Nikon: We do not fear a Canon CSC (interview)

Nikon has defended its new CX format and would not worry if Canon launched a compact system camera (CSC) with a larger imaging sensor, a senior Nikon official has said.

Canon has yet to make clear its intentions in this market, unlike its rival Nikon which yesterday put an end to speculation about its plans by announcing the Nikon 1 compact system camera.

Nikon?s V1 and J1 cameras each feature a 10.1-million-pixel CMOS imaging sensor – smaller than those used in micro four thirds cameras.

The CX-format sensor measures 13.2×8.8mm.

In an interview with Amateur Photographer (AP), Ken Kusakari, product planning manager at Nikon UK, today defended the sensor?s physical dimensions.

Asked if Nikon would be concerned if Canon launched a CSC with a larger, APS-C-size sensor, for example, Kusakari said: ?We do not fear it.?

Nikon claims its new system offers the ?perfect balance between system size, speed, light sensitivity, resolution and depth-of-field?.

Yoshizo Mori, general manager of development operations at Nikon Japan, who was in charge of the sensor?s development, said that faster image processing would not have been possible in a larger sized sensor, meaning that functions such Smart Photo Selector could not have been included.

Earlier this year, Canon?s head of consumer imaging in Europe, Rainer Fuehres, told AP that Canon does need to introduce a CSC.

Fuehres explained that the company does not have a problem selling its existing compact and DSLR products.

But he did not rule out the possibility of a CSC, fueling speculation that Canon may be poised to enter this growing market.

Nikon UK product manager Simon Iddon today confirmed that Nikon plans to continue investing in DX and FX format DSLR sensors.

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Nikon: We do not fear a Canon CSC

Yoshizo Mori