What Will The New Year Bring?

Forest of 'Bugs" (click to enlarge)

Now that we are in a brand new year, what will this new year bring photographically, both for you personally and for all of us as photographers?  Here are a few questions that came to mind this week.

Will we get any new cameras from Sony?  Sony seems to be the most prolific manufacturer and has adopted really short introduction cycles.  Think about the introduction of the A6300 followed several months later by the A6500.  Last year, Sony gave us two terrific cameras, the A9 and the A7rIII which really was on the heels of the A7rII.  Again, both top notch cameras.  Sony has also been on a tear when it comes to designing and engineering very high quality lenses, known as their G Master line.  What will 2018 bring from Sony?  I think watching them will continue to be exiting as they seem to be the major innovators in the photographic gear industry.

Will we have new cameras from Olympus?  It has been a while since Olympus introduced their last camera.  Very recently, they introduced some great PRO lenses, but their camera refresh cycle has proved to be much longer than Sony's.  In fact, everyone's has.  At least, I would like to see a Kaizen-type firmware update to improve the functions of the E-M1 Mark II as well as potentially refine some of the features, such as more options for focus tracking.  Olympus continues to put out top quality gear and being an Olympus user, I'm always interested in where they are headed and what they will give us.

Will there be a new camera from Fujifilm?  That is the rumor and that rumor has been strong.  The new camera, rumored to be the X-H1, may be introduced in February but we don't know if that will be delayed or when the camera will be shipped.  Also, the rumor mill says the camera will have in-body-image-stabilization (IBIS) and be more video-centric than their current lineup of cameras.  As for lenses, I anticipate maybe one or potentially two lenses being introduced by Fujifilm in 2018.  Being a Fujifilm user, I wait with great anticipation.

Will Ricoh/Pentax survive?  I have always like Pentax cameras and if you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I carried around a Pentax 6X7 medium format film camera and four lenses for well over 20 years.  Top quality optics and well thought out cameras.  But can they survive?  I'm not sure they can.

Will we get mirrorless cameras from Nikon and Canon?  This is probably the most significant question of the year.  These are the two 800 pound gorillas of the industry.  If we do, will they design an entirely new lens mount, use the existing lens mount and line or be a hybrid system with a new line of mirrorless lenses but also include a high quality adapter so current owners can utilize their Canon and Nikon lenses?  

If I were in a decision-making capacity with one of these two companies, I would be pushing for the hybrid system.  If you want professionals, enthusiasts and advanced amateur users to buy into the new mirrorless system, they aren't going to dump tens of thousands of dollars (US) of lenses and buy new ones.  They will want to use the lenses they now own.  But mirrorless, being smaller, could use an entirely new line of smaller lenses at the same time.  The answer for me is clear.  Start developing the mirrorless lens line of extremely high quality smaller lenses but also design and engineer a superb adapter that will allow users to utilize their currently owned lenses and not lose any functionality, nor focus speed or accuracy.  Then there is the question of full frame versus APS-C.  Canon already has introduced an APS-C line of mirrorless cameras with a few lenses.  Nikon had the 1 system.  I foresee both introducing full frame this year.

Will we continue to get new, high quality lenses from independent manufacturers?  I think we will.  By making lenses that fill in the gaps of the mainline camera manufacturers as well as making lenses that, once designed, can be used in several camera mounts, I think Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and the current crop of Chinese lens manufacturers will continue to introduce high quality lenses and sell them at a lower price than the big boys do.  Not everyone can afford a series of $2500 (US) lenses.  Tamron, Sigma and others have already demonstrated they can match the quality of Canon and Nikon.  This really is the glory days for lenses for us photographers.  High quality lenses are much less cost than Canon's, Nikon's and Sony's.

How about you?  Based upon what is introduced this year will you switch what gear you use?  Are you happy with what you are using?  Does your gear do everything you need it to do?  Is there anything substantially lacking from your standpoint in the gear you use?  Are you ready for and want something new?  Do you yearn for the latest and greatest?  If you ask yourself honestly, can you ever be totally satisfied with your gear or will you always want "what's next and best?"  Please buy new gear and drive the industry forward.  We want them to keep developing and prosper.

As for me, buying, testing and using new cameras and lenses always seems attractive.  However, I'm really happy with what I have, I just have way too much gear.  The camera that, today, seems most attractive to me is the Sony A7rIII.  Sony seems to have created a marvelous tool that can do about anything, in my opinion.  It is not perfect, but there are only a couple of minor things that I think need changed or improved.  What about the Nikon D850?  After all, I had been a Nikon guy for over 40 years.  I have come to love an electronic viewfinder (EVF) and I can't see me reverting back to an optical viewfinder.  Now, if Nikon were to introduce a mirrorless camera that bests the Sony A7rIII, wow!  That would get my attention.  Right now, I plan to sit tight.  Can't promise I'll stay that way, as I have written in the past photography satisfies both my right brain (creative) needs with my left brain (analytical/technical) needs.  I love all of it.

There is going to continue to be a parade of great cameras and lenses introduced this year and the years ahead.  We are certainly benefiting from the strides in electronics development, integration of computer systems, computer aided design, manufacturing and engineering of both cameras and lenses.  From my standpoint, and I love technology, it can only get better!

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Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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