NJphotodoc Loc: Now in the First State

Hi all,

As a loyal Nikon fans for well over 40 yrs, I was concerned about how the company is planning to address the changes it is seeing in the industry. So I went looking for information and came across this:

"As announced in “Notice of Restructuring” released on November 8, 2016, Nikon Group is currently under a fundamental company-wide restructuring to improve its corporate value as shifting from a strategy pursuing revenue growth to one pursuing profit enhancement." (https://nikonrumors.com/2017/02/13/nikon-reports-extraordinary-loss-fundamental-company-wide-restructuring.aspx/)

So when we see that the "new" D7500 has fewer features that the D7200 (single SD slot, no AE for older lenses, etc.) and that they are using tilt screen tech from the D5XXX series and the sensor from the D500, it sounds more like how can make "new" from "old" will be Nikon's approach for the foreseeable future.

No one is arguing that Apple, Samsung, LG and all the other smartphone manufacturers are making serious inroads into photography and to be honest, if the market is there, they would be foolish not to include this in their products. Unfortunately Nikon has been slow (inert?) to realize this and this may signal the start of a long, slow slide down the slope of no return.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

You need to do more research. Nikon is just fine. Perhaps you should talk directly to Nikon instead of reading what paid scribblers have to say.
--Bob

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I was once a loyal Nikon fan with a couple of film bodies and 10 lenses.

Nikon is not going away. Reading a variety of "business" articles on the camera industry, the common conclusion is that there is necessary restructuring going on. Each company has to find a specialty niche and be dominant in it. They have to shed what they don't do well and stay focused.

Companies always have to focus on profits! Without them, they completely go away!

BebuLamar

The D7500 is not yet available so nobody can really buy it yet. Now the news of the D7500 does it cause people to buy the D7200? If so Nikon made some sales without really having to do anything.

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

Subsequent to what you posted, Nikon announced that it will concentrate on mid to high end cameras. The D7500 seems to fit this model.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

I know there are many here that say Nikon will never disappear, but Nikon is behind in their camera division compared to the competition. Cellphones and mirrorless cameras are taking their toll on DSLRs (even mirrorless is just staying status quo). I think Nikon will survive so it is not yet time to "abandon ship".

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

It would be foolish for Nikon or Canon for that matter, to try and compete in the smart phone market. Its much too late for that even if they could.

Canikon will survive but not their present offerings. They finally came to realize that the low end market is lost, hence the restructuring. New releases like the D7500 are a desperate attempt to retain the people that have a keen interest in photography and don't have deep pockets.

There will always be a demand for top end cameras for pros and advanced armatures. The DSLR still retains an advantage but not for long. As the technology improves the high end mirror-less cameras are gaining and will eventual surpass the DSLR. Yes there are issues to overcome but they will be solved. Sony appears to be leading the pack.

Canikon will eventually succumb and supply high end mirror-less models. They are not stupid; their long term survival depends on it. Hope they solve the mount problems associated with this change so the loyal customers don't get stuck with lenses they can't use.

Things change all the time and you just have to go with the flow. Ever read "Who Moved My Cheese?"

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

The smart phones are killing off much of the P&S market. The camera companies should cut their multiple P&S models down to a basic few that are good quality for the money and work on mid-range and high end cameras.
I see that Nikon has lost second place FF sales in the US to Sony.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Nikon is shedding unnecessary cost to concentrate on their core market: Professional photographers.

NJphotodoc Loc: Now in the First State

Didn't realize how much feedback my post would draw. I do want to put some "valid numbers" gotten from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding the number of professional photographers there are in the US and the job outlook (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Media-and-Communication/Photographers.htm) .
Median Salary: $31,710 yr
Number of Jobs: 124,900
Job Outlook: 3% (slower than average)
Employment Change (2014-24): 3,900

So, if Canikon does want to focus on this relatively small market pro market with cameras and lenses that amount to nearly 20% of a photographer's annual gross salary, they may want to rethink this approach. It is and will be the interested amateur market who does have the resources and the desire to buy a good entry or mid level camera (and will eventually move up) that will always be there, but it must be cultivated by offering affordable devices with features potential buyers will want. That's why Sony has moved into 2nd place ahead of Nikon and is slowly inching ahead towards Canon's market share.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

To come to that conclusion, because of a single model is just sad and does not stand on solid ground!!!

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

People like us are a dying breed. Young folks don't want to learn photography and carry specialized devises when they can have a pocket sized device that takes pictures, can post them on social media, surf the internet, listen to radio, music, watch movies, talk to people , do research, pay bills, etc... and no particular skills or flat learning curves needed. They don't even use computers that much any more and some even don't know how. There is an app for just about anything. Phones are even replacing checks and credit cards.

The camera companies will never convert young people to a single purpose device that is expensive and awkward to carry. Canikon are presently on the slippery slope and struggling to maintain ground, and every year the smart phones are doing more and are easier to use.

CO

You mentioned that the D7500 has fewer features than the D7200 such as a single memory card slot and no AE for older lenses. Those are cost saving moves and also to prevent the D7500 from competing with the D500. They did something similar when they went from the D3300 to the D3400. They eliminated the ultrasonic sensor cleaner and gave it a built-in flash that has only one-half the power of the flash in the D3300. Using the 20.9 megapixel sensor from the D500 allows the D7500 to shoot at 8 frames per second. It could probably only manage about 6-7 frames per second with current 24 megapixel sensor.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

I don't think the OP is basing it off a "single model". It was just the thing that got him thinking and researching. He has presented some facts and is just trying to see where the future is going. Because of digital, a majority of film camera manufacturers no longer exist (who is Kodak? Minolta?). The cellphones started coming with 5 mp cameras, and the P&S market basically disappeared. With less photographers (I consider 3% as status quo), it becomes harder to justify lots of research and development. I suspect we will see one or two more manufacturer names missing in the future. I don't think it will be Nikon, but the future is not so much set in stone.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Nikon will outlast me. That's for sure. I'm waiting for the next big FX. The new 70-200 f/2.8FL lens is one of the best lenses in the industry. iPhones have hurt the small dslr market and that's okay by me.