Speaking of Nikon Z, it seems that Lumix is releasing the Nikon Z6iii and Nikon Z5ii at the same time...
Is this a typo?
Nikon Z5ii is April 25, Z6iii April 24.
Z5ii has - like the S5ii - "only" 3.6 MP EVF. List price Nikon Z5ii is 1.899€.
But, I still don't see any feature that could make photographers from Sony, Canon or Nikon change to L-Mount system...
I do think the time of switchers is over. Unlike in the past, no brand has a significant advantage over the other, except in special areas, which is only useful for 1% of the customers. Image quality, AF, video capability is all more or less the same. There are no real technological earthquakes anymore.
Even with lens selection, all brands except Sony have the same problems, because they all started new with mirrorless fullframe in 2018.
Even Fuji with its older X system has to develop new lenses for its 40MP sensor.
In my view, 95% of the users of mirrorless system xyz will not benefit from a switch.
But more important are new users. Users, who either did not have yet a real camera or users who used a DSLR in the past but want to have now mirrorless. These users have to buy new glass anyway. Therefore they are open minded for all brands.
This is why I think it is important for L-Mount to close the gap for small and light lenses like a small telezoom below 650g and a 28mm FFL.
And my hope for a RF style camera with evf, grip abd mechanical shutter (a S9 foto centric) is starting to vanish.
Yes, that is a tough call. It seems that Panasonic wants to use first a general platform structure to use as many parts as possible in all different bodies. Fuji is doing the same and OM system did that now with the OM3, which is that big, because it uses the parts of the OM1Mk2.
This strategy is very cost efficient and thanks to this, Panasonic will be able to be competitive long term on price and still have a margin to put this money in R&D for new bodies & lenses.
On the other hand, after they now launched the S1II and SIIe, what else is needed? I do not see the necessity of another S1II/S1RII like body.
Therefore it could be that Panasonic's next release could be a rangefinder style camera. I do not know whether Panasonic has the ressources to launch a 4th body this year. Especially with the tax desaster and unknown sales numbers in the USA.
But there are two argument against a Lumix RF style camera in L-Mount:
1. Leica does not allow this (fear for Q and M sales)
2. Panasonic wants only the MFT line for smaller bodies.
In MFT such a RF style body is probably more needed than in L-Mount. Although I would like to have it in both systems, I can understand that MFT users are more the target group for for small & compact than typical fullframe L-Mount users.
If I were Panasonic, I would do RF style in both systems. But ressources are limited and the market share not as big as Sony or Fuji/ Canon/ Nikon.
I'm sure these new bodies will be of interest to someone, just not me.
I am really happy with the 24MP sensors. Plenty of resolution for me and I don't want massive file sizes.