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And you, How do you imagine the Nikon F6? |
Additional note of April 2004.
In complement of the text that follows and while the Nikon F6 is pre-announced for the Photokina of September 2004;
I has imagined the F6 as an April fool Thom Hogan has also imagined the F6 in 2004 three years after the following text and his predictions seem not so far from the following text:
The discover on the official Nikon Web site (http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/society/rhnc/rhnc11shut2-e.htm ) of the following text allows to have some prospective view on this future camera waiting for 2004.
"Today, as I look at the shutter for the F5 --- on which Nikon exerted virtually all of its technological power, I imagine what the shutter for the Nikon "F6" will be like.
The Nikon "F6", a camera of the 21st. century, may blend a digital recording system with a conventional film system. If a digital recording system is used, the type of shutter Nikon chooses --- and its role --- will depend on elements such as the CCD. I'm still trying to imagine a shutter designed for a camera with a digital recording system.
What type of shutter will be used? What part will it play?
Since thinking about the shutter mechanisms of tomorrow is such fun, I look at it from another perspective and wonder if, someday soon, we will see a fully electronic shutter with no mechanical system......"
First interrogation: will it be called really F6?
In fact if today, the Nikon 'flagship' is always the F5, The Nikon D1H is the true digital high-grade camera and it is five times more expensive than the F5.
We may think that if the camera is hybrid, digital and silver, it will be called F6. If in 2004, professionals no longer use silver cameras, then it will be called D2 or D6.
From the point of view of marketing aspect, the image build since 1959 by the F series is very strong and positive, it would be surprising that Nikon renounces to it.
Imagine therefore the Nikon F6
This is a hybrid reflex camera, designed by Giugiaro (as its predecessors since the F3) which is able to be a 24x36 or a digital camera. More than a single body F6, it is necessary to call of a F6 family: 'F6 series'.
The basic model: the Nikon F6 is a silver very compact camera.
The body F6 itself, the finder DE40 and the module AMF1 compose it.
The F6 has an aluminum internal structure with external parts, which are in black or silvered titanium. They are processed for an exceptional sturdiness and are waterproof to the dust and to a brief immersion in water. We may remind that only AFD-W lenses are tight to a brief immersion, otherwise the water will return by the bayonet.
Nikon F6: a Lego with several bricks
In fact, to be operational, a F6 camera must be assembled with at least: the F6 body; a finder and one of the four modules which determines if the camera is digital or if it will use a 24x36 film.
Nikon F6 (silver photography) = F6 body + module AMF1
Nikon F6a (silver photography) = F6 body + module AMF2
Nikon F6d (digital photography) = F6 body + module DMF
Nikon F6dx (digital photography) = F6 body + module DMF2
The body of the camera itself does not have shutter or film transport motors or backs, which are integrated to the mandatory module. It does not have interchangeable finder (characteristic of the series F) too or high speed motor.
The body of the camera integrates mirror and associated system, simple electric alimentation by two AA cells or batteries, multi-zones measurement system of measure and AF. The measurement system and AF use common 200 000 pixels CCD, placed under the darkroom.
Four interchangeable finders are proposed. The model of basis DE40 is a HP finder with a high eyes level point of 20 mm. As measurement system and the auto-focus system are now integrated to the body of the camera, finders are lighter (titanium) and smaller. The type of measurement (multi-zones, pondered or spot) is now selected on the camera itself or by commands on module AMF2, DMF1 or DMF2.
The three others finders are a DA40 sport finder, a DW40 chest finder and an amplifier six time DW41 finder.
Modules.
Four modules are therefore proposed.
All modules possess an integrated LCD display: black and white, or lighting in blue, for the AMF1, color for others modules. These displays are all tactile and piloted under Palm OS. They offer the complete PAD functions as well as the visualization or the access to all personalized functions of the camera, as for example the graphic choice of the AF captors to use or the exposition measurement system. This display allows also writing brief notes that can be attached to the photography with the photography technical associated data: date, hour, exposition parameters, copyright, location (with the GPS usage of the DMF2)…
The two modules for silver photography: AMF1 and AMF2 integrate shutter and coreless motors for the transport and the rewind of the film. The shutter is a hybrid features as that the Nikon FM3A and can function without piles from 4s to 1/4000 s. or in all modes of 30 s to 1/16000s. For the first time, Nikon uses a rotary shutter .The training of the film is completely silent until 4,5 images by second, cadence of the basic F6.
The MB25 handle allows having a motor speed of 12 frames/second. This MB25 handle is optional with module AMF1 and DMF1 and is mandatory with the two other modules AMF2 or DMF2.
The module AMF2 has supplementary classification functions of images, possibility to print data on or in the margin of the negative, the possibility of supplementary technical choice and the possibility to use 200 000 pixels of the AF CCD to preview images as a digital small picture. Once the picture is made, the small picture associated is stored in memory with technical data, date and hour. All this data can be exported to a microcomputer (PC or Mac).
The new radio remote control ML5, which has the size of a bit thick PDA, has the same display and all these functions until a distance of 200 meters. It is possible therefore to take pictures and to completely automatic pilot an F6 from a large distance.
For people who don't want to buy this remote control, they can obtain the same functions by connecting a mobile phone to the AMF2 module with the dedicated link and to use a microcomputer it also to a portable telephone, having the Nikon software.
DMF1 and DMF2 modules have also the same functions but with a variable quality of small picture (from 200 000 pixels to 1 Meg). With the fact that they are both digital, it is the only common point of module DMF1 and DMF2.
The DMF1 module has a 5 Megapixels CCD, that covers the 24mm by 36mm surface and don't need correction in the length of the focal. This module has 500 Meg internal memory and can therefore store 200 pictures in high mode resolution. The storage is insured by type 1 or 2 compactcards, the IBM microdrive of 3 Giga is recommended. The incorporated display allows also to preview pictures.
The DMF2 module has 10 Mega progressive pixels CCD, offering a definition better than 24x36; this CCD covers it also the 24mm by 36mm surface, with the sensitive elements smaller but without notable degradation of CCD sensitivity. This module has 2 Giga internal memory and can therefore store also approximately 200 pictures in high mode resolution. The storage is insured by type 1 or 2 compactcards or by a DVD-RW integrated recorder. The writing is executed on 8cm DVD - R or DVD-RW which allows until 2 Giga storage.
It is possible to send pictures (and documents associated) directly to Internet addresses by using the GPRS integrated transmitter. This transmitter may locate the item (GPS), send and receive e-mail but cannot be used as a mobile phone.
A lot of possibilities for this camera on the top.
pierre j.