Where is Nikon heading?

[stenrasmussen]

Recent information about Nikon's share of total camera sales (especially their lower end DSLR's), their drastic reduction of number of Nikon Ambassadors, promised DL line not delivered, lack of (real) mirrorless products, Nikon management asleep or just too tied up in old thinking, etc. makes me wondering.
Waddaya think folks?

Moderation: I have edited this post - If you have a problem with that Sten, please write to me or anyone from the team. Thanks

[Erik Lund]

I don't really know what DL is.

I really don't miss any mirror-less options from Nikon - The New Fuji GFX looks amazing so does their X series.

Their old Nikkro rangefinder lenses will definitely not be up to current standards except for the very vintage look if used on FF, the old Leica M lenses are also struggling on the new sensors and Leica seems to have stopped at 24MP for 'full frame' sensors SL and the new M10.

I think it's vise of Nikon to continue with DSLR FX DX and the lovely little Nikon1

[stenrasmussen]

Recent information about Nikon's share of total camera sales (especially their lower end DSLR's), their drastic reduction of number of Nikon Ambassadors, promised DL line not delivered, lack of (real) mirrorless products, Nikon management asleep or just too tied up in old thinking, etc. makes me wondering.
Waddaya think folks?

Moderation: I have edited this post - If you have a problem with that Sten, please write to me or anyone from the team. Thanks

That's fine. The T-man quote was too controversial.

[MILLIREHM]

I think it's vise of Nikon to continue with DSLR FX DX and the lovely little Nikon1

For taking Nikon 1 serious I'd ask for a 1-lens with macro capability (still none - maybe the AF is not good enough) and a well thought follow-up somehat professoinal version of the V1 (electronic viewfinder, EN-EL15, improved handling and better cache and preemptive save capabilities.

[Jakov Minić]

All I want is an AW-2 with a fish-eye lens!
The rest I have

[Bjørn Rørslett]

For taking Nikon 1 serious I'd ask for a 1-lens with macro capability (still none - maybe the AF is not good enough) and a well thought follow-up somehat professoinal version of the V1 (electronic viewfinder, EN-EL15, improved handling and better cache and preemptive save capabilities.

Handling is always in the eye of the beholder as it were, but no doubt this aspect could be emphasised a bit stronger. With the 1V1, you have a very nicely looking camera that uses EN-EL15, has super-fast AF and shooting rate, and is let down by some quite amateurish design flaws in the operations department.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

All I want is an AW-2 with a fish-eye lens!
The rest I have

The patent for a fisheye lens for the AW series has been published.

[stenrasmussen]

Why does Nikon still push out new low end DSLRs when their sales are so bad?
What is Nikon doing to counter-act the mirrorlessers?
Where is the PF technology going next?
And where is that hybrid viewfinder?

[MILLIREHM]

Handling is always in the eye of the beholder as it were, but no doubt this aspect could be emphasised a bit stronger. With the 1V1, you have a very nicely looking camera that uses EN-EL15, has super-fast AF and shooting rate, and is let down by some quite amateurish design flaws in the operations department.

What i hate with te 1V1 is the too easily moving mode dial. And I had expected a better 60 fps burst functionality (like Casio had shown before)
In fact I use it solely as a 2,7 crop camera and with the electronic shutter when silent operation is required. for me it works on superteles and tripod but fails with 70-300 and monopod because the whole thing is too lightweight

[Bjørn Rørslett]

As those low-end designs basically are design replicas and manufactured by robots, my guess is they still earn healthy money on that product line.

Mirrorless is still an open playing field, sales are not massive, and sooner or later Nikon finds it opportune to enter the game.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

What i hate with te 1V1 is the too easily moving mode dial. And I had expected a better 60 fps burst functionality (like Casio had shown before)
In fact I use it solely as a 2,7 crop camera and with the electronic shutter when silent operation is required. for me it works on superteles and tripod but fails with 70-300 and monopod because the whole thing is too lightweight

Your objections mirror mine. However, one can use epoxy to ensure the mode dial literally is stuck in a specific position ... As to light weight, Erik made a motor grip for my 1V1 that added more heft and improved handling.

I like the low price making it easy to experiment with replacing the mount for something more universal (either M42 or 52 mm thread).

[MILLIREHM]

I belonged to the the first buyers what I rarely do (FT1 was not available and  required a FW upgrade then) and payed a overpriced super-price then for V1 and two lenses ;-)
Still see it as subsidy to help nikon after the 2011 earthquake hitting Sendai facility

[Erik Lund]

Why does Nikon still push out new low end DSLRs when their sales are so bad?
What is Nikon doing to counter-act the mirrorlessers?
Where is the PF technology going next?
And where is that hybrid viewfinder?

Leica has looked into a hybrid finder and their conclution is it will not work to any satisfaction, it will be a big compromise for both the optical- as well as the electronic viewfinder.

I believe they are right,,, IMHO they have the best EVF in the SL and the best OVF in the M for their purpose.

I'm sure Nikon has come to the same conclusion for the current state of technology.

PS thanks for accepting my moderation-censorship.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Second-hand 1V1 cameras are becoming very cheap.

I did test it at the launch time, but bought the first one a year later when they had fallen in price. Have some of them now, assigned to different tasks. One is permanently set up with the 50/0.75 Rayxar. Another with the 28/1.8 Ultra-Micro-Nikkor.

Battery longevity used to be lousy, but the new Li-20 generation of the EN-EL15 drastically changed that.

[Anthony]

I was an early buyer of the V1.  I feel it could have been an outstanding camera, but the handling issues and the high price damaged it.  A lost opportunity.