There were no really big new cameras in 2022 – but many existing trends have solidified. This is not only for technical reasons.
The prime example of all this is Nikon’s first mirrorless fully geared towards professional photographers, the Z9. It was announced in October 2021, could be pre-ordered in November and was immediately sold out. Anyone who ordered them in December 2021 should not receive them until 2023. Although many of these pre-orders have now been processed, the camera has only been available in Europe since autumn 2022.
Persistent delivery problems
Apparently, an effect took hold here that also affected other technical products in the pandemic: demand exceeds supply and production capacities cannot be increased quickly enough. At times, Canon even kept lists of poorly available products and stated waiting times of up to six months. Both Nikon and other manufacturers openly admitted in their quarterly reports that the supply chains were constantly disrupted and, above all, that parts from suppliers could not be procured quickly enough.
Apparently, as in other industries, they got a little creative with alternative suppliers, which in turn was reflected in the Z9. Nikon had to recall an undisclosed number of cameras in December 2023 because the lens release did not work reliably. Only certain specimens are affected, which Nikon can identify online using the serial number. To save our honour, it should be said that Nikon repaired the cameras free of charge and has upgraded a number of functions with constant firmware updates, for example a lossless digital zoom when filming in 4K.
streaming and vlogging
4K, i.e. four times the HD resolution, has now become the standard for filming with system cameras. Although there are more and more specialized and affordable bodies, especially from Canon, Sony and Nikon are also still used for TV and streaming productions. However, the pure recording is no longer the only thing that counts: A modern camera must also be used for streaming from home, i.e. as a webcam, and for video blogging aka vlogging. The former can be retrofitted with a bit of fiddling using cheap HDMI-to-USB adapters, but it can be done more elegantly using the cameras’ built-in USB interfaces.
A business can be made out of it, thought Canon. The company presented its EOS Webcam Utility in 2020, and at the end of 2022 a greatly expanded version for the USA was launched. Subscriptions start at $50 a year, a trend we’d be reluctant to see continue. When looking at YouTube and Twitch, however, it is unmistakable that system cameras for transmitting the recording of one’s own face have prevailed among professional streamers. The often miserable but cheap USB webcams have finally had their day here.
For vlogging, which usually means the documentation of large parts of a life, the camera must always be at hand when you are on the move – i.e. small, light and handy. The most important feature is a vari-angle display, popular for subject checking on earlier camcorders. Sony implemented this uncompromisingly with its ZV-1F, which was released in 2023, and left out the zoom lens on the previous model in favor of a converted 20mm optic. Nikon, on the other hand, only removed the viewfinder from the Z30, but kept the Z bayonet in the compact body intended as a vlogging camera.
The common feature of these two cameras is the sensor resolution of 20 megapixels, which no longer inspires enthusiasm among photographers. For vloggers, however, other features are more important, such as well-functioning streaming via WLAN to the smartphone. Provided there are enough batteries, a new field of application is really opening up here that is clearly superior to smartphones thanks to interchangeable lenses and better optics.
APS-C stays strong
In the upper class and the professional league with a full format sensor, there is almost a standstill at a high level as far as the resolutions are concerned. Sony’s Alpha R7 V stays at 61 megapixels, and Canon only went from 20 to 24 megapixels in the R6 Mark II. And so the only resolution record this year was set by an APS-C camera. But that’s not surprising, because the size advantage of the small sensors compared to full-frame cameras simply cannot be denied. The Fujifilm X-H2 brings it to 40 megapixels, of course including a folding display, for – see the last section. With a more focus on photography with more mechanical controls, it also comes as the X-T5
In general, the new products in the APS-C camera segment remain exciting. And alongside high-tech monsters like the Fujis, there are always the cheaper carry-along cameras like the new OM-5 from OM Systems, formerly known as the Olympus. It is weatherproof, even at minus 10 degrees, for outdoor activities. And like the Fuji, it’s also available in a retro look.
Retro is not just a trend
Because, even if some people may not be able to hear it anymore: Retro cameras have become an integral part of the camera market. This not only applies to the design of digital devices, but also to formats and long-neglected functions. Pentax is not only working on digital black and white cameras, but also on new models for 35mm film. And a real classic of analogue photography is also available again as a new device: the Leica M6. The new rangefinder camera from the startup Pixii is only retro in the system, but otherwise digital. A large number of new cameras are being developed around the enthusiasm for traditional photography, which should continue.
Outlook for 2023
This brings us to the outlook for the coming year. Since a really new digital SLR camera was not released in 2022, this segment should actually have been done with. A number of new non-mirror models can therefore be expected, which could close the gaps in the product range. At Canon, an R50 can be expected as the entry-level model, and at Nikon there is a gaping gap between the Z7 II and the Z9, which is almost twice as expensive. That could stuff a putative Z8. Sony seems to be quite well positioned in all areas of system cameras, so that the usually bold manufacturer – see vlogging cameras – might have quite new form factors.
In one area, hardly anything can be expected in 2023, because compact cameras are practically dead. Nikon stated in its latest business figures that sales in the second half of 2022 almost halved from 130,000 to 70,000 compact cameras. The ever-improving smartphones have finally won here – but that was long overdue.
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