SP 2005 LAST FILM Nikon ??

VinceC said:
>>All that has to happen is Kobayashi-san needs to overcome his internal conflict with digital and put the tried-and-true Bessaflex TM/Bessa R/R2/R3 back into production with a digital sensor (not the ill-fated Epson RD-1s).<<

Man do I wish he would see the Digital Light.
I felt no compelling reason to by one of his Nikon RF-mount film bodies because I already have what I need. But I'd sure LOVE to have a digital knock-off that took my S-mount lenses. I'd pay money for that. Maybe not the price of a digital M. But look at how fairly briskly Nikon S3s are selling at the $2,300 price ... and that's a film camera with an orphaned lens mount.
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Yep, I'd buy one. Would love the option of using my S-mount lenses on a digital RF. Unfortunately Vince, not sure if the market is "big" enough even for Kobayashi-san to find attractive.
 
A rather sad milestone but you never know, Nikon might still make the odd limited run. I have been a fan of the F and F2 for a while now and they will still be used as long as film is still around.

Bill
 
>>Yep, I'd buy one. Would love the option of using my S-mount lenses on a digital RF. Unfortunately Vince, not sure if the market is "big" enough even for Kobayashi-san to find attractive.<<

The market is probably literally in the dozens. On the other hand, he already has the tooling for the mount AND some unsold S-mount cameras and lenses. Once the RD-1s technology has come and gone, if the Bessa R-platform was reworked to a digital body that sold primarily in LTM and M mount, I think a small portion of the Nikon/Contax/Kiev user community would pay a bit extra for an S-mount and Contax-mount version. At this point on the production line, it would literally mean a simple module swap between the M and Nikon/Contax focusing mechanisms. The production line is already set up and the extra focus mounts probably even exist.
 
Brian Sweeney said:
If you are going to buy an M-Mount Digital RF, getting a Contax to M-Mount adapter is not a big deal. After that, adjust the shims on the lenses if required; or adjust the RF on the camera for the S-Mount lenses. You end up with an S-Mount Digital Camera. It might say Epson or Leica, but you will be able to use those lenses.
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Brian,

When the Digi M comes out - I'm going to follow up with you on this. I buy the body and the adapter - you do the shim adjustments for me(for a reasonable compensation of course).

You are adept at this - I am a lkutz! :D
 
>>If you are going to buy an M-Mount Digital RF, getting a Contax to M-Mount adapter is not a big deal.<<

True. But rather than go to the hassle of shimming half a dozen of the best lenses ever made, rendering them unusuable on film camera, maybe someone could be persuaded to churn out a few more S to M adapters. I was also kind of thinking that I -- and a whole bunch of other people -- would be inclined to afford a digital Bessa in the $1,200 or so price range than a Digital M at three to four times that.
 
CameraQuest said:
Am I correct in believing the Nikon SP 2005 was not only the LAST Nikon rangefinder, but also the LAST FILM Nikon announced ?? It was announced after the F6.

Stephen
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I don't think there will ever be an FM3A/T, and as much as I'd LOVE Nikon to reissue a 50th anniversary eyelevel F in 2009, I seriously doubt we'll ever see that dream come true :bang:

Looks like the SP 2005 really is the last film camera of any type from Nikon :(
 
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CameraQuest said:
just realized something folks.

As you probably know, the Nikon One of 1946 was the first Nikon camera -- film of course.

Am I correct in believing the Nikon SP 2005 was not only the LAST Nikon rangefinder, but also the LAST FILM Nikon announced ?? It was announced after the F6.

Stephen
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I guess my only question to you is - why is this a surprise? There will only be film cameras from niche players from now on. I'd dearly love for Canon to go nostalgic, for the only time in thier corporate history, and make a retro 7 or, even better, a DIGITAL T90 with the 5D sensor that is fully FD compatible but it will _not_ happen.

No, aside from Cosina, Leica & Zeiss, there will be no more (edit! 35mm) film cameras & I have major doubts about the last 2.

I own the Canon T90 - arguably the best manual focus camera ever made. I've been down this road before. And yeah, I also own a Canon A2E (w/ VG-10 & a 50/1.8 :D ) which is a da*n good camera in it's own right. But nothing like them will come from Canon ever again. I'm just grateful that they decided to chase the full frame sensor.

Large format is a very different ball game & there you actually can see serious numbers (well, such as they are ;) ) coming back to film after realizing that digital is still a decade or two away from doing what they need.

William
 
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wlewisiii said:
This, unfortunately for us FD loving grognards, is why Canon will still be making new toys long after Nikon is nothing but a nearly forgotten memory.

William
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In Japan, Nikon D-SLR sales volume recently overtook Canon D-SLR sales volume :D
 
jonmanjiro said:
In Japan, Nikon D-SLR sales volume recently overtook Canon D-SLR sales volume :D
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Eh, I'd wait to see if that's still the case a wee bit from now. Canon can afford to loose money, for example, if they feel they need to. Kinda like M$ in that respect. Nikon can not afford it longer than one or, maybe, two quarters.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm a Canonista to be sure, but I also know that has more to do with the fact that the first non-126 camera I picked up was an AE-1 than anything else. Nikon makes good cameras & good lenses as does Canon, Leica, Zeiss, Olympus, etc etc etc.

That said, there are only 2 real players these days - Nikon & Canon. Nikon has consintantly shown pretty darn good product but Canon has consistantly played to the majority of consumers (including pros) since the EOS line was introduced. Let's put it like this - Nikon only still officially makes the F6. Canon still "makes" or at least sells the 1V, 3, Elan 7NE, Rebel T2 & Rebel K2 as thier film line. My "new" toy is an A2E yet even it sold for a decade. I hope Nikon survives - Canon needs them as desperatly as Microsoft needs Apple. But still ... :(

William
 
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Patman said:
Statistics show that over 75% of all Pulitzer Prize Winning Photos were taken with a Nikon!
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Statistics probably also show that a large majority of all Pulitzer Prize Winning Photos were taken on film ;)

Philipp
 
wlewisiii said:
Eh, I'd wait to see if that's still the case a wee bit from now. Canon can afford to loose money, for example, if they feel they need to. Kinda like M$ in that respect. Nikon can not afford it longer than one or, maybe, two quarters.

William
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http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200707190113.html


Nikon Corp., buoyed by the popularity of its D40 model, sold more digital single-lens reflex cameras than rival Canon Inc. in the first half of 2007.
Nikon clinched a 47.5-percent share of the domestic market from January to June, surpassing Canon's 36.5 percent, according to Tokyo-based market research firm BCN Inc.
It was the first time that Nikon has held the top spot over a half-year term, although it had done so on a monthly basis before.
Nikon and Canon have long been the dominant players in the domestic SLR camera market, but Nikon appeared stuck in second place for digital SLR camera body sales.
In the first half of 2006, Canon led at 46.4 percent to Nikon's 31.9 percent, and at 42.9 percent to Nikon's 35.5 percent in the second half.
Nikon's low-priced D40 series was released in December 2006. The introductory D40 model initially sold for slightly less than 60,000 yen at retail stores, about 30,000 yen lower than comparable models by other makers.
SLR cameras are sold with open pricing and with lenses sold separately.
The D40X model, boasting superior picture quality at 10.2 megapixels, hit the market in March at less than 80,000 yen.
Nikon cut costs by adjusting details such as leaving off a liquid crystal display panel on top to show operational status and other data.
Both models weigh less than 500 grams.
Having seen its market share drop since late last year, Canon in June recovered some lost ground with a "cash back" campaign. Purchasers of an EOS Kiss Digital X, for example, received a 10,000 yen rebate.
Canon's popular EOS Kiss model, first introduced in 2003 and now in its third generation, has been selling well.
Competition for third place has also been fierce.
In the first half of this year, Pentax Corp. came in third at 6.7 percent, followed by Sony Corp. at 4.5 percent and Olympus Corp. at 4.3 percent.
In May and June, however, Olympus moved up to third, led by its E-410 model, which it claims is the world's "smallest, slimmest and lightest" digital SLR camera. The model, released in April, weighs 375 grams.(IHT/Asahi: July 19,2007)
 
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