SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Yes, we need to RING IN the new year with a good'ole fashioned UHH discussion! You know the one..., the one with raucous and colorful discourse!!!
So as the title says, why can't Nikon innovate on it's own? I don't mean natural evolution like a few more pixels or another f-stop of DR.
I mean like real innovation that changes the course of photography and camera design. Nikon sits and waits(conservatively) and then tries to improve it, sometimes winning, sometimes flailing awkwardly.
Examples:
The Canon T90. It changed the world of camera design and the way EVERY camera looked in the future, including Nikons.
Electronic coupling(EOS). EVERY brand went to it.
IS(VR), It's only been the last 5 years Nikon finally put it into its Super-Teles.
Anti Flicker, I was sure Nikon would have it in a year, it took two!!
These are a few reasons why in 2003, Nikon fell to number 2, and Canon has not looked back!!!
So WHY can't Nikon innovate and recapture #1?!?!
SS

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

What do you mean do you really keep tabs on those things , why . Car makers
Gas and oil companies mega super stores , there all the same don't worry so much about about it , did some one put down canon there no different , its all in the money that's all any big company is worried about there bottom line .Every camera that's made this year has been planned five years ago , the little touches
They add to there new ones are just enough to suck you in , thy won't give it to you all at once just a few crumbs at a time .

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

Sadly for Nikon, over the last two and a half years they have run into quality issues.

Products failing, recalls, bad publicity, lack of quality control and when this happens it does
not take the consumer long before they move on to a product that is reliable.

They do not necessarily move to Canon either. Panasonic, Sony, Fuji and Olympus
are all vying for the consumers custom and their products would appear more worthy
than Nikon's' at the present time.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

SS, you raise several interesting points, mostly moot. Sure, Canon is the largest selling DSLR in the world today, but several other companies are selling significant numbers of cameras, more than enough to be financially viable. And DSLR's are not the only cameras being produced. ILC and rangefinders still sell in significant numbers to photographers, both elite and less pecunious, but discerning folks. And even Canon and Nikon are being blind-sided by innovations from companies such as Sony, Panasonic and Fuji. Being first is certainly not the same as being best; Walmart has proven that!

Why would you bring up this subject? It's been argued over and over, ad nauseum. You are a highly-respected member of this forum; certainly you don't need the ego boost. And you know how rapidly technology and the market can shift.

I have owned products from just about every high end camera manufacturer in the world, the one most noticeable exception being Alpa. I have shot every size from Minox to 4X5. In 60+ years, I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of pictures I've taken, mostly film but some digital. I have gleaned a tremendous amount of technical ability and produced several pictures that have been published or sold, all incidentally done without one shred of talent . To this day, the finest camera I have ever had in my hands was a Leica M6, a camera I would gladly carry for the rest of my life if I could afford it and a few lenses.

And don't get me started on cellular phone cameras which now take more pictures daily than ALL film and digital photographically dedicated devices combined.

The LAST thing we need to ring in the year is another stupid fight that will just disintegrate into a flaming war destined for the attic!

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Sadly, they have also taken the brunt of geophysical damages to their homeland over the last several years.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Mogul, you're already started!!
That's the most I've seen you write in a while!!! LoL
Cell phones are probably barely in a tie with the Kodak Instamatic, probably the longest running camera in history without a change.
The year here so far has started out like a WET NOODLE! Wassup wit dat?!
It's just my observation that Nikon makes the little changes but just can't seem to muster the giant leaps of photography design. It takes the other companies to stick their necks out, then Nikon can copy! It would be nice to see the company get a little gumption, actually put its engineers to work and get back to it's real glory days!!!

SS

Bob Smith Loc: Banjarmasin

I think if Fuji Panasonic and Sony carry on developing and innovating like the last couple of years Nikon and Canon had better wake up or get left behind.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

At one time the opposite was also true. Canon copied Nikon at every turn, everyone did. Can you mount a Canon lens made today on a Canon camera made in the 60's and retain metering? Innovations come and go, companies come and go. At the current time photography accounts for only 5% on Nikon's annual sales, Nikon is a scientific instrument company, they have many areas of R and R development. Canon like wise. Both companies produce quality instruments that their owners can be proud to own. As a final note, it has never been and shall never be the brand that makes the photographer, it is, in the final analysis, the photographer that makes the difference, it has never been the equipment. I find your post very telling, it says a lot about you.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

We can turn it around and say "Why can't Canon innovate like Nikon?" Both are the the top in the DSLR field, and will leapfrog each other at times. When I think Canon I think copiers, printers, as well as cameras. When I think Nikon I think only "photography" since they are not as diversified as Canon. Nikon is a more specialized company, especially now so with the recent reorganization (search the posts here about a month ago) focusing on more pro level cameras and less on consumer models (point and shoot like Coolpix). IMO Nikon produces better APS-C cameras than Canon (D500 for one), but the FF models toss up - take your pick. Canon is better suited for videography. Many pro videographers will use a Canon DSLR over a Nikon DSLR. Ultimately it's user choice. Canon has more R&D money to work with being more diversified. It's like arguing Intel vs AMD in the processor world...Intel has more R&D resources.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Like the first DSLR with video, or the large pixel count of the D800 series?

Nikon 5, Canon 2.
http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/photography-news/16-digital-cameras-that-changed-the-world-3130

Plieku69 Loc: The Gopher State, south end

Back in the film days, (Petri FT) Canon was a good camera, but the really cool guys all used Nikon, it was the camera to have. Fast forward many, many years. Needing a digital I ask for guidance on another site and was advised that the Canon G-3 was the cat's meow. I got one and like it, it's still in use. Then came the need for something better, Canon had me on thier email list so I got lots of propaganda about how great the were.
IO decided the T3i was it, but to be sure I went to the camera store and compared Canon and Nikon side by side. CAnon felt better in the hand, solid and strong. Nikon felt like cheap plastic, too light. Then there was the flip out and rotate screen and live view that Canon had and Nikon didn't. I took the Canon home. Now I have added an 80D. Because I have too much invested in Canon lenses brand switching is now out of the question.

Since then I have picked up a Nikon D70 that I really didn't need. It seems OK though I miss the lack of live view. Otherwise it is a decent camera.

As for the other brands, finding good quality lenses is a greater challange and often more costly, so no, I'll pass on them.

Ken

BebuLamar

I think it's the corporate culture but I really don't know. As a Nikon user and I prefer Nikon over Canon I must say that about the only innovation Nikon made was the matrix metering system.

Fotomacher Loc: Toronto

The lack of innovation allows me to use a 25 year old 35mm f/1.4 AI-s lens on my current D810 body with full light metering in M and A modes. Also using AF-D lenses with full capabilities. Hmmm, maybe Nikons are built for serious photographers whilst Canons and made for tech-nerds who need the latest electronic bells/whistles to feel good? Just a question.......

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

If Canon is so good why do you need to hype it? If Canon was as good as you think it is it would be able to stand on it's own without constant boosterism.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Wow! I'll put my D810 and D500 up against most anything. On the other hand I really don't care what others use because I shoot to please me. Have fun.