What does the future hold at Photokina 2012?

Nikon

Rumours of an ‘affordable' full-frame Nikon DSLR have been circulating for some time now, one pitched below the £2,600 D800 model.

It certainly makes sense; with the outgoing D700 now scarce, there's space for a full-frame model to fill that void. Not only that, but with the arrival of the recent entry-level D3200 and the pro-level D800, D800E and D4, it seems a model in between all these would be Nikon's next logical step.  
The company's naming convention suggests this could be a D500 or D600, and a lower price point would surely mean a lower pixel count than the 36.3MP D800. It's also likely that its video functionality wouldn't be quite as refined as that of the D800, although its burst rate is likely to be higher.

The company is also expected to extend its 1 series line of compact system cameras - and perhaps even lenses too - following the launch of the debut J1 and V1 late last year. With Sony, Olympus, Panasonic and Samsung all releasing viable competitors within the past year, Nikon will need to bolster both its camera and lens range if it is to gain any significant market share over the more established CSC players.

Nikon has also recently lifted the lid on an upcoming 800mm f/5.6 VR optic, which is set to feature at Photokina. Although the company has not stated an RRP, it's likely to be higher than Nikon's current most expensive lens, the £7,000 AF-S Nikkor 600mm f/4G ED VR, possibly even breaching the five-figure barrier.