NIKON D100 price drop ?

[._.9]

Does anyone have an opinion as to whether Nikon D 100 price will

shrink since Canon is literally blowing them off the water with the

Canon D 10 at the unbelievable price of US $ 1,499 ? It is already

bad enough that Nikon came with almost nothing serious (aside their

lenses) to the PMA show this year. I agree Nikon D 100 is a fine

camera and I would prefer to get it over Canon D 10 but the latter

has same qualities if not better than Canon D 60 and heck it is so

affordable. Anyways any input is much appreciated. Thank you

[dan_brown4]

Of course.

 

BTW, the local camera shop hassold hunndreds of D100's in the

last 5 months. Sevveral times more than D60's. That's why

Canon dropped it and built a more competitive model.

[jim_gifford]

Nikon and its retailers may chop a few hundreds of dollars off the D100 price tag to compete with the new Canon D10, if Nikon can still make a profit at that reduced price.

 

I expect both Nikon and the retailers will wait and see whether the arrival of the D10 produces a marked slowdown in sales of the Nikon body.

 

So you might have to give the market a few months before any reaction from Nikon shows up in the D100's selling price.

 

Have fun,

[ellis_vener_photography]

<I>...since Canon is literally blowing them off the water with the Canon D 10 at the unbelievable price of US $ 1,499 ?"</I><P>Calm down whoeveer you are. Canon isn't paying enough to raise your blood pressure when you spew "leaning" type hype.<P>Nikon will possibly drop the price ... once the 10D actually gets on the sheves of your local stores. Which will be about the time Nikon announces its next round of cameras.<P>More likely the Kodak 14n will cause downward price pressure on the way price of the Canon EOS1Ds and the Nikon D1x.<P>If $500.00 is the barrier between you and a digital camera, assuming you already have high quality lenses (and not all Canon or Nikkor lenses meet that description, and don't even mention third party lenses in the same phrase as high quality) you'll have to consider the cost of converting from Nikon to Canon lenses. And don't forget dedicated speedlights. The conversion cost might change your mind.

[cliff_lesergent]

"<i>the local camera shop has sold hunndreds of D100's in the last 5 months. Sevveral times more than D60's</i>"<p>

 

This is probably true, since Canon sold out the production run of D60's about five months ago, due to the overwhelming demand. As a result, they stopped taking orders for the camera in November, and your local shop couldn't have gotten any if they had wanted to.<p>

 

Now that Canon has another product ready to ship, Nikon sales will most likely drop off again.

[umd]

Mini you, new Canon offer doesn't seem to excite anyone except Canon freak kids. Both D100 and Fuji S2 are better cameras and better sellers (at least at where I live), decreasing the price of D60 sharply for competing would be too much screwing of previous buyers and thats why Canon didn't do that, rather they re packaged almost the same thing and labeled it with less price.

[ShunCheung]

Initially, Canon was going to price the D60 around $3k or so a year ago, but since both Nikon and Fuji announced DSLRs at $2k and a little more, Canon had to reduce the D60 to $2k also. However, that generated a lot more demand than Canon had expected. That was why Canon never had sufficient supply of the D60. Some people reported waiting as long as like 4 months early on. Even by last summer, about 6 months after the D60 was initially announced, people were waiting 2 months or so while the Nikon D100 was shipping quickly. The main issue was that during this entire period, Canon couldn't supply very many D60s. Last fall a Canon rep admitted to me privately that they made a mistake and let Nikon captured a lot of that market segment.

 

The 10D is there to correct that mistake. It is pretty much the same camera with minor improvements. The problem is now Canon is once again repleasing minor improvements in rapid succession, just like they did a decade ago. If you had waited a long time and got a D60 last year, you have to be pretty pissed.

 

Is $1500 for the 10D unbelievable? Well, a year or two from now, people will say that is an unbeliveably high price. Expect lower-end DSLRs to be below $1000 some time in 2004. The price for the D100 will continue to drop, but it doesn't necessarily have to match the 10D. The Fuji S2 has been $400 more than the D100 and sells pretty well.

 

If you buy a 10D, you have to expect Canon to discontinue it within a year and release yet another new model with trivial improvements. That'll just kill your re-sale value. That kind of frustration comes with the terratory as a Canon owner.

[mark_scheuern]

"Literally"? I didn't know the Nikon HQ was afloat. The D10 seems to be a nice enough camera and a worthy D100 competitor (and should be--it's Canon's third try at it), but I imagine we'll be seeing some price cuts from Nikon. I just bought my D100 a couple of months ago but I'm not too upset. I've already gotten more than $500 of use out of it.

[cliff_lesergent]

"<i>That kind of frustration comes with the terratory as a Canon owner</i>"<p>

 

Ouch! Well, at least Canon is still developing new cameras, whereas Nikon seems to have dropped off the map lately (the Sony... sorry, Nikon, D100 being the lone exception). <p>

 

I made the decision to switch from Nikon to Canon partly because Canon's clear lead in developing CMOS sensors gave them an advantage, and because I doubt that Nikon has the financial resources to keep up with the rapid pace of product development like Canon, Kodak, or Fuji.<p>

 

Hey! Maybe us abused, frustrated Canon owners should start a petition to have aperture rings put back on our lenses, too!

[Palouse]

I've got to wonder, out aloud this time, about where discusssions like this take us. What do they do for us and our craft? Do they make us beter photographers, or better informed consumers? I think not. It is simply pointless chest-puffing, back-slapping, finger-pointing, name-calling, hydrant-marking elitist behavior.

We ought to know, and act, better.

Cheers.

[david_coons]

My take on this drama is to wait. The SLR dig camera saga is so juvenile that I think it�s best to wait and see what washes. Unless you shoot enough film to justify buying a D100 or D10� wait. Personally I�m only willing to settle for a Nikon Dig, FULL SENSOR, 11 MP, based on the F100 body. It may take a year or two but it should happen. If not I will switch to Cannon�s D1�s that should be affordable in a few years.

 

On a side note � If Nikon does not drop the price on the D-100 you might as well get the Cannon D10 and a lens as your prim dig camera until Nikon figures out their business model/strategy. That way if you do switch to Cannon your half way there. Either way the D100 or D10 will not be the last dig camera you will buy so hedge your bets.

 

To put some perspective on this Dig camera revolution, think back 13 years or so and look at cell phones of the time. Very expensive, big (came with shoulder straps), didn�t work well, and the only people who purchased them were techno freaks or folks that justified the cost associated to business. Several years later they dramatically changed � cheaper, smaller, better, but still needed improvements. Today they are common and usable and just about peak in usability and size. It took about 10 years. Again the D100 or the D10 will NOT be the last dig camera you will buy. Anticipate replacing it in 5 years

[dmanthree]

Nick! The obvious answer (to drones like me, anyway) is that this discussion serves two purposes:

 

1. Venting

2. Education

 

Until I can afford a full-frame D-SLR, forget it. These sub-frame D100s, S2s, and the lot simply don't exist for me. They don't represent a good alternative to Provia and Reala. If you're one of the many who seeks to offset a lack of talent with volume, then digitals may be for you. Sure works with my Canon G2...

[._.9]

Hi Elis and thank you for your answer I relay a lot on what you say since you know the market very well. I wanted to mention that I did not have any Canon or Nikon lenses or speedlights I just try to switch to SLR (I am tired of not being able to control my auto camera). I am a dedicated Nikon person and truly would have preferred to see a Nikon D 10 instead of a Canon 10 D but honetly business is business and Canon seems to be above them or a step ahead of them. I also agree with the above posting - that Canon will eventually sink Nikon at least in this market. Nikon seems to deviate from photography to lenses and microscopes etc more industrial type of things. We probably don't bring them enough $$$. Besides Nikon lenses are also more expensive than Canon's.

[jheimsch]

I think it just comes down to different models of doing business. Nikon seems to do things in big leaps on there higher end cameras. F3 to F4, F4 to F5...Those where breath taking leaps in photographic technology, same could be said for the Nikon D1 series when it came out. The next one will be something awe inspiring I would imagine true to past performance. Closer to the F5 in function in terms of Mega Pixel, frames per second, etc, lag time. They will lose some of the techno-freaks that need the newest hotest qizmo in the interum, but those individuals satified with what they have today will be rewarded their patience with something extraordinary. Of course this is all speculation...could be that Cannon will own Nikon by then :?) .

 

My 2 cents contributed,

 

Justin

[rick_falck]

Looking at Nikon's latest digital offerings (like the SQ), one gets the impression that they are shooting for the low end portion of the consumer market.

[berg_na]

The new D10 seems to address many of the weaknesses of the D60 which was just released about a year ago, but it still lacks spot metering capability which is a must for accurate exposure control. I'm sure that the D101 will have this capability when it's released next year. So I agree that Canon's business strategy is great -- as long as you don't mind upgrading every year until they come out with a complete product. I say that more companies should learn from this paradigm to help boost the economy!

[ShunCheung]

Cliff, if you are happy with Canon, that is great. There is no need to keep justifying your switch from Nikon.

 

We Nikon users have our share of frustration as well. That is pretty well documented in this forum. However, right now there are 5 Nikon-mount DSLRs on the market: D1h, D1x, D100, Fuji S2 and Kodak DCS-14n. The D1 series is getting pretty old and upgrades are overdue already, but there are still a lot of good choices for various needs. I sure am glad that the D100 and S2 are designed well enough to begin with that they don't need replacements so quickly.

[cliff_lesergent]

Hi, Shun;

 

I appreciate your comments, in all sincerity; you are usually (but not always :) the calm voice of reason on this forum.

 

It would seem, from some of the postings on this thread (and others), some current Nikon owners are not entirely happy with the status quo, and are considering alternatives, like switching to Canon as I did. Perhaps these individuals are seeking some constructive feedback to help them make a decision, which many regular posters, such as you or Ellis, often provide.

 

Then, there are other hare-brained posts, like the one suggesting Canon had to drop the D60 because they couldn't compete with Nikon's D100, or that the new 10D is just a cheapo version of the D60 to help Canon recapture some of that market share. I'm sorry, but for some reason I just can't resist poking fun at these dumb comments;

if they go unchallenged, people might actually start to believe them.

 

Back to MiniMe's original question, I am sure Nikon will drop the price on the D100 just as soon as Canon's 10D hits the shelves. Historically, Nikon has done this in order to maintain sales every time Canon has introduced a competitive model, dating back to the days of the N90s.

 

From the product specs, it looks like the 10D is a slightly better camera than the D100, and definitely better than the D60. If one isn't strongly committed to either brand already, the 10D would probably offer the best bang for the buck at the moment.

 

I also find it curious that the only Canon fault Nikon fans seem to be able to point to is that they have a tendency to continually improve their products? And now that PMA has come and gone with no new camera from Nikon, people are bemoaning the fact that Nikon hasn't brought out something new(which would then make one of their existing products "obsolete"). Damned if you don't, and damned if you do, as they say...

 

Here's my take on all of this: Canon listens to customer complaints, makes improvements in the next model, and everyone gets mad because they didn't include them from the start? Nikon used to take this same approach (remember the FM-FM2-FM2n, FE-FE2, N8008-N8008s, and N90-N90s?), but now you have to have a reference list of camera serial numbers to find out if your F5 or F100 or D1x is an "improved" model or not.

 

I, for one, appreciate Canon's approach, so that I know what I'm getting when I walk into a camera store or shop on-line. Yes, it may be superceded by a new product in a year or so, but what isn't these days? At least all of my lenses will be compatible with the next body in the product line, and for most serious users, the lens system is by far the larger investment.

[larry n.]

"The problem is now Canon is once again repleasing minor improvements in rapid succession, just like they did a decade ago. If you had waited a long time and got a D60 last year, you have to be pretty pissed."

 

You're faulting Canon for producing a better camera for less money. Isn't that a little twisted?

[ShunCheung]

Cliff, I am willing to predict that very soon Canon will have to introduce the equivalent of the Nikon DX lenses to solve the wide angle problem on their D60 and 10D DSLR bodies. Keep in mind that the Canon sensor is smaller than Nikon's, thus the problem is even more serious although perhaps not by much. Once there are DX type EOS FE lenses, the claim that all EF lenses can be use on all EOS bodies will be history, as those lenses will cause serious vignetting on the 1Ds and all EOS film bodies.

 

Right now the three Canon DSLRs have three different sensor sizes. For example, if you want a 10D as a backup to you 1Ds, all your lenses will have different angles of views on the two bodies. That is a major pain. Of course Nikon will likely have similar problems as well, but at least I hope they can settle on 2 sensor sizes: full frame for high end and a 1.5x type sensor for action and consumers.

[douglas_green1]

Right now, ANY digital SLR you buy will be obsolete in 3-4 years. So the way I looked at it, I spent $700 and got an Olympus E-10. An E-20 which is somewhat enhanced (5 MP instead of 4, and some other minor upgrades). Sure, I'm limited to 35-135mm on the integral lens, but with front adapters, I can get 28mm and up to 400mm if I need them. Optically, it's the equal of my Nikon 35mm glass, in speed and in performance, because it is optimized to a smaller sensor, which is much easier to design lenses to. Eventually, we are going to see a more stable Professional SLR product centered around 16 MegaPixel sensors. My E-10 is a holding action bought at low cost, to tide me over until that time. Right now, I'm firmly in the Nikon camp for 35mm film SLRs. But if Nikon does not support my AI/AIS glass in their pro-class 10 to 16 Megapixel SLRs, all bets will be off. Frankly, that's the specific reason I never bought a D100 - the fact that my AI/AIS lenses are not supported. But because I have the E-10 now, I can let that battle play itself out without getting too anguished about it.

[ShunCheung]

Naji, I am faulting Canon for producing way too many revisions. That was precisely the problem they had about 10 years ago. It was like every 6 months or so they had yet another slightly improved camera. That kind of practice really hurts the value of the resale of all these "old" models, which may be just a couple of years old but 2, 3 generations from the latest model. Can't they just get it done right and let it last a couple of years?

 

Electronic components are always getting cheaper. If Canon could get the D60 right to begin with, they could have kept it for at least 1.5 to 2 years while dropping the price over that span. Instead, they couldn't deliver it in any kind of volume for months, and just a few more months after they finally delivered some D60s, it was replaced.

 

At the same time, I am complaining that Nikon is way too slow in coming up with new models. The 2.5 MP D1h is kind of embarrassing in today's standards and is losing ground badly to the EOS 1D in action photography. Yes, I am hard to please; most of us are. :-)

[leif_goodwin8]

No. Nikon have frozen the D100 price forever. Or maybe, just maybe, they will set the price according to what they think the market can stand.

 

I agree that it is not yet worth bothering unless you have a compelling reason to buy e.g. pro work. Once a D100 class body hits £700 ($1000) amateurs such as me will pile in big time.

 

The market just seems so volatile. I suppose this might be the future trend, whereby all digital camera bodies will lose value rapidly after purchase, unlike film bodies. Rather like PCs. Lets just hope Bill Gates doesn't get in on the act. Windows for Digicams. The thought makes me shudder.

[ehanauer]

My approach to photography has always been to stay with what I've got until I see images that I can't capture with my present equipment. When rear curtain fill flash came out I made the jump from an F2 to an F4. When it came time to take it underwater, I went to an N90s, and when Nikon went semi-affordable digi I went D100. As an underwater shooter there are some serious drawbacks (no ttl, 1.5 crop factor) but the advantages of instant feedback and virtually unlimited shooting overcome it.

 

Something better is always around the corner, but there comes a time to jump on the technological merry-go-round and ride it as long as you can. Unless you've got an unlimited bank account you'll go broke trying to keep up with the latest and greatest.

[umd]

What some guys say themselves is fact, what said contrary to that is no fact and shouldn't go unchallenged. So far so good Cliff, can you please apply this logic to ALL of the replies backwards up to the original question which is trollish and improperly toned. And note that level of the discussion sinks to the bottom with your immature comments of calling someone personally 'hare brained' for something he said.

 

Back to discussion; if Canon and Nikon (and Fuji) are competing D100 and S2 prices should decrease somewhat, but not as much cause I don't think Canon D10 is up to D100 and S2, at least for the spotmeter and superior flash metering.