Mysterious leaked Nikon DSLR ads hint at something "big"

Man, the DSLR rumor mill never stops, does it? This time we're being treated to some leaked Japanese Nikon ads, which feature a shadowy DSLR body that's somewhat different than the D700 and D3 and the word "big" in Japanese. Of course, it could be totally fake, but we're not going to say we're not hoping for a compact full-frame camera -- but we're clearly dreamers. Anyone else have any guesses?

Read - First ad
Read - Second ad
Read - Sensor size comparison

[DBrim @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:11PM]

From what I've read, it sounds like a digital rangefinder. That has the potential to be a game-changer.

[Tinu @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:03PM]

If they are saying "Big", I think it could be a big oversized camera hehe =).

[Chad McCan @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:18PM]

D3x is my guess.

[zoopthegame @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:23PM]

Is it backed by critically-acclaimed photographer/photography critic/camera engineer Ashton Kutcher?

If not, then I don't want it.

Sincerely,
The Only Professional Photographer that Thinks Ashton Kutcher has any Credibility

[Kieran @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:49AM]

Would that be the same Ashton Kutcher that made Punk'd and was in That 70s Show?, because if so, you's a crazy man.

[Mike @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:29PM]

Looks like a 16:9 sensor shape.

[Paul @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:39PM]

That's the mirror. Mirrors on an SLR are tilted not flat. That's why it looks wider than normal.

[Temple @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:07PM]

No, that looks like the sensor.

[dg @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:19PM]

That's the first thing I thought as soon as I saw the picture.

And it definitely does look like the sensor, not the mirror.

My guess is 1080p full frame recording or something.

[Billy Fiul @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:42PM]

Only a complete dipshit would think they would put a 16:9 shaped sensor in an SLR camera.

[KNG @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:31PM]

[and the word "big" in Japanese]
its actually the word "big" in chinese

[Reader @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:35PM]

Uhm no... Even without knowing what that is I know for a fact the last 2 symbols are hiragana, which is definitely not Chinese. The first one is probably kanji, but Japanese uses a lot of kanji in their writing.

[Laguano @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:58PM]

@reader,
大 is big in Chinese. Although it does have hiragana, KNG probably meant as well.

大きい
"big"

[Reader @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:08PM]

Either way it's still Japanese. That's like saying 'carro' is car in English because it has 'car' in it. It's still Spanish.

[justin @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:37PM]

Last night's Itchy & Scratchy was, without a doubt, the worst episode ever. Rest assured I was on the internet within minutes registering my disgust throughout the world.

Worst. Episode. Ever.

[Tony @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:40PM]

@ Reader

By definition, Kanji are Chinese characters. If you showed Japanese or Chinese speaking people "大," they would recognize that as "big."

[Richard @ Oct 3rd 2008 3:09AM]

大きい is ookii which is Japanese for big. the first symbol is Kanji but the second two are hiragana which is only used in Japanese.
they can also spell it without using kanji like this おおきい

大 by its self means dai in Japanese which simply implies large but does not mean big. An example gaku 学　means school but when we add dai to it, daigaku 大学　it means collage.

[DennisHarvey @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:05AM]

Funny how these comments have evolved into a conversation about asian languages, but anyways. In 普通话 (mandarin) the character 大 (pronounced da) is an adjective representing big or old while 学 (pronounced xue) represents the verb to study, while similarly to Japanese, 大学 (pronounced daxue) also means university. Always fun to find a way use my basic basic Chinese in a day to day situation.

[Jordan @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:32PM]

I say it's for a D3x. To me, "big" implies a large (full frame) sensor with high resolution on a big body. Conveniently, Sony (Nikon's image sensor supplier) has their 24mp FF sensor readily available, and we've seen a similar case with the Nikon D2x.

Either that or it's BS.

Anyone agree?

[sideswiped @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:48PM]

I highly doubt it's the D3x. If you look at the mount you'll notice absence of an internal AF screw motor. This would be a huge blow to pros with prime lens or any other lens lacking an internal auto focus motor. The shown body will be AF-S lens only.

[Mike Rex @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:08AM]

in-body AF is over! This has just been a legacy feature with Nikon. If this is a new format, read MX, then why would that be necessary? The lenses for such a format would be new designs anyway. From the stand point of technology, i.e. ultrasonic motors, in-camera AF is stone-aged, just like on-lens aperture rings.

Welcome to the future!

[Mike Rex @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:17AM]

in-camera AF is over! If Nikon introduces a new format which would require new lenses, WHY would they need in-body AF? AF technology has advanced light-years. Look at Canon, Leica and now Nikon, with AF-S and the ultrasonic-motor systems. Just like the demise of the on-lens aperture ring. Vamoose AF-screw motor! ;-)

[jackson Brown @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:51PM]

ah well, my Canon 5d Mark II that I pre-ordered is already obsolete before I pick it up.

[Mehul @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:44PM]

Dont worry man, whatever it is, Its surely not gonna be competing 5D. They just released the D700 for that.

Most likely its a fake. I dont see any new cameras coming until Jan-Feb. After all, Photokina JUST passed.

[Ian @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:58PM]

I think it's fake. Why wouldn't they have announced it at Photokina just recently?

[Ken Allen @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:10PM]

D400 with video recording

[RyanTV @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:50PM]

Agreed - D400 with 1080p recording. CF and SDHC card support (for all that high def video)

and sign me up for it now. I've been holding off replacing my D200.... and 400 is such a nice number :)

[Wes @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:34PM]

New D3 with live view and 1080p video!

[Christopher @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:36PM]

Psst.

"MX Format."

That is, bigger than 35mm.

That's been a rumor for a while.

[Wolfticket @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:40PM]

That what I though when I looked at the pic.
That looks like one big sensor.

[Preston @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:07PM]

I'm hoping for that as well!

[chych @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:21PM]

Interesting, could be feasible, it's consistent with the fact that there's no built-in motor to drive lenses. A "MX" format would require a new set of lenses, which would be AF-S to begin with.

[Plothole @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:02AM]

Eh, I dunno... that looks suspiciously like a F-mount. I mean it's pixel to pixel identical to the one on a D40 body. And if it is indeed a F-mount, than that mirror is appropriately sized for a FX sensor.

[Christopher @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:06PM]

Maybe it's a robotic dog of sorts that will execute your enemies with laser beams then send you a beautiful picture of the roasted corpse afterwards.

Know what else would be sweet? A firmware update that would allow existing DSLRs to record video; sure, there would have to be external microphones involved, but who gives a hoot?

Personally, I'm hoping for the robotic dog. I wanna murder me some enemies, terminator-style.

[Tech @ Oct 3rd 2008 4:40PM]

Yeah! like the one in Quake 2.

[Plothole @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:11PM]

Huh, the lack of a screw AF would make you think that this is a new entry level camera. However the front control wheel suggests just the opposite. Very bizarre.

[sideswiped @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:39PM]

A budget FX camera would be a bit of a splash. I noticed that this is a smaller body. Overlay the D700 and this image and you'll notice the control wheel is about 2/3 an inch closer to the lens mount.

[Tallman610 @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:41PM]

Look to the product announcement for Leica's S2 DSLR. Someone is making a imaging sensor larger than the full 35mm frame size and yielding 37mp(+) images. That range has been the realm of professional cameras using medium format bodies and costing $15000 and up. Leica and Nikon want a piece of that action.

[Rick @ Oct 3rd 2008 3:39AM]

Uh... that would be Kodak, and the last time they teamed up with Nikon was to produce the DCS 14N and SLR-N, which were monstrously awful cameras. No way will Nikon be outsourcing the sensors on any new cameras, they've spent enough recently on developing them in-house, which is the whole reason full-frame cameras are becoming affordable.

Kodak have been making CCDs for the digital back market for ages, and theres also no way Nikon would now switch back to CCD technology.

[linuxamp @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:08AM]

If it's anything with video I hope they fix the jello / wobble problem.
http://www.nikonwatch.com/2008/09/23/d90-movies-look-like-jello-oh-no/

[Ed @ Oct 7th 2008 3:31PM]

That would mean no CMOS... which while we can dream, it doesn't seem likely any time soon. CMOS offloads faster than CCD, but each scanline is temporally offset from the one above it. Thus the wobble.

Faster and faster CMOS will do this less - but it can't be eliminated without changing sensor technology entirely.

[cemorris @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:21AM]

Medium format, no doubt. Should be cool

[luke @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:32AM]

How about something like a micro-4/3 camera to compete with the new Olympus. something "small" that will make a "big" splash.

[elefant @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:42AM]

probably their new medium format system, 'mx'

[bebop @ Oct 3rd 2008 2:22AM]

1. Could be the expected 24MP FF D3x.

2. Could be totally fake.

3. Could be a full frame D80-class body.

If 3. then "holy sh---------------"

[Plothole @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:45AM]

1. Unlikely considering that it lacks a screw motor AF.

2. That's always a possibility.

3. Maybe, though still there is an issue with the missing screw drive.

If I can add a 4... maybe this is really a low-end full frame, but not one based on any single body. (Feature-wise it seems to be in between a D40 and a D80.)

[dionysus @ Oct 3rd 2008 2:35AM]

no matter what, I love that red underwear.

[revaaron @ Oct 3rd 2008 3:37AM]

MX!

[Deadgrateful @ Oct 3rd 2008 5:58AM]

I really don't think this is the MX format camera that rumours have been pointing to. It will most likely be either a full frame compact SLR or an updated D3. The MX format (why they would want to produce a range finder is beyond me) is due in Feb as I understand, and is the only reason I'm putting off getting a 5dmkII.

Could just as well be a fake though, like those lovely black mac pro's ;-)

[Winter007 @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:00AM]

D800/24MPix/1080p