The demise of analog Nikon?

Dave Parker · Oct 13, 2005

detune said:
Not Nikon but... I just bought a 2nd hand EOS3, the reason why I had to go 2nd hand (aside from getting a great deal!) was that when question, Canon NZ said they had no EOS3's in stock and didn't plan on getting any.... then another store clerk said the EOS3 has been discontinued ...

Canon is still listing the EOS 3 as a current model in production on their website, and acourding to the store I used to work at, there has not been any mention of the EOS 3 being discontinued by Canon as of yet..

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=138&modelid=7246

Dave

firecracker · Oct 13, 2005

discontinued and getting out of...

Satinsnow said:
Discontinued and getting out of the business is two entirely different things, camera companies discontinue things all the time, even good things, does not mean their getting out of the film business and anyone posting this type of information is doing so on pure speculation..

Dave

Maybe I didn't explain enough, but I thought you could see what I meant from the context. "Getting out" I meant, the company does less business with you, and so do the dealers including used camera stores selling the film products than they used to. It's not speculation but observation, and that may affect all of us analog users in the near future.

I'm not intending to make any statement here, but certainly pointing out what's been happening in the scene from a consumer/user's point of view.

And about the discontinued lens I mentioned before, it's not the direct information but through the authorized dealers. On the Nikon website(Japanese), I didn't see it. Either way, if these dealers were simply trying to sell me something else by saying what they said, then that's a problem also. And that is not going to help Nikon anyway.

Regardless, certain products live on without much aftercare and support, but I guess that's what we're talking about here.

firecracker · Oct 13, 2005

firecracker said:
Regardless, certain products live on without much aftercare and support, but I guess that's what we're talking about here.

Sorry I meant "that's NOT what we're talking about here."

By the way I don't call what's happening to Nikon, "demise" but it's rather a path just like any other. All I wanted to do here is to place product information.

Meanwhile I just called Nikon (Japan) customer support, and the representative said that the production of the 63mm lens had ended last month and there's no stock there, but that wouldn't necessarily appear on its website, which I personally don't know why because there are notices on other discontinued products. He said 50mm, 75mm, and other current types in the current lineup are and will still be available.

I didn't ask about the future of F6, sorry.

Dave Parker · Oct 13, 2005

firecracker said:
Sorry I meant "that's NOT what we're talking about here."

By the way I don't call what's happening to Nikon, "demise" but it's rather a path just like any other. All I wanted to do here is to place product information.

Meanwhile I just called Nikon (Japan) customer support, and the representative said that the production of the 63mm lens had ended last month and there's no stock there, but that wouldn't necessarily appear on its website, which I personally don't know why because there are notices on other discontinued products. He said 50mm, 75mm, and other current types in the current lineup are and will still be available.

I didn't ask about the future of F6, sorry.

I am not all that worried about it, after being in the photography business for over 20 years now, as well as being a large manufacture in the LF business, I still know that even reports from people that work for the company can sometimes be wrong..

I do believe that all of the large companies are pursueing the digital path a lot stronger than they are the film market, but there are still enough of us that make a living with a film camera, that they are not going to cut off their nose to spite their face, as far as listening to the guy behind the counter in the stores, I give them about as much credit as I do, when someone says the world is going to end tommorrow, I spent to many years working in the stores, and have seen it all to often.

Thanks for the information.

Dave

panchromatic · Oct 13, 2005

Next time i talk to my nikon rep i'll ask him, though I doubt that its true. I mean i'm sure they still do with consumer cameras (n65, n75, n80) and they just came out with the F6, so I doubt they would so quickly discontinue it.

SIDEBAR:
Just a cool story, when the F6 first came out as soon as my rep got his hands on one he let me borrow it for a weekend, it was a great camera, really liked it (but not a $2300 love) anyway the serial number was like #000015.

laz · Oct 13, 2005

firecracker said:
It seems that there's less and less of a chance for any camera stores to sell any high-end film equipment. .

There is less and less of a chance for camera stores even to exist at all. Like consumer electrionics they've been hit hard by internet sales. The glut of cheap film equiptment we all see makes sales of new stuff harder.

Why buy a new F6 when you can get a F5 for a fraction of the price.

laz · Oct 13, 2005

panchromatic said:
Next time i talk to my nikon rep i'll ask him,

Your rep won't know a thing until a pink slip appears in his pay envelope.

Ara Ghajanian · Oct 13, 2005

I'd say one of the reasons for the lack of interest in film cameras by the major companies is the fact that used equipment is so readily available now through the auction sites as opposed to a few years ago. Instead of buying new cameras (which I personally haven't in about 15 years), people are buying up good used equipment. I mean, seriously, how much better can film camera technology get than the F6 (not that I would buy one)?

I'd be interested to see what happens to the lens market since digital SLRs have that stooopid 1.6x lens conversion thing. Will they stop producing prime lenses?
Ara

imageWIS · Oct 14, 2005

I recall reading on Nikonians that it looks like Nikon wants to be the LAST manufacturer developing 35mm technology.

We can only hope

Jon.

firecracker · Oct 14, 2005

Canon D5

I'm leaning more towards Canon than Nikon these days especially since Canon has come up with EOS D5, which is its latest digital techinology still carrying the 35mm film camera quality. No lens conversion issue is here, and the price is just compatible as Nikon D whatever.

I don'y think I'll buy any of the high-end digital cameras any time soon because it's just wasting money, but it may not be bad to just rent for some gigs.

detune · Oct 14, 2005

I bought the EOS3 so that I could compete with those using cameras such as the Canon 1DsII which has amazing quality for a digital camera but the body alone costs too much for me. I'm hoping to use film as my main camera so I hope that companies do not phase out film so soon, Nikon or Canon...

Dave Parker · Oct 14, 2005

firecracker said:
I'm leaning more towards Canon than Nikon these days especially since Canon has come up with EOS D5, which is its latest digital techinology still carrying the 35mm film camera quality.

"Which is the latest digital technology to carrying the 35mm camera quality"......hmm, I have never seen a camera that carries the same quality as film and I have shot many megapixel 4x5 backs...I guess quality is in the eye of the beholder, and this beholder is still convinced film is better than digital.

Dave

firecracker · Oct 14, 2005

Satinsnow said:
"Which is the latest digital technology to carrying the 35mm camera quality"......hmm, I have never seen a camera that carries the same quality as film and I have shot many megapixel 4x5 backs...I guess quality is in the eye of the beholder, and this beholder is still convinced film is better than digital.

Dave

I meant the hardware part, that has the feel of it, and you don't have to think about the lens conversion ratio if you switch from EOS 1v unlike Nikon. That's all.

But when I shoot B&W, I never count on any digital devices.

LeonardT · Oct 22, 2005

laz said:
Why buy a new F6 when you can get a F5 for a fraction of the price.

Exactly. I just bought a mint F5 in the original box for less than half the price of a F6. However my dealer has F6's flying off the shelves. He now has 15 used F5's to get rid of. I do find my large B&W prints to be better than what I'm getting from my D2X. (ISO 50 and 100 developed in XTOL).

ajuk · Oct 25, 2005

Satinsnow said:
Bently?

Where did you hear the F6 will be the last film camera? I was just talking to the Nikon Rep last weeks at the local Pro shop, and he was telling us they are still doing RD on a couple of new models of film cameras(SLR) and other P&S film cameras?

So just curious.

Dave

New P&S?

Dave Parker · Oct 25, 2005

ajuk said:
New P&S?

P&S = Point and Shoot Pocket cameras

Dave

ajuk · Oct 25, 2005

Satinsnow said:
P&S = Point and Shoot Pocket cameras

Dave

Yes I know that, The point I was making is that I am insure Nikon are makinga new P&S camera and if it is its prolly a rangefinder.

gnashings said:
I think this is just another case of nearsighted self serving behaviour from a retailer. I get this all the time - even with things the stores have in stock, they look at me as an unwanted pest because I cling to film. I hear a horror story every time I walk in, and its usually delivered with a smirk.
Just two days ago, my local Henry's store clerk informed me that they havve very little film becuae manufacturers are "not shipping it" - and made that face like she was about to call security...
Screw her - I told her that I like to support my local stores before they all go away, but with their attitude, I dont see the point.
This Nikon story seems like more of the same, that smirking little attitude that says: "So, what are you going to do now, huh?".

Sounds like thangs are worse in your part of the world.

Seriously though more than the rise of digital its the swarm of second hand gear going around which is really making film camera market stagnent if you ask me a new camera is way to do it, I could only find 3 EOS 33vs for sale on eBay the other day, if they did make an F85 I would expect faster AF, Slightly Faster Frame rate the fancy metering system which is in other new Nikons ETC, it would also have to have a better build quility of a simaly prices DSLR then Fuji will use it to make the S4 Pro.

Personally I woulden't buy one I would still get an F80, but only because I cant afford it.

Dave Parker · Oct 25, 2005

ajuk said:
Yes I know that, The point I was making is that I am insure Nikon are makinga new P&S camera and if it is its prolly a rangefinder.

Virtually all of Nikons P&S cameras made over the years has been Rangefinder cameras, the information I posted was given to me by the Nikon USA rep last time he was here in town...

Dave

Uncle Bill · Nov 11, 2005

The sad thing is when you walk into a Henry's, the sales people so want to sell you a DSLR or a digital point and shoot,but....when you ask them what they play with on their own time. That same sales person will then wax lyrical on their Nikon FM2/Leica M3/Pentax what ever etc... usually a film camera.

Bill

Quinten · Nov 12, 2005

Never thrust people who want top sell you anything! There is so much more money to be made in the digital equipment at this time. People buy a camera and a year later they have twice the pixels and buy a new one the next year. With film you buy a camera and stick with it.

It's like those whashing machines, you shoudln't build one that lasts a live time or you will be out of business soon.

Uncle Bill · Nov 12, 2005

What is that old saying, a little bit of information can be a really dangerous thing. All my equipment purchases over the last 5 years in this past time have been through the pre-owned market and I have purchased off the 'bay. Considering my relative youth (37) I should be mucking around with some new and perhaps digital(shudder). I am content to play with my non ai Nikkor system, my Pentax screwmounts, Leica M mount and still take pictures that blow people away. I will be sad when Nikon parts company with film technology but I doubt that will happen. Here is something to ponder, the big achiles heal of digital photoimaging is the storage of files for the long haul, in 10 years you will not be able to access your snapshots of today due to software and storage technology compatablity. I don't think 95% of the picture taking population out there will be backing and updating their files on a regular basis.

Bill

Uncle Bill · Nov 12, 2005

A little bit of Information....

What is that old saying, a little bit of information can be a really dangerous thing. All my equipment purchases over the last 5 years in this past time have been through the pre-owned market and I have purchased off the 'bay. Considering my relative youth (37) I should be mucking around with some new and perhaps digital(shudder). I am content to play with my non ai Nikkor system, my Pentax screwmounts, Leica M mount and still take pictures that blow people away. I will be sad when Nikon parts company with film technology but I doubt that will happen. Here is something to ponder, the big achiles heal of digital photoimaging is the storage of files for the long haul, in 10 years you will not be able to access your snapshots of today due to software and storage technology compatablity. I don't think 95% of the picture taking population out there will be backing and updating their files on a regular basis.

Bill

ajuk · Nov 13, 2005

the main problem in selling new film cameras, is the fact that the price of second hand gear is so low that people who do want film gear get second hand, the only way to get new film cameras to sell is to introduce a new camera, not availible second hand.

mark · Nov 13, 2005

Yes Nikon is going out of the film business. Dumping all of their gear. They are spending money on digital hand over fist. According to their website the public can expect

Okay, if we all keep the rumors flying, maybe the price will fall on the f100 and I might be able to afford one.

ann · Nov 13, 2005

can expect , what?
is there something left out from this sentence?

The demise of analog Nikon?

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