Author Topic: Where is Nikon heading?  (Read 51476 times)

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #270 on: February 26, 2017, 14:37:40 »
Apparently, Nikon deposited a patent for a BSI CMOS Sensor with dual pixel technology
http://thenewcamera.com/nikon-patent-bsi-cmos-sensor-with-dual-pixel-af/

Very interesting, our patent attourney of the house might read a bit between the lines for us???
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Akira

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #271 on: February 26, 2017, 18:14:33 »
Apparently it is not the patent for the dual pixel AF.  Maybe it is the patent for the placement or the design of the on-chip lens eliminating stray light from the neighboring pixels...

Canon has a dedicated section for the patent, so they should know how to keep similar patents from being filed in order to protect their proprietary technology.
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Erik Lund

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #272 on: February 26, 2017, 18:41:54 »
The Patent is claiming a new way of shielding against stray light.

Then also claiming rows of pixel-pairs for focusing in between R and G pixel rows.

For mirror-less camera with removable lens.
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Erik Lund

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #273 on: February 26, 2017, 18:51:52 »
Sony has a similar patent claiming a laminated light-blocking film, two layers, in-between the pixels.

WO2016052249A1 priority 18 Sept 2015 so fairly new, published 07 April 2016
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Akira

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #274 on: February 27, 2017, 11:14:32 »
Oops, you are right.   :o
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Ilkka Nissilä

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #275 on: March 07, 2017, 11:19:12 »
New firmware upgrades for WT-7, D810, D500, D750, D7200 and a few days earlier, SB-5000 have been released. Mostly it seems about bug fixes and added compatibility with WT-7 to these cameras. I had an occasional problem with the 300/4 E and D810 where the first exposure of a series was not correct, and I speculated what could be the cause of it; the firmware update explanation suggests that right after changing lenses the exposure may have been incorrect, and this issue was fixed. There is also a mention that sometimes  images taken were not stored. I can't say I remember that kind of a situation but it may be that I have forgotten that I took an image which was not stored, though I think it's more likely that this is a very rare event.

So now one can use the WT-7 with D500, D810/D810A, D750, and D7200, but there is no firmware fix for the missing tripod socket at the base of the transmitter.  :o  ;) I guess it is a good thing that Nikon makes this transmitter work with several cameras, and for studio use I guess this device would work well since it would be used in place of the vertical grip. But I think when paying for such an expensive accessory, it would be nice if they provided a useful way to mount it on a tripod, when using the camera with remote control. I guess it would be possible to machine a suitable mount, or use some kind of clamp for mounting, but it seems strange to have to go into a custom solution for such an obvious application.

The D500 update seems to be about making Snapbridge connections more reliable, but they only mention issue in conjunction with a specific version of the Snapbrigde application for a specific OS (iOS 10.2). Well, at least they are issuing updates.

Erik Lund

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #276 on: March 07, 2017, 14:10:09 »
With The D1 you lost the images in the buffer if you turned off the camera, I literally thought I had lost my mind, until I figured out what was going on,,, Back in the film days witch for me was right before tha D1 I for sure could remember what I had captured  :o
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Akira

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #277 on: March 07, 2017, 19:32:22 »
Ilkka, thanks for the note for the firmware update.  It is a bit surprising that some very basic bugs haven't been fixed after the cameras had been around for a couple of years....
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Ilkka Nissilä

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #278 on: March 08, 2017, 21:49:19 »
I am just puzzled about the WT-7. It is blocky, requires a cabled connection to the camera, has no tripod hole in the botton, and has no exposure control dial, shutter button, no AF-ON. Did they think about this device at all?

WT-5/6 even if it needs an UT-1 to work on a D810 seems a much better thought out device.

Jan Anne

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #279 on: March 08, 2017, 22:42:21 »
DPR posted a more current CIPA camera sale graphs of the ones I posted earlier:
https://www.dpreview.com/news/9398648371/2016-cipa-data-shows-compact-digital-camera-sales-lower-than-ever

In short, the compacts have plummeted even further, DSLR and mirrorless shrunk a little and just the growth of the smartphone cameras alone is bigger than the sale numbers of all other camera types combined.
Cheers,
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Akira

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #280 on: March 08, 2017, 22:51:33 »
The abrupt downfall of the sales of the compact cameras is well understandable.  Unlike the literal "enthusiast" cameras, mirrorless or DSLR, the most possible buyers of compact cameras should be those who want to or need to take pictures as the records of various occasions in their lives but are not necessarily interested in the photography or the camera.  Then the vastly improved cameras integrated in the smartphones are good enough for them.  They don't look at the dedicated cameras anymore.
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Erik Lund

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #281 on: March 08, 2017, 23:00:32 »
DPR posted a more current CIPA camera sale graphs of the ones I posted earlier:
https://www.dpreview.com/news/9398648371/2016-cipa-data-shows-compact-digital-camera-sales-lower-than-ever

In short, the compacts have plummeted even further, DSLR and mirrorless shrunk a little and just the growth of the smartphone cameras alone is bigger than the sale numbers of all other camera types combined.

WOW!
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Ilkka Nissilä

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #282 on: March 08, 2017, 23:11:53 »
I guess this is why Nikon cancelled the DL series and no new Coolpix announcements, either.

I don't think the compact is quite as useless as it would seem from the graph but I do not currently own a compact camera so I guess I don't have a vote. I was waiting for the DL24-85 actually. Coolpix A or similar I would be happy to buy if equipped with faster AF.

Øivind Tøien

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #283 on: March 09, 2017, 03:40:32 »
DPR posted a more current CIPA camera sale graphs of the ones I posted earlier:
https://www.dpreview.com/news/9398648371/2016-cipa-data-shows-compact-digital-camera-sales-lower-than-ever

In short, the compacts have plummeted even further, DSLR and mirrorless shrunk a little and just the growth of the smartphone cameras alone is bigger than the sale numbers of all other camera types combined.

This is of course not surprising at all. The "whole world"  wants a smart phone, not necessarily because of the camera, but also all the other utilities these little mini-computers can provide. Thus all these purchases get counted as camera phones. (I was as stubborn non-smart phone user until recently when I discovered that I wanted to run a polar alignment app for astrophotography. I did not get it for the camera, but of course when I need to document something, even the camera of my cheap smart phone can do the job). That said, I noted a surprising large number of people at the Iditarod dog sled race start here in Fairbanks this week that were handling smartphones even at -25 to -30°C. The few times I have tried such use I find it very troublesome as even a pair of thin fleece gloves have to come off to use the camera on the phone. 
Øivind Tøien

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Where is Nikon heading?
« Reply #284 on: March 09, 2017, 07:17:09 »
Thank you very much,  Erik!
You are out there. You and your camera. You can shoot or not shoot as you please. Discover the world, Your world. Show it to us. Or we might never see it.

Me: https://youpic.com/photographer/frankfremerey/