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Nikon to Stop Developing New DSLRs


ShunCheung

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Not exactly a surprise, but it is more official now. Canon had made similar statements a year or two ago:

 

Nikon to stop making SLR cameras and focus on mirrorless models

 

For the record, the last F-mount products Nikon announced are the D780, D6, and the 120-300mm/f2.8 AF-S VR, all in January/February 2020 just before Covid became a pandemic, and the Tokyo Summer Olympics was going to be held in July that year. Eventually the Olympics was postponed by one year. Prior to those, Nikon introduced the 180-400mm/f4 AF-S VR, 500mm/f5.6 PF and D3500 in 2018, and then nothing in the F-mount in the entire 2019.

Edited by ShunCheung
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Just watched the 'reveal' of the first James Webb Space Telescope images... ..start of an era, for sure!

And this message (on a somewhat different scale) fits into the 'end of an era' category.. :(

So many great F-mount lenses and SLR's made so many great (and even more mediocre) photographs!

...and I will be continuing doing that (see my last post) for a couple of years more..

Then retire my gear next to where my F3T and Nikkormats are catching dust.

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It looks like the Nikkei article is merely speculation. I apologize if I started a misleading thread. Here is the official comment from Nikon:

 

Nikon | News | Statement Regarding Today's Media Article

 

There was a media article regarding Nikon's withdrawal of SLR development. This media article is only speculation and Nikon has made no announcement in this regards. Nikon is continuing the production, sales and service of digital SLR. Nikon appreciate your continuous support.

Edited by ShunCheung
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"Nikon is continuing the production, sales and service of digital SLR"

 

Yup, nothing new is being developed in the (D)SLR world.

I wouldn’t expect anything new models now, even anniversary models and special editions. Without DSLRs in regular production, it is hard to do special editions.

 

Some sports photographers may still prefer the D6, as I saw a bunch at the recent French Open tennis and Wimbledon. Nikon may have a bunch in the warehouse and will gradually sell them off. I kind of doubt that they are still manufacturing new D6 and D850.

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Nikon may have a bunch in the warehouse and will gradually sell them off. I kind of doubt that they are still manufacturing new D6 and D850.

 

I also doubt if Nikon will continue to produce spare parts for long, so servicing DSLR's will also gradually stop i guess ...

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As usual, the trees obscured the forest. This is the key takeaway from the Nikkei article:

 

"Shipments of mirrorless cameras overtook SLRs for the first time in 2020 with 2.93 million and 2.37 million units shipped respectively, according to Japan's Camera & Imaging Products Association.

 

There has been an overall decline, however. The combined market peaked at 11.67 million cameras in 2017, but had fallen to 5.34 million by 2021.

 

The dramatic falloff has forced Nikon to focus on the segment that still has potential to grow. In 2021, the market for mirrorless cameras expanded 31% to 324.5 billion yen, even as that for SLR cameras dropped 6% to 91.2 billion yen."

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I also doubt if Nikon will continue to produce spare parts for long, so servicing DSLR's will also gradually stop i guess ...

Nikon may or may not be producing spare parts for DSLRs, but typically they would produce sufficient spare parts to last a decade or so. They are still selling new D6, although perhaps in fairly small numbers. I would assume, for example, that Nikon has a lot of shutters available for replacement for 5 to 10 years.

Edited by ShunCheung
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doubt Nikon will continue to produce spare parts for long

I assumed (!) they decide when in normal production of a camera that they, for example, make 200K D850 complete bodies and 4K extra shutters, 2K mirror assemblies etc etc to a formula they already know from they first year of production.

 

Unless a serious design flaw appears later, I doubt they make spares after the normal production run. The machines have got much better things to do for the latest models.

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Nikon may or may not be producing spare parts for DSLRs, but typically they would produce sufficient spare parts to last a decade or so. They are still selling new D6, although perhaps in fairly small numbers. I would assume, for example, that Nikon has a lot of shutters available for replacement for 5 to 10 years.

 

Suspect D6 production has ended and current inventory will satisfy declining demand. Spares inventories are usually stocked according to sales. Granted it's a 2 year-old camera but one can't help think the market for US$6500 DSLRs isn't exactly robust, especially with Nikon's MILC system expanding. The D6 isn't a flaming profit center.

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Maybe Nikon can focus on producing Z9 bodies in sufficient quantity that one can actually buy one. Was told that the waiting list at the only remaining photo store in Maine is over 300 long! The Z9 and the 800PF are the only items that interest me nowadays - and it looks like I will have to wait another year before they become available for purchase off the shelf.

 

Whether or not Nikon develops another DLSR is of no relevance to me - I won't be buying any. Same with F-mount lenses. Same, unfortunately for Nikon, goes for the entire Z-mount system with the exception of the Z9. I see no good reason to trade my Sony A7RIII for Nikon's Z7 II. Nor do I want to lose on trading my Sony lenses for their Nikon equivalents (if they are even available).

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Maybe Nikon can focus on producing Z9 bodies in sufficient quantity that one can actually buy one. Was told that the waiting list at the only remaining photo store in Maine is over 300 long! The Z9 and the 800PF are the only items that interest me nowadays - and it looks like I will have to wait another year before they become available for purchase off the shelf.

That is insane.

 

I talked to my local Nikon rep about three weeks ago. He said the current wait for the Z9 is about two months. But actually if you order directly from Nikon USA, it looks like you can get it within a month. In my case I found Amazon had it in stock and got one within a week or two. Some people use in-stock apps to help them locate stocks. Usually you can get the Z9 from Best Buy or Amazon pretty quickly.

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I talked to my local Nikon rep about three weeks ago. He said the current wait for the Z9 is about two months. But actually if you order directly from Nikon USA, it looks like you can get it within a month. In my case I found Amazon had it in stock and got one within a week or two. Some people use in-stock apps to help them locate stocks. Usually you can get the Z9 from Best Buy or Amazon pretty quickly.

And that sums up Nikon's inability to stock manage a drinks party in a brewery.....:(

 

Amazon holds Z9 stock and Nikon USA don't... Doh!

Edited by mike_halliwell
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And that sums up Nikon's inability to stock manage a drinks party in a brewery.....:(

 

Amazon holds Z9 stock and Nikon USA don't... Doh!

 

My experience with Nikon reps(and most other photo industry company munchkins)is that they're the last to know--just before you.

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And that sums up Nikon's inability to stock manage a drinks party in a brewery.....:(

 

Amazon holds Z9 stock and Nikon USA don't... Doh!

 

Amazon (US) itself does not have any Z9 cameras for sale. A "seller" on Amazon, Gave, whoever they may be, list two Renewed bodies for sale at $6339.95 (US). I think I'll take a pass on this one.

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And that sums up Nikon's inability to stock manage a drinks party in a brewery.....:(

 

Amazon holds Z9 stock and Nikon USA don't... Doh!

No, that is not how it works.

 

Most stores in the US including Adorama, B&H, ... and Nikon USA would accept as many (pre)orders as they can get, and when cameras come in, they would deliver them essentially according to when the order is placed, i.e. first come, first served. That is why sometimes there are extremely long waiting queues.

 

Amazon and Best Buy handle it differently. Normally they would not accept orders. When they anticipate a certain among of stock arriving, they would open their order for a short while. As soon as the expected stock is all accounted for, they would close the pre-order again. For the Z9, that ordering window can be very short, from a few minutes to an hour or so. Plenty of people have placed a Z9 in the Best Buy's shopping cart, but as they are checking out, stock would run out and the order fails. Essentially you have no time to type in your shipping address and credit card number. One must pre-enter such info beforehand. As soon as stock is available, order it immediately and check out to lock in that Z9.

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It's more the inability of Nikon USA (or UK or EU etc) to carry it's own cameras.

 

Do Best Buy, buy Z9s for the same price as Nikon USA?

 

It's like there's no connection between Nikon Manufacturing and Nikon Sales....:(

 

Mind you, when the D850 came out, the distribution was very non-USA centric for ages, I never heard why?

 

I'd guess D6s, D850s, Z9s etc are airfreight?

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