Nikon announcing two new full-frame cameras next week

Nikon is about to re-enter the mirrorless camera market in a serious way, and we might have some of the details. Nikon Rumors reports that Nikon plans to introduce two full-frame mirrorless cameras next Thursday, August 23rd. The cameras are called the Z6 and Z7, according to the rumor, and they would be introduced alongside three lenses designed for the new system.

The Z6 and Z7 will reportedly be differentiated in the same way Sony differentiates its A7 and A7R models: the Z6 will have a 24-megapixel sensor and be designed to handle faster, lower-light shooting, while the Z7 will have a 45-megapixel sensor for capturing far higher-resolution images.

That’s all as far as camera specs right now, but Nikon Rumors also has details on what might be the first three lenses that are expected to be introduced next Thursday as well. They include a 50mm f/1.8, a 24-70mm f/4, and some kind of wider prime at f/1.8.

While we don’t know much, the megapixel details suggest that Nikon will try to position its cameras head-to-head with Sony’s. (Even the names are kind of similar).While that was mostly unavoidable — Sony has become huge in the mirrorless world, and it essentially forced Nikon to make these cameras by stealing pros away from traditional DSLRs — the company could have tried to differentiate its offerings by targeting different segments of consumers or pros.

From the sound of it, Nikon is going to kick things off by going straight after Sony’s most important mirrorless line. That will be a tough task, but it’ll at least make things interesting after years of dull DSLRs from Nikon.