Credit Suisse: “Smartphones Shatter Mirrorless Hopes”

Yu Yoshida is analyst at Credit Suisse and he debunked the mirrorless hype in his latest Interview with Reuters. The main reason why mirrorless isn’t really growing anymore is that “buyers put connectivity above picture quality” and:

Consumers don’t want to connect cameras to phones, analysts say; they want a single interface that can instantly upload photographs to social networking sites such as Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc.

Mirrorless isn’t catching up in USA and Europe because “consumers tend to equate image quality with size and heft

And in the long term only Canon-Nikon and Sony are likely to stay in the digital camera business.

Mirrorlessrumors opinion:

I am neither a well paid analyst nor a marketing expert. But all I can say is that it’s years now that I hear that small manufacturers like Pentax, Olympus and so on will die. And it never happens. Probably because analyst tend to focus on numbers and do not see the full picture. Olympus for example keeps the digital camera business alive also because the profitable medical business can take advantage of the sensor and imaging technology coming from the camera division. And than there is that Japanese culture that doesn’t fit with the western idea that what’s unprofitable has to be sold or closed.

My guess, the Reuters analyst is plain wrong with his forecast :)

Why Mirrorless?

Why Mirrorless ?

What is a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera (MILC)

and

How does it differ from a Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera (DSLR) ?

Read more

(UPDATED) The rumored Samsung NX30 specs. Announcement next week?

Image on top shows the current NX20

Someone at Dpreview claims to know the Samsung NX30 camera specs. The camera could be announced at the CES show which starts next week.

Samsung NX30 specs:

Sensor : 20.3 MP built-in 105 phase detection AF points.
AF system : Phase 105-points + Contrast 247-points hybrid AF system
Image processor : DRIMe IV
Video : 1080p FHD (H.264) @ 60fps
Screen : 360 degrees rotation Super AMOLED screen with touch
View finder : EVF, 2.36 Mega-dots
System : Tizen OS

The camera will replace the current NX20.

UPDATE: Another source added some more info:

– Tiltable EVF with 2.3millions dot
– Optimize the Super AMOLED swiveling touch display
– 9fps Continuos shooting
-Slightly bigger size than predecessor NX20
– Integrated of 3.5mm socket for external microphone such as RØDE etc..
– Bundle with 16-50mm / F2.8 S lens or purchase with just the body
-Improvements of Samsung Smart Camera application to the version 3.0,it could be fully control to change all the parameters by smartphone or tablet
-Improvements of NFC,it could be beam the images or videos directly to the smart phone or tablet without get into the application
-will be available of Power Zoom Lens
-will be availble 50-150mm mid telephoto lens
-will be available 58GN of Samsung external speedlite
-replace the Skydrive with Dropbox
-more focus on Videography user
-New APSC CMOS Sensor will be employs
-more useful of physical buttons and dials
-optimize of battery usage
– 1/8000 of shutter speed
– ISO range might will be boost up to 51200

Olympus OMD E-M10 gets listed in Indonesian agency.

The Indonesian agency ePostel listed the yet not announced Olympus E-M10 as an approved Wifi device. The camera will be announced in January, feature the same E-M5 sensor and the E-M1 image processor

Design shouldn’t change by much while small AF, EVF and IBIS improvements are expected.

There will be two new Olympus MFT lenses too!

It’s going to be a very interesting time on the Mirrorless front. Fuji, Olympus, Sony, Samsung will all announce new cameras soon!

found via Digicameinfo.

Firmware update for NX300

There is a new firmware update (ver.1.33) for Samsung NX300 since 15th of December 2013. Here is the list of improvements:

  1. Remote ViewFinder – add touch AF function

  2. Remote ViewFinder – add streaming quality option

  3. Improved connection speed of android smart phone (Please use latest version of Upgrade Smart Camera App)

  4. Improved Movie recording (Framing Mode ON)

  5. Improved 60mm,85mm lens full time manual focus performance

link: http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/EV-NX300ZBQUUS#firmware

 

UPDATE: Nicholas sent us this nice comparison image: