After a rocky 2023, during which Nikon launched a pair of cameras and nine brand new lenses, the company slowed down a bit this year, releasing just two new cameras and three lenses. Nonetheless, it was a strong year for the Japanese company and helped Nikon regain market share in the mirrorless era. Also, Nikon bought RED, so there’s that.
Two new cameras with photo and video chops
finally nikon Long-awaited Z6 Mark III unveiled Mid-June, and the wait was worth it. Although not as sharp or as high resolution as the fully stacked 45-megapixel sensors in the Nikon Z8 and Z9, the Z6 III’s brand-new (and novel) partially stacked 24-megapixel chip offers a lot of performance at a fairly aggressive price . ,
The new sensor may make a slight compromise in terms of dynamic range, but it’s fast and effective for a diverse range of photo and video applications. But, the Z6 III isn’t perfect It’s an excellent all-around camera And Nikon’s best overall choice for most hybrid shooters. Ultimately, as Chris Nicholls concludes petapixel‘S Nikon Z6 III Review“The Z6 III is the best all-around full-frame hybrid camera in this price range.
petapixel Readers agreed and decisively awarded the Z6 III petapixelPeople’s Choice Award for 2024The Z6 III ran away with the votes, garnering 21.8% of the votes, well ahead of the second-place Sony a9 III (16.7%). Z6 III Earned a bronze award among petapixeleditor ofLosing an absolute nail biter to the A9 III and Canon EOS R5 Mark II. it was extremely Up close, a testament to the Z6 III’s versatility and performance.
In early November, Nikon released another long-awaited successor to a popular camera: Z50 Mark IIThe Nikon Z50 II is Nikon’s latest APS-C mirrorless camera, and like the Z6 III, it responds to the growing content creator market by including new and improved video features.
Z50 II one”Strong and capable entry-level camera” and is suitable for beginners moving forward with their smartphones.
“There’s a lot to like about the latest Nikon APS-C camera, and at a body-only price of $959.95, the Nikon Z50 II is available for almost everyone to enjoy,” Nichols wrote in his letter. Nikon Z50 II Hands-on,
A very versatile zoom and a pair of affordable fast primes
Nikon is crushing it with its Nikkor Z telephoto lens. There are a lot of great people. However, sometimes photographers don’t Now! Want access; Sometimes, they want wide-angle performance without changing lenses. enter the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VRThis impressive 14.2x zoom lens aims to be an all-around, do-it-all zoom for full-frame mirrorless cameras.
This is a phenomenal lens, Although not without compromiseThe most obvious trade-off for extreme versatility is its slowest f/8 maximum aperture. However, although it cannot do everything with perfection, it can still About Everything very good. For photographers who value flexibility over speed and optical excellence, the Nikkor Z 28-400mm has a lot to offer.
Three months after announcing the 28-400mm zoom lens, Nikon returns to prime lenses with not one but two excellent new f/1.4 primes. Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 And Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 The primes may not be part of Nikon’s S-line series – the Nikkor Z revolves around the “Gold Ring” F lenses – but they’re still optically sound lenses.
Even better, they are reasonably compact, lightweight, and affordable. When Nikon announced the 35mm f/1.4 in June, petapixel gave theory This will be the beginning of a new series of affordable Fast Prime. Two months later the 50mm f/1.4 lends credibility to this notion, and hopefully there’s more to come (24mm f/1.4 please).
Both new f/1.4 primes are very good, with the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 proving particularly exciting for Nicolas, who is a well-known critic of the 35mm focal length.
nikon buys red
In addition to a pair of new cameras and a trio of lenses, Nikon did something else this year, It bought American cinema company RED About this $85 millionIn a move that Nikon is confident will Increase your market share And give the company a massive lead in the video sector. This acquisition created a stir in the industry and took competitors by surprise.
Surprise purchase won’t yield the slightest benefit on Nikon or RED cameras Camera development takes timeBut the two companies began working on integrating their technologies almost immediately. Partnership has already been realized through new RED-developed LUTs for Nikon Z camerasand they are Great,
Speaking of Nikon and video, Nikon also announced its first full-frame video lens Nikkor Z 28-135mm f/4 Power ZoomAlthough this lens is not counting in Nikon’s grade this year as there is no actual release date information yet, it is worth mentioning.
Nikon grading in 2024
The Nikon Z6 III is the star of the show this year – it’s a fantastic camera. However, the Nikon Z50 II is an important model in Nikon’s lineup and is part of a broader strategy to gain additional market share. And the company’s three new lenses are great: the Z 28-400mm f/4-8 because of its versatility and a pair of new f/1.4 primes because of their performance and affordability. Nikon didn’t release a lot of new products overall, but what the company did launch – and the purchase of RED – shows that Nikon is on the right track and is ready for an even better 2025.
Grade: B+
Image Credit: Exclusive image created using assets licensed through gathering photo,
