Recently published patent applications filed by Nikon offer a glimpse into what the company may be working on for future DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. The three technologies spotted are: illuminated lens mounts, dual lens contacts, and a hybrid viewfinder.
The first one, patent 2013-57757, is for making it easier for photographers to swap lenses in the dark. The camera body contains an LED light source that apparently lights up a section on the front of the camera and on the top of the lens. This lights up the front of the camera, allowing the photographer to see what’s going on during the lens changing process.
Another patent application (2013-58840) describes duplicated electronic mount contacts that will ensure communication between the lens and the body even if one of the contact sets is damaged/dirty.
Nikon patent 2013-54232 is for technology that instantly switches between an optical (OVF) and an electronic viewfinder (EVF) – something similar to the hybrid viewfinder inside the Fuji X100.