This year, we’ve finally seen the return of affordable mirrorless cameras – and that trend is set to continue, according to new speculation. Just behind the Canon EOS R10 and EOS R7, there are rumors about new beginner-friendly models from Nikon and Sony, plus another from Canon.
All three rumored cameras are expected to have APS-C sensors. While the recent Fujifilm X-H2S shows that this doesn’t necessarily guarantee a lower price, the rumored specs of these models suggest they’ll be on the more affordable end of the spectrum.
The strongest rumours, via Nikon rumors (opens in new tab), is that a Nikon Z30 could be “announced soon, possibly in June” – so imminently. This camera has been touted as an APS-C successor to the Nikon Z50, released in 2019, and is expected to have a higher resolution sensor than the 24MP on that camera.
Considering the Z50 came in for $850 / £849 (about AU$1,500) for the body alone, the Z30 should be an affordable new route to Nikon’s mirrorless Z-series system – assuming the Z30 doesn’t add features. such as in-body image stabilization or 8K video, though Nikon Rumors claims that updates like this “are not happening”.
new rumors of Sony Alpha rumors (opens in new tab), meanwhile suggests that Sony is also planning to announce “a mid-level APS-C model for vloggers”. According to the site, this won’t be the high-end Sony A1 mini model that many are hoping for, but the perfect partner for the three APS-C lenses that Sony recently announced. The new camera doesn’t have a name yet, but it will likely be part of Sony’s ZV lineup, which includes the Sony ZV-1 and Sony ZV-E10. (opens in new tab).
While the Canon EOS R10 is quite affordable at $979 / £899 / AU$1,499, there are also (slightly less convincing) rumors that Canon is preparing a cheaper model to go below that. Canon Watch (opens in new tab) and Canon Rumors (opens in new tab) both have hinted that a Canon EOS R100 is on the way, though possibly not until early 2023.
Rumors suggest the camera could come with a 24.2MP APS-C sensor, 14fps continuous shooting speeds, and the ability to record 8-bit 4K/30p video, though these are more of a wish list than a an insider’s leak. Still, that would make it a possible successor to Canon’s ‘Rebel’ DSLRs and mirrorless models like the popular Canon EOS M50 Mark II, which uses the older EOS M mount.
So, after what’s been a fallow period for entry-level mirrorless cameras, it looks like we’ll finally see some affordable options from the likes of Nikon, Sony and Canon – and that’s good news for our pockets.
Review: The welcome return of affordable cameras
Just a few months ago, we highlighted the huge hole that existed in the middle of the mirrorless camera market. This is partly due to factors such as global chip shortages and post-pandemic supply chain problems, but also because camera giants have mainly focused on making brilliant professional flagships.
Fortunately for our suffering bank balances, this situation is rapidly improving. We’ve recently seen the arrival of the Canon EOS R10 (and the more expensive EOS R7), and it looks like they’ll soon be followed by new entry-level options from Nikon and Sony.
The Nikon Z30 and Sony’s ZV camera won’t exactly be cheap point-and-shoot models – that camera category has been all but wiped out by the best camera phones – but they should be relatively affordable ways to buy from the respective manufacturers. APS-C systems.
In the case of Sony’s E-Mount, that system includes some equally affordable lenses, including the trio of vlogging-friendly primes (the 10-20mm f/4 PZ, 15mm f/1.4, and 11mm f/1.8) that arrived recently. . Canon and Sony, however, have a little more work to do to ensure their new affordable APS-C cameras are backed by equally affordable glass.
These camera rumors also represent a renaissance for the APS-C sensor format, which is smaller than full-frame but has recently been at the center of more powerful (and expensive) models like the Fujifilm X-H2S.
With Micro Four Thirds also returning in the form of the OM System OM-1 and Panasonic Lumix GH6, we’re seeing a refreshing variety return to the world of mirrorless cameras – now all we need is for supply chain issues to make it easy for us to fully enjoy them all.
