DSLRs have become less popular in the past few years due to the arrival of mirrorless cameras. However, the new cameras from Nikon and Canon might take us back to the old days. There is the Canon 1DX Mark III that has started developing. Nikon is also working on Nikon D6, which the company announced in September 2019. You can also check another pro camera, the GoPro Hero 7 White here.
Although they aren’t mirrorless tech or hybrids of DSLRs, both the cameras have the best features, like in-body image stabilization and advanced autofocus.
2019 is going to be the 20th anniversary of the Nikon single-digit D series that the company introduced back in 1999. The company assures that the D6 is going to be the most advanced digital SLR until today. Currently, we don’t have any official specs. We have plenty of rumors and speculations.
During the launch of Nikon D5, the camera market was quite a different place. There were mirrorless cameras, but there weren’t many players in the market.
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Many people still wonder why the D6 is still developing. They think that the company should have gone for the high-specced pro mirrorless models, like the Sony A9. The main reason behind this is that seasoned pros already have a kit bag filled with Nikon DSLR lenses. They can make a change to a new body, but getting a completely new kit is difficult for them.
Price:
According to a leak from Nikon Rumors, the Nikon D6 will launch somewhere in February 2020. This release date might be for the internal team, followed by another release at Japan’s CP+ camera show, on 27 February.
Currently, we don’t have any information about the Nikon D6 price. However, the Nikon D5 cost around $6,500, so its successor is going to be in the same price range.
Sensors:
We don’t have any confirmed information regarding the D6 sensor. However, a leak from Nikon rumors suggests that there will be a 24MP camera. This is better than the D5, which had a 21.3 MP sensor. However, the camera doesn’t adopt the high-resolution sensors, like in Sony A7R IV.
This makes sense because Nikon D6 is made for sports photographers who look to capture the right shot. A high-resolution camera would harm the workflow and the shooting speed. Therefore, a 24MP camera is perfect.
Video Features:
The Nikon D5 records, movies, and videos in 4K. Therefore, the Nikon D6 will build on this feature and introduce something better. We think that the company will introduce a 6K recording capability. Moreover, other manufacturers have hinted towards 8K before the Olympics. However, the latest rumors suggest that the D6 will go for the standard 4k/60p video.
Mirrorless features:
Mirrorless cameras are quite popular these days. So, we would want to see Nikon D6 have some of the features we associate with mirrorless cameras.
Of course, there would be a limit to these features. However, we might see a silent shooting mode for quiet moments and improved in-body image stabilization. We would also like to see an improved autofocus system.
Design:
Nikon showed a small picture of the D6 at its announcement ceremony. It looks exactly like the D5. Moreover, there are six written in the same place; there were five written in D5.
D5 has a square shape, which allows it to have a battery grip for long periods. Therefore, we expect the D6 to have the same feature. Moreover, Nikon D6 is going to have a new 120-300nm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR photo lens; therefore, it needs to be large to balance this lens.
Connectivity:
You can buy the Nikon D5 with 2x CF slots and 2x XQD slots. So, we would expect that the D6 is going to have slots for CFExpress memory cards.
It may feature new dual Expeed processors, and we may see Wi-Fi on the pro DSLR. Nikon recently said that they couldn’t include Wi-Fi in the thick-bodied professional cameras. However, Nikon should rethink this approach because a camera without a Wi-Fi in 2020 will seem old-fashioned.
