If you are a gear-head, you probably read the camera rumour sites daily.
If you are a gear-head, you probably read the camera rumour sites daily. For those of you that don’t, here’s a roundup of the latest rumours.
All of the major camera manufacturers have an active rumour-orientated community. The idea isn’t to get too caught up in the rumours themselves, as most of them never become reality, but rather to enjoy the hints of new technology that might be coming your way. Here’s a list of the most popular sites:
Canon Rumors
Nikon Rumors
Sony Alpha Rumors
Pentax Rumors
Four-Thirds Rumors
Leica Rumors
The general rumours coming from the Canon and Nikon camps are that cameras and lenses are being delayed as a result of the earthquake in Japan. Canon Rumors states that the lead times for the professional Canon DSLRs might be a few months, while Nikon Rumors reports that the Nikon Coolpix S4100 has been cancelled as a result of the earthquake.
In terms of new product releases, the delay has also been affecting announcements. Canon wants to deliver on what was announced during 2010 before they announce new products. As such, they will probably not announce or release any new DSLR camera bodies during 2011. Next year will see the probable introductions of the 1Ds Mk. IV, the 1D Mk. V, the 5D Mk. III, the 7D Mk. II and the 650D. The 70D has been slotted for a 2013 launch. The Nikon rumors are less detailed, but Nikon Australia has announced that there will be new products in the next 6 months.
There is also a rumor that Canon might be introducing a new high-end speedlight with built-in radio triggers, coinciding with an update to the ST-E2 Transmitter.
Once again, these rumours are not to be taken too seriously, except for the delays, of course.
