The long-rumored Nikon Z30, which is expected to be its new entry-level mirrorless camera, has edged closer to a possible launch thanks to the registration of a new DX Z-mount camera.
As usual, it was the ever-reliable Nokishita who spotted the registration of the new Nikon camera in Taiwan. The filing doesn't explicitly reveal the name of the camera, so we could be looking at a Nikon Z30 or a Nikon Z50 II, but the clues gives us a good idea of what kind of camera to expect.
The incoming model is a Z-mount camera with a DX sensor (Nikon's name for its APS-C format cameras) and uses the same battery as the Nikon Z50, which is currently the only Nikon Z-mount camera that doesn't have a full-frame sensor.
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- Read our in-depth Nikon Z50 review
Aside from those hints, the only other details revealed by the registration are that the Nikon Z30 (or whatever it's finally called) will have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, alongside compatibility with accessories like the Nikon ME-1 microphone, suggesting it will also have a 3.5mm mic input.
The reason that speculation is currently pointing towards this being a Nikon Z30, which would sit below the Nikon Z50, is because this model has long been predicted for a 2021 launch by the pretty reliable Nikon Rumors.
Interestingly, the site has predicted that this model will come without an electronic viewfinder (EVF), as our slightly rough mockup at the top of this story shows. If that's the case, this should make the Nikon Z30 significantly cheaper than the Z50, and a very affordable way to get into its Z-mount system.
The Z factor
If you're not familiar with the Nikon Z-mount system, it's the camera giant's latest lens mount for mirrorless cameras and the main rival to Canon's RF mount and Sony's E-mount.
Most Z-mount cameras are higher-end full-frame models, whose sensors are much larger than their APS-C equivalents. But like Sony, Nikon has shown with the Z50 that it's willing to make smaller APS-C cameras that are fronted by its new mount, in order to provide more affordable entry-points to its latest lenses.
A viewfinder-less Nikon Z series camera has been rumored for well over a year now, and was originally thought to be called the Nikon Z3. But the move would make sense for the system, particularly as it could provide a compact option for smartphone upgraders or vloggers looking for a compact hybrid camera.
This would make it a new rival to the Canon EOS M6 Mark II, a camera that similarly doesn't come with a built-in viewfinder and offers similar shooting power to the Canon 90D in a much smaller package.
With new registrations typically hinting at an official launch within one-to-two months, we shouldn't have to wait too long to exactly what Nikon has in store.
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