Where is Nikon heading?

[John Koerner]

delete

[Ilkka Nissilä]

I don't want a plugin since the settings made in the plugin are not accessible during adjustment of other image processing settings.

I want the raw conversion settings, local adjustments using control points and every other type of editing operation available from the same user interface with adjustments to the settings made at any time, in any order. Otherwise it feels like going back 20 years into the digital stone age.

When I use a Nik plugin to make e.g. black and white conversion from PS, I usually also need to use a crop mask. I end up with a 600MB TIFF (from a D810 file) and won't be able to adjust settings after the filter operation has been completed. This is totally primitive and unacceptable. I waste 10 x the time I used to spend making adjustments using my old workflow now that I have to use Nik's plugins instead of the integrated solution of NX2. Where the image hardly grew from its original size when the edits were completed. 40 MB NEF -> 600MB TIFF. Not convenient or efficient. And then if I save different versions, each of them is that big. Yes, I can flatten the images but then I end up with even less access to the editing parameters so if I want to make further changes I have to start from scratch.

I guess Nikon felt they could not compete with the software manufacturers for popularity but I think as they threw in the towel on software they also nailed the first nails in their coffin. Snapbridge clearly shows that they are not able to implement what they plan in a way that would be found acceptable by users because they don't invest enough in software development and competent professionals to write the code and proper testing.

[Akira]

I guess Nikon felt they could not compete with the software manufacturers for popularity but I think as they threw in the towel on software they also nailed the first nails in their coffin. Snapbridge clearly shows that they are not able to implement what they plan in a way that would be found acceptable by users because they don't invest enough in software development and competent professionals to write the code and proper testing.

Well, I seriously worry if the further development of KeyMission lineup would be aborted...

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Well, I seriously worry if the further development of KeyMission lineup would be aborted...

I suspect this will be the next announcement ... "due to slow sales".

Don't get me wrong, I think the rugged underwater dual fisheye seems like an interesting "adventure photography" product. But if they can't get the software to work, it will not sell.

[David H. Hartman]

Hereunder some pictures taken with an iPhone 6 during this weekend by my son and forwarded by mail (2 MB downsizes). iPhone 7 is much better.  Just to give you an idea where the entry level is. For Web publishing, more than sufficient; and that's what most youngsters are doing.

(1) NYC street view:
(2) towards Manhattan from the Empire State Building (Flat Iron in the middle, and One WTC on the horizon);
(3) the "Flat Iron"

Photos 1 & 2 fall apart when view larger but the vast majority of smart phone users will never know this. This is more than good enough for them. These people are not the market for proper cameras. They are snap shooters and that's all they want to be. From these the makers of proper camera need to draw a few proper customers.

From the days of "Push the button, let Kodak do the rest." photographs by the general public were memory aids: snaps for a photo book.

Dave

[bjornthun]

I suspect this will be the next announcement ... "due to slow sales".

Don't get me wrong, I think the rugged underwater dual fisheye seems like an interesting "adventure photography" product. But if they can't get the software to work, it will not sell.

There are two Snapbridge softwares. The one for the action cameras hasn't been updated since 21. November in 2016, and it's not compatible with version 10.2 of iOS that came in January 2017. The version for DSLRs hasn't been updated since 8. December 2016. The fact that Nikon doesn't update Snapbridge for iOS as often as they should is worrying, and not the way for Nikon to go forward. The action cameras are basically lame ducks already because of this.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Should not the OS manufacturer make sure that software written for previous versions are compatible with the new one? I can't imagine that application software developers would feel it acceptable that every minor release of the OS requires its own app.

[MFloyd]

Uninteresting so deleted. I deleted all posts which are aimed by the moderator.  This should not cause disruption to the reading continuity of the thread.

[Erik Lund]

Moderation:

No real new arguments that will change anything for Nikons future is currently being produced,,, as was the topic of this thread,,,

I see a few people getting stubborn and claiming they are right - please stop preaching like that, you will not be able to convince everybody, and that is not the purpose of this site,,,

So Please: If you have something new or interesting as to the future of Nikon as Sten put it up, please share it here

[bjornthun]

Should not the OS manufacturer make sure that software written for previous versions are compatible with the new one? I can't imagine that application software developers would feel it acceptable that every minor release of the OS requires its own app.

No, it has never worked that way with any OS.

[Bill Mellen]

My guess is that Nikon is heading towards a niche market for quality digital cameras with sensible features and a more affordable line of smaller consumer oriented DSLR's just like they have now.  The biggest problem they face is that the market for those products seems to be growing smaller and smaller.

When looking at the Amateur / Enthusiast market, I think that almost everyone who wants a DSLR probably already has one or more and the number of new customers keeps getting smaller as the number of gadgets available to occupy their time keeps increasing. 

Impairments to a growing ILC / DSLR Amateur / Enthusiast market include

• The older gadget aficionados among us are losing our ability to cope with ever increasing complexity.
• Each new generation of DLSR and ILC cameras bring smaller and smaller improvements from the previous generation.
• The overwhelming number of things available to consume our free time
• Less free time available for the younger adult customers
• ... a number of other items that I cannot think of right now

How long Nikon will last is pretty much anyone's guess. 

Canon has a broader market penetration with top end DSLR cameras and top end Video cameras.  Sony has pushed in to the same space and of course there is the rest of the mirrorless manufacturers.

I am not sure what Nikon "should" do other than improve their customer relations (especially in the US) by providing first class service and clear support of their existing customer base much as the luxury car manufacturers do.

[Ron Scubadiver]

Should not the OS manufacturer make sure that software written for previous versions are compatible with the new one? I can't imagine that application software developers would feel it acceptable that every minor release of the OS requires its own app.

For the most part old software continues to work on subsequent versions of windows.  Mac users are not as fortunate. 

[Ilkka Nissilä]

No, it has never worked that way with any OS.

There is plenty of software that is portable. I wrote some myself which is almost 30 years old and still in daily use, and it has never explicitly been ported. Features have been added and modified but the code still works on a newer OS. If code is not portable it (or the platform) is poorly designed. Of course, there are other criteria for good software other than portability but to me that is a very important factor.

[David H. Hartman]

Should not the OS manufacturer make sure that software written for previous versions are compatible with the new one? I can't imagine that application software developers would feel it acceptable that every minor release of the OS requires its own app.

I agree. I was given an older 24" iMAC running El Capitan and I enjoy the OS in may ways but Apple doesn't seem to care about breaking even recently released software.

Windows however goes to reasonable lengths to assure that old software still works. I'm using a file sync program on Windows 7 that was designed for Windows 95 and last updated in 1998. It has an interface I like. I can contribute rather than sync and it allows a bit comparison of two files that was very useful when recovering from a HD failure. I'm also using Quicken 98 though I'll be retiring it very soon.

Dave Hartman

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[How about a Nikon smartphone with software that doesn't work? It could feature a genuine Nikkor lens!]

[Akira]

I suspect this will be the next announcement ... "due to slow sales".

Don't get me wrong, I think the rugged underwater dual fisheye seems like an interesting "adventure photography" product. But if they can't get the software to work, it will not sell.

The connectivity issue of SnapBridge 360 is one reason, but also the camera (KeyMission360) itself seemed to suffer.  The exposure of two images shot with the fisheyes combined back to back didn't match.  A clear seam can be seen where two images are stitched (especially in the sky), which I never observed in any images from Ricoh Theta.