Severe crisis at Nikon

[BillBingham2]

.....Wonder why Sony's A6300 replacement/update - the A6500 - is almost 50% more expensive than its replacement? Cuz there is no money left in making 'cheap' cameras......

They will be pricing themselves out of the market if they keep this up.

Finding the balance between ever increasing profits, not leaving cash on the table, and selling your new product is hard. Share holders only care about increasing profits....

B2 (;->

 

[back alley]

https://petapixel.com/2017/02/13/nikon-cancels-dl-series-amidst-extraordinary-loss-restructuring/

 

[sevo]

They will be pricing themselves out of the market if they keep this up.

We'll see where a smaller market settles - prices must go up as cameras are made in ever smaller numbers. Some makers will doubtlessly stumble over the price-finding - at least if there are others that can afford to keep the prices low for long enough to push the competition out. Sony has issues of its own, but it is less dependent on photography than most other makers...

 

[Austerby]

That they are in trouble is sad, but not surprising.

I have bought three brand-new Nikons in my time:

1982 - Nikon FE
1998 (I think) - Nikon F80
2005 (approx) - Nikon D70

They had me as a loyal customer up to then, I liked the D70 and still have it, but when it came to buying the next camera I was back into film and into rangefinders. I have a Sony A7ii that fills my need for a dSLR type camera. I still use the same FE, but none of the later digital Nikons appealed. I was a prime potential customer for the Df but that never appealed enough to buy one.

 

[lawrence]

Whenever I walk into any kind of tourist area and look at what people are carrying, phones aside it's all prosumer SLRs, nearly always Nikon or Canon. Generally there's not a Fuji or Olympus mirrorless in sight because brand recognition is so important in this market. If Nikon simply concentrated on the prosumer and pro I think they'd do OK, although at some point they need to come up with is a mirrorless that can take F mount lenses. Everything else they do photography-wise should be dumped.

 

[daveleo]

I feel the Coolpix A was the pivotal event. Had Nikon priced it right to begin with (it started it $1200 I think - with no viewfinder!) , it would have sold very well. They should have sold them at cost to get attract buyers moving from DSLR's to mirrorless.
I'm am one of their lost long-time customers. Got tired of waiting for them to take the mirrorless market seriously.

 

[Sym101]

I'm wondering if Nikon would ever consider remaking their S2/S3/SP rangefinder cameras in digital, seeing how popular rangefinder styled cameras are these days. It can be a true rangefinder camera or a mirrorless like X-pro or X100. That might reverse their fortunes.

 

[steveyork]

Leica is doing ok because they are high end, and have always been.

Remember circa 2005 when Leica was on its' own death march. The deals were amazing. Brand new 35-50-90 lenses at dealer cost from a store dropping the brand, because nothing sold. Another store, same song, but a new MP at dealer cost. All the long time Leica guys on the forums lamenting a gnashing teeth -- but look were the company is today. Hope Nikon can find their footing too.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

The camera in the new cell phones are as good or better than the point and shoots. And, since everyone is carrying a cell phone why buy a camera. Maybe, the future will be upper end professional cameras and cell phones?

 

[coelacanth]

I loved my F3HP, FM10 (tho made by Cosina), FM3a and D40 back in the days. I moved away from the brand as I switched to RF and mirrorless years ago, but I always preferred Nikon over Canon for whatever reason.

I hope they'll make a come-back as a leaner, more focused photographic tool manufacturer.

If they are to go under (shouldn't jinx it but...) I hope they'll release a commemorative Nikon RF and Nikon F before the end...

 

[shawn]

I don't get how people are saying Nikon messed up by not embracing mirrorless digital photography. That market is sucking seaweed too.

Lots of players in a smallish market. Had Nikon (or Canon) gone in heavily at the start several of the players probably wouldn't have gotten a foot in the door. Nikon/Canon wouldn't have lost customers to other brands. I've bought Nikon's since the 80s. Now I shoot Fuji.

Shawn

 

[Huss]

If they are to go under (shouldn't jinx it but...) I hope they'll release a commemorative Nikon RF and Nikon F before the end...

They've already done that twice with the RF.
Commemorative F? Hmmmmmm...

 

[fdarnell]

Nikon Should get out

Nikon Should get out

Interesting story. Here's the fundamental, unavoidable, irreversible facts:

1. The number of people that appreciate the performance of a high quality DSLR or mirrorless is declining and doing so rapidly.

2. The number of people that want one device to text, email, post to social media and keep them connected and make wonderful selfies and food pics to show their friends is growing at an exponential rate.

3. The population of #2 is not well suited to the rigors of detailed, thorough problem-solving skills need to compete successfully in modern manufacturing. Problem solving, data analysis, fact-finding and critical thought are ideas from another universe to them.

4. It's too late to enter the smartphone business, mirrorless business or any format of camera business of any kind in the digital realm.

Therefore:

Given #3 & #4, Nikon should dump the camera division ASAP as it is still profitable and move to building the automatic measuring systems business, since the population of #2 will not be able to provide the skills to keep their ever-increasing demand for instant social approval gratification technology satisfied for their astronomically growing masses. Nikon has a good marketing force for the industrial imaging division and adding this kind of product to its mix will give them a "full cart" to sell from.

This manufacturing should not take place in the United States.

 

[Dan]

I'm wondering if Nikon would ever consider remaking their S2/S3/SP rangefinder cameras in digital, seeing how popular rangefinder styled cameras are these days. It can be a true rangefinder camera or a mirrorless like X-pro or X100. That might reverse their fortunes.

Exactly, put effort into capitalizing on the historic weight of the brand and ride the nostalgia train. Boy, would I love one of these were they to ever come to market.

 

[Tin]

Therefore:

Given #3 & #4, Nikon should dump the camera division ASAP as it is still profitable and move to building the automatic measuring systems business, since the population of #2 will not be able to provide the skills to keep their ever-increasing demand for instant social approval gratification technology satisfied for their astronomically growing masses. Nikon has a good marketing force for the industrial imaging division and adding this kind of product to its mix will give them a "full cart" to sell from.

This manufacturing should not take place in the United States.

Thank you for your clear summary. While I basically agree with your observations, but please forgive my ignorance, could you elaborate on what are "automatic measuring systems"?

Tin

 

[Tin]

That they are in trouble is sad, but not surprising.

I have bought three brand-new Nikons in my time:

1982 - Nikon FE
1998 (I think) - Nikon F80
2005 (approx) - Nikon D70

They had me as a loyal customer up to then, I liked the D70 and still have it, but when it came to buying the next camera I was back into film and into rangefinders. I have a Sony A7ii that fills my need for a dSLR type camera. I still use the same FE, but none of the later digital Nikons appealed. I was a prime potential customer for the Df but that never appealed enough to buy one.

I also bought the following Nikons brand new:

Nikon FE
Nikon FM
Nikon FM2
Nikon D200
Nikon D700

I think the D700 can be used in the liveview mode, but it is so inconvenient that I don't think that I have used that more than 2 or 3 times.

And now I am in the Fuji camp.


Tin

 

[Jamie Pillers]

D**n! I'm really, REALLY sad to see the end of the DL cameras. I loved the IQ and color from the little Nikon 1 V3 camera. And the Nikon 1 lenses were superb. But... like everyone else I guess, I moved on to larger sensors. But the V3 IQ always stuck in the back of my thoughts and then they announced the coming DL line. So I put off buying something similar, like the Sony RX line. Now what? D**n!!

 

[Jamie Pillers]

I thought this was a great comment (from dpreview today. Thanks "ttran88"):

"Nikon killed the DLs to protect Nikon 1 sales. Like how they won't release a a big sensor mirrorless to protect their dslr sales. Or how they won't release more APSC lenses like the great DX 35mm f1.8 to protect their FX sales. They probably won't make their video on dslrs better either to protect their Key Mission sales. Good job Nikon!!!"

 

[fdarnell]

Thank you for your clear summary. While I basically agree with your observations, but please forgive my ignorance, could you elaborate on what are "automatic measuring systems"?

Tin

My understanding is that they are precise optical systems that determine distances or measurements from optical scans. They are used in robotics extensively. i'm no expert on this, but it would seem to be a critical part of a truly accurate robotic system. Nikon's autofocus would work on a macro scale. On a micro scale, I don't know. But seems this will be a future wave. The new two legged robots will need to know how far they have to walk and compare to energy reserves, for example, to know if they can make it where they want to go.

Anyone with more detail or better understanding, please add. I once knew a Nikon optical rep (selling microscopes) where her sales motto was "Zeiss is nice at twice the price!"🙂

 

[gilpen123]

The importance of professionals for the camera sales have always been much much overestimated by amateurs enthusiasts.
Only 1-2 % of all DSLRs are bought by professionals. The whole rest is bought by enthusiast photographers.

Without the market of the enthusiast / amateur photographers it would have never been possible to develop professional cameras. The buying power of professionals alone has always been to weak to keep such a market alive.

Cheers, Jan

Agree but I'm talking about now, in the decline stage only the professionals or even semi-professionals will be the last man standing.