Main Trends

Nikon stand at CP+

The CP+, Camera Photo Imaging Show, which takes place in Japan at Yokohama in February is the real rendez-vous of the Photo. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January was focused this year, on the rise of 4K TVs, watches and other connected devices, drones and augmented reality moro than photo cameras. Under Flickr, photos coming from Apple devices exceed photos coming from Nikon cameras. Smartphones continue to change the practice of photography with sensors of 13 to 20 million pixels (often manufactured by Sony), optical stabilization ... in large sales volumes. For example, in January 2015 Apple sells one million iPhone 6 per day. Sales of compact continue to decline in 2014 and DSLR camera sales are also down. Only Mirrorless cameras are slowly increasing their market share and maybe outsell DSLRs in three years.

Full Format «24x36»

Canon 5Ds

Canon EF 11-24 mm f4 L USM

Pentax Full Frame mock-up

Sony A7II.jpg

Canon, as Nikon, tries to stop sales declining and retrieves advantage with the Canon EOS 5Ds first digital SLR with a full frame CMOS sensor of 50.6 million of pixels (8688 x 5792 pixels) manufactured developed and produced "completely in-house" by Canon. This camera has a magnesium body, a double DIGIC6 processor, a new AF system iTR with 61 points, an exposure system with 150000 pixels RGB added to IR sensor, a 1.3x and 1.6x possible cropping factor, a sensitivity ISO 100-6400. The Canon EOS 5Ds R is the same camera with a sensor without AA filter.
This camera sets new standards and outperforms the actual DSLR Nikon D810.
The EOS 5Ds and 5Ds R are proposed, body only, to the respective price of $ 3500 and $ 3700 (February 2015).
Canon announces also a full format rectilinear wide-angle zoom (without effect strain) with four aspherical lenses, the EF 11-24 mm f/4 L USM offers the widest field of view ever proposed on the market.

At least, Canon is showing off a prototype ultra high-resolution 120MP APS-H-size CMOS image CMOS sensor already announced on August 2010.
The frame rate of read-out for this ultra high-resolution is 9.5 fps and is made possible by reading multiple pixels simultaneously at high speeds a process that Canon calls parallel signal processing. The 120 million pixels of 2.2 µm pixel pitch (13280 × 9184 pixels) are assembled on a sensor 29.2mm x 20.2mm in size APS-H.

Pentax presents the world’s smallest rustproof, weather-resistant APS-C DSLR : the Pentax KS-2 with rotating rear screen, Wi-Fi and NFC. Pentax shows also a mock-up of a full frame DSLR.

Sony don't announce any new photographic products during CES and CP+ except one actioncam. The latest Sony announce was done in November and concerned the update of its flagship DSLR A7 released a year ago that was the first full-frame camera without mirror. This new camera is called Sony Alpha 7 II.
The A7 II offers the same 24x36 24 MP sensor with autofocus by phase correlation 117 points but this sensor is complemented by a sensor stabilization on 5-axis that works with all lenses. The autofocus system is 30 % faster than the old and the face tracker is 1.5 times more effective. The trigger is now placed on the grip that received also frontal wheel. The body is made of full magnesium.

Nikon D810a

Nikon D810a mounted on a telescope.

Nikon D750 filmaker kit

The Nikon D810a is a FX-format digital SLR camera designed exclusively for full-scale astrophotography. It has the same 36.3-million pixels sensor and characteristics than Nikon D810 but the optical filter on the front surface of the image sensor is capable of four times greater transmission of H-alpha light than is that used with the D810.
The D810a includes the addition of a long-exposure manual (M*) mode that supports exposure times up to 900 s, and a live view preview function that makes focusing and composing images easier with display of a preview at a shutter speed of 30 s when an exposure time longer than 30s is specified.

Nikon presents also a Nikon D750 filmaker kit which includes for $4000 : a Nikon D750 camera body, an AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G ED lens, an AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G lens, an AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens, two additional EN-EL15 batteries, a ME-1 stereo microphone, one Atomos Ninja-2 external recorder, Tiffen 67mm and 58mm variable neutral density filters 8-Stops and custom foam inserts for transportation.

Format APS-C and (Micro) 4/3

Canon 760D

Canon EOS M3

Olympus OM D5 II

Canon introduces the Canon EOS 750D and 760D . Both cameras are technically identical with the same new APS-C sensor of 24.2 million pixels, an image processor DIGIC6 , a sensitivity range from 100 to 12800 ISO (expandable to 25600 ISO), a burst mode 5 fps, a new Hybrid CMOS AF autofocus system III, a Full HD video mode (1920 x 1080 pixels) of 24p, 25p and 30p Full HD, a 3" LCD touch screen (1040000 points).
Canon SLRs have ergonomic differences. The 750D keeps the ergonomics of the 700D but the 760D has an upper ergonomics: an monochrome LCD control screen on top, rotating thumbwheel in the rear and shortcut buttons.
The EOS 750D and 760D are offered, body only, at the respective price of $ 699 and $ 749 (May 2015) .

Canon upgrades its M camera, launched without great success two years ago, the new Canon EOS M3. This camera incorporates components from EOS 760D and 750D : the same new APS-C 24 megapixels sensor, the same DIGIC6 processor, an sensitivity until 12800 ISO (expandable to 25600 ISO), a burst mode of 4.2 fps, an Full HD video mode recording in a 1080 HD MP4 mode at 30 fps and at last a 7.3 cm touch and tilt/swivel screen of 1040000 points.
It is priced at $ 699, the same price as its competitors Sony , Panasonic, Olympus or Fuji which all have an integrated electronic viewfinder, unlike the M3.

the Olympus OM- D E-M5 II is not a simple evolution of the previous model. It proposes an articulated screen of 7.6 cm (1037000 points). it inherits the same 4/3 CMOS sensor 16 million pixels but adds a high-definition mode that assembles 8 views shooting consecutively with a slight movement of the sensor and aggregated in a 40 million pixels file (7296 x 5472 pixels). This system is efficient for still subjects.
According to Setsuya Kataoka, General Manager of Olympus’s product and marketing planning division, future OM-D cameras will be able to create multi-shot high resolution images in 1/60sec instead of the current time of about one second making it unnecessary to use a tripod.

Lumix DMC-GF7

Fujifilm X-A2

Samsung NX5000

The vogue is to cameras with adjustable screen and interchangeable lenses :
Panasonic offers the Lumix DMC-GF7, a Micro 4/3 (MFT) camera with interchangeable lenses with a 180-degree swivel screen for self-portraits. Three companies joined the Micro Four Thirds system standard group, including DJI, maker of both consumer and professional-level drones.

Fuji offers the same camera, an APS-C model, the Fuji X-A2 , a model of the X series but with a 175-degree tilting LCD for self-portraits.

The Samsung NX500 has the same APS-C CMOS sensor of 28 million of pixesl as NX1, a motorized and stabilized 16-50 mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom, a phase detection and hybrid autofocus and of course a 3-inch AMOLED touch screen of 345,000 pixels, adjustable on 45° down and 180° up until portrait position.

Bridges and Compacts cameras

Canon PowerShot G3X

coolpix AW130

Sales of compact always declining, many photo manufacturers stop their compact line. At CP+, few new original cameras but updates of existing cameras : mainly waterproof compacts or bridge cameras.

Canon USA also announced the development of Canon PowerShot G3X, expert camera with a 25x optical zoom (equivalent 24-600 mm in 135 format) associated with a sensor of 1 inch. It will have also probably a built-in flash and integrated Wi-Fi and NFC interfaces.

Nikon has showed no less than 11 coolpix since January 2015, no new cameras but updates of the most popular coolpix.
For example, the coolpix S33 and AW130, the first for children and family receives full HD video, the waterproof of the second camera increases from 50 feet to 80 feet.

Others

Kodak aquasport SP360

Kodak pixpro SP1

Sony FDR-X100V

Olympus Air A01

Beginning in 2015, each brand offers its action cam to challenge the leader Go Pro.

Kodak presents the Aquasport SP360 has a 360° Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080 points) mode. The video stream can be split, reducing the definition. Kodak engineers (Asia Optical) developed an optical block/optical sensor with a single dome of 9 elements in 7 groups.

The Kodak pixpro SP1 is an affordable actioncam proposed at 219 $ (January 2015) that don't need protective box and that it comes with a multitude of accessories (auto mounting head, surfing, etc.). It has a very large optical angle (16.8 mm in 35mm equivalent) f/2.8 with 6 elements in 6 elements and a 14.2(effective) megapixel CMOS sensor.

The Sony FDR-X100V is a direct competitor of the GoPro Hero 4 with the same price but higher quality video at 4K 30fps. Sony's action camera has also has an electronic stabilizer and a WiFi live view without latency. At least the autonomy is much higher than the GoPro.

The Olympus Air A01 is the product of the "Open Platform" project presented at Fotokina 2014. This camera is linked to a smartphone and communicates with it by WiFi, it has a Micro Four Thirds 16 MP sensor and a Micro 4/3 (MFT) mount which receives many market lenses. It has dedicated applications and is currently reserved to Japan for a price without lens of 800 yen ($250).

 pierre j.