Nikon is rumored to exit the single-lens reflex (SLR) camera market and will focus mirrorless camera manufacturing and development. The move comes from intense competition against smartphone cameras.
The company has previously announced that its F-mount DSLR cameras will continue until 2025. However, the smartphone industry has taken a huge chunk of Nikon's share according to Nikkei's report.
Nikon will continue to push back and get back on track with products that have unique features.
Despite the shocking news, Nikon has not confirmed if it will totally pull out of the DLSR market citing that Nikkei's report are just rumors.
"Nikon is continuing the production, sales and service of digital SLR. Nikon appreciate your continuous support," said the company.
Nikon DSLR's slow decline
Nikon has disclosed that it will discontinue the production of the Nikon D5600 and D3500 cameras.
The Nikon D5600 came out in 2016 and since then, Nikon has not released its successor. Meanwhile, the Nikon D3500 came out in 2018 and four years after, it has no successor as well.
NIkon has not released a new flagship DLSR since the Nikon D6 came out in 2020. No news of its successor came out as well.
Nikon's DLSR decline might be attributed to the rise of mirrorless cameras in the last five years. The Japanese camera giant tried to breach the mirrorless camera market but it has not made the same impact since its peak back in 2013.
However, Nikon is optimistic that it will recover this 2022 as it releases more mirrorless cameras. The expansion of the Z-mount is expected to lure photographers to switch to Nikon as well.
What is next for Nikon?
It is not the end of Nikon yet. Perhaps, this move will expand their Nikon Z-lineup more.
As of the moment, Nikon's latest Z30 mirrorless cameras is already a contender. The features are great for photographers though it is leaning more towards vloggers and content creators.
That being said, Nikon still lacks lenses in the APS-C Z-mount department. Its latest road map shows that it only has four Nikon DX lenses - which are pretty basic compared to its full-frame counterparts.
On the other hand, the Nikon Z9 sets an excellent precedent to what photographers should expect from a Nikon mirrorless camera. This unit packs a punch and its features rival offerings from other bands. On some aspects, the Z9 is even better.
Hopefully, Nikon finds its groove and exceed its forecast this year.