. If Sony plays the cards right, they could do a much better job than the SLR division and corner a larger market share. One of the key to success, in my opinion, is a line of fast and small prime lenses. This is what Olympus and Panasonic should have done. I am especially disappointed that Olympus, of all the manufacturers, did not make nice, sharp, small and exceptionally great primes like they did with the OM system. If Sony can leverage the Zeiss name and make some fantastic small and fast primes, I will jump on and buy one.

I see other manufacturers jumping on the EVIL market. Pentax will likely be next to introduce an EVIL camera, and I am really hoping that this will happen. Pentax will no doubt make some great pancakes. Sigma and Fujifilm will also be getting into this game. Sigma, especially, is already half way there with the large sensor DP1 and DP2. Both Sigma and Fujifilm will likely join the micro 4/3 crowd.

Somehow I can't see Canon and Nikon getting into this market, at least not until the EVIL market matures. More often than not, the smaller companies are more willing to venture into an unknown market than larger companies like Canon and Nikon. A shame really.

This will be an exciting time to be in digital photography. We have more choices than ever before. Exciting times, indeed.


The Beast -- Panasonic G1 & Kodak Anastigmat 50mm f1.6 c-Mount Lens. Embiggen.