Some friendly advice: If you’re a Canon RF-mount mirrorless shooter looking to expand your kit with third-party lenses, better do it soon. Canon appears ready to put the kibosh on sales of non-authorized optics for its flagship mirrorless mount and has already threatened legal action against one brand.

Canon doesn’t license mounts

How did we get here? Canon is the only major camera manufacturer that doesn’t license its most-popular mirrorless mount to other companies. Unlike Fujifilm, Nikon, Sony, etc., Canon likes to keep the magic of its modern mount a secret.

However, reverse engineering allows brands like Viltrox to sidestep the issue of licensing—well, technically, at least. And Viltrox’s reverse engineering is so state-of-the-art, that the brand was able to bring an autofocus-capable 85mm f/1.8 for RF-mount to market. Unfortunately, as of last week, that budget-friendly optic is no longer available for sale from any major US-based retailer.

A stern warning from Canon to Viltrox

Related: Canon announces two new, affordable wide-angle lenses for mirrorless

Reports that Viltrox was forced to pull its RF-mount offerings due to the threat of legal action from Canon began circulating early last week and were confirmed shortly thereafter. Canon remained silent on the matter until this weekend when Canon Japan issued the following statement:

“SHENZHEN JUEYING TECHNOLOGY CO.LTD, manufactures auto focus lenses for Canon RF mount under the brand name “Viltrox”. Canon believes that these products infringe their patent and design rights and has therefore requested the company to stop all activities that infringe Canon’s intellectual property rights.”

Though the statement only mentions autofocus lenses, Viltrox has removed all products associated with the RF-mount from its website. Whether this is out of an abundance of caution or not remains to be seen.

That said, the brand is still selling Canon M-mount glass (as of writing).

The future of Canon third-party lenses

This move by Canon could impact lens options from a range of budget-focused small companies including Kamlan, Lawoa, Meike, TTartisan, and more. That said, not all third-party glass communicates with the camera. And Canon may be less likely to go after brands making all-manual lenses, as infringement is likely more difficult to prove.

The wrap

The Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 can still be purchased new, as of publishing, from auction sites including eBay ($350). But don’t bank on that stock lasting long. Moreover, if there’s another third-party optic you’re considering, best buy it soon or forever hold your peace (or switch systems…jk).

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Like most Japanese companies, Nikon’s financial year runs from April 1st to March 31st, rather than being aligned with the calendar year. The company closed out the first quarter of its latest financial year at the end of June and has now officially published a Q1 financial report. The key takeaway? Nikon is having a strong 2022 so far.

These latest numbers also give us a great opportunity for some insight into how Nikon—and to some extent, the larger camera market—is performing in the current climate. Let’s take a look.

Overall profits were flat, but most divisions did better than last year

For the company as a whole, Nikon’s Q1 2022 operating profit fell to 15.3 billion yen on revenues of 145.6 billion yen. That’s a 23.1% decrease in first-quarter profits, year on year, despite revenue actually climbing by 10.1% in the same period.

That’s not the whole story, though, as the 2021 figure was skewed by profits made from sales of unused land and the discontinuation of Nikon’s pension plans for employees in the US market. After these are both accounted for, the company says that overall profits are flat versus last year. It also notes that operating profit actually rose versus last year for all segments other than the precision equipment division, which was held back by falling sales of lithography systems needed for flat-panel display manufacturing.

Revenues & profits are up after some belt-tightening

Related: The Nikon Z9 is the best-selling ‘pro flagship’ model of 2022, so far

Starting with Nikon’s imaging division specifically, operating profits climbed by 4.4 billion yen alongside an 11.2 billion yen rise in revenues to 61.2 billion yen. That’s an impressive 47.8% rise in Q1 profits on the back of a 22.4% increase in revenues. In answering questions from investors, however, the company did caution that it sees several shorter-term reasons for these improvements and that it isn’t currently expecting to see the increase sustained for the year as a whole.

Nikon identified four main reasons for its increased Q1 profitability: It attributed about half of the gain to improved sales of higher-end models, like the Nikon Z9, reduced ad spending, and improvements to its product selection. Another quarter is said to have been down to the company tightening its belt and paring back expenditures. The remaining quarter was attributed to the weaker yen, something the company obviously has no control over. 

Camera sales are slowly trending back up

If the yen remains low, Nikon suggests it could beat its forecast for Q2, which currently remains unchanged. However, the company foresees both greater competition in the second half of the year, leading to increased ad spending. It also expects increased spending on R&D and new product launches later in the year. These, it believes, will negate any ongoing gains from other areas in the second half of the year, and so it has decided not to update its forecasts for the remaining quarters either.

The good news is that Nikon does say that it has seen a slight trend towards recovery in terms of unit sales, and that’s despite the ongoing supply chain issues which continue to affect many manufacturers. The company singles out its flagship Nikon Z9, in particular, as having been a strong performer in the first quarter. Improved sales of mid to high-end bodies and lenses to the prosumer and professional markets also contributed to the imaging division’s improved revenues and profits.

Some market share insight too, but with little granularity

The report gives a little insight into market share as well, indicating that for the previous financial year, Nikon took 13.7% of the interchangeable-lens camera market, shipping a total of some 700,000 units between both mirrorless and DSLR types. These were accompanied by 1.27 million lens sales or around 13.5% of that market. Finally, Nikon still shipped around 190,000 compact cameras, netting it an even 7.0% of that dying market.

Its forecast remains to ship the same number of camera units this year along with almost as many lenses while slashing its remaining compact camera sales almost in half. However, while overall shipments are expected to remain flat or decline, both revenue and profit for the year as a whole are expected to be up, with Nikon predicting the Imaging division should net 215 billion yen in revenues and 27 billion in operating profit. That’s an increase of 20.7% in revenue and 42.1% in operating profit for the entire year.

The good news: Overall profitability should continue to improve

As for the company as a whole, Nikon is now predicting revenue of 625 billion yen and operating profit of 55 billion yen. If it achieves that target, it will have raised its revenues by almost 16% and its operating profit by a little over 10% year-on-year. Even if that bump all came in the first quarter, a profitable imaging division has to be seen as good news overall!

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Nikon Japan has officially designated the Z7 as an “old product,” which means the brand’s first full-frame mirrorless camera is likely to be discontinued soon. This will be Nikon’s first Z-mount body to reach retirement age—the mirrorless mount was first launched almost exactly 4 years ago, in August 2018. Fortunately, if you’re still on the hunt for a Z7 body, there seems to be plenty of them available, at least, for now.

Z7 gets the ‘old product’ tag

We’re all too familiar with Nikon Japan’s “old product” tag as historically, it’s been the first sign a camera or lens is nearing the end of its manufacturing life (props to Nikon Rumors for spotting this one).

Other regional Nikon websites, including Nikon USA, still show the Nikon Z7 as active, i.e. not discontinued. In fact, as of writing, only Nikon Japan marks it as such. But don’t be fooled, the end is near. And in the coming months, we’ll almost certainly see the dreaded “old product” tag migrate to these other Nikon web properties as production winds down.

Other recent Nikon discontinuations

Nikon has been busy discontinuing gear lately. But up until now, it’s mostly been DSLR products, including both high-end cameras, like the D500, and entry-level bodies, like the D3500. In both cases, an “old product” tag preceded the official discontinuation.

Nikon has also not been shy lately about retiring swaths of DSLR lenses. On a positive note, plenty of fresh Z-mount glass appears to be just around the corner.

Nikon Z7 – History & significance

Related: The DSLR is dead? Not so fast: Nikon issues firmware update for 10-year-old D7100

The Z7 was a hugely important camera for Nikon at the time of its debut. It launched late in August of 2018 alongside a lower-resolution, though physically identical sibling, the Nikon Z6 (which wouldn’t be available until some months later). Entering the mirrorless full-frame game in 2018, Nikon had its work cut out going up against fellow rival, Sony. And Canon would go on to answer Nikon’s Z-mount debut several weeks later with a full-frame mirrorless launch of its own.

While Canon entered the full-frame mirrorless universe with the decidedly mid-range EOS R, Nikon swung for the fences with a more professionally-oriented body in the Z7. Packed with an image-stabilized, 46-megapixel sensor—the same as the D850 (arguably one of the best DSLRs ever)—a big and bright EVF, impressive 4K video chops, and an outstanding build-quality, the Z7 felt like anything but a first-generation camera.

Of course, it had some faults—namely, a clunky autofocus user interface, hit-or-miss lowlight AF, and rolling shutter in 4K—fortunately, Nikon was able to work many of these kinks out in subsequent firmware (and entirely by the Z7 II). More importantly, the Z7 stood as a mighty and worthy alternative to the Sony 7R III, its core competition at the time. And that is precisely what solidified Nikon’s future as a player in the mirrorless full-frame camera space (and why the Z9 is currently selling like hot cakes).

The wrap

It’s worth reiterating that though Z7 production is likely to stop soon (or already has), you’ll almost certainly be able to find one new, from a reputable retailer, for at least the next several months.

As much as we’re sad to see the Z7 making its way to the big gear closet in the sky, we know it’s a sign of even better things to come. And while the Z7 II still holds its own—it debuted only 18 months ago—just imagine a distilled version of the Z9, in a Z7-series body…

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Point-and-shoot cameras are dead, according to Nikkei. Not only has the market collapsed to a fraction of its former size but nearly every major manufacturer has either discontinued its compact range or just not made a new model in years. While smartphones get blamed for a lot of unrelated things at the moment, it’s probably fair to say their rise is directly responsible for the compact camera decline.

The compact camera decline: A decade-long drop

Worldwide shipments of point-and-shoots peaked at 110.7 million cameras in 2008, a year after the iPhone (with its paltry two-megapixel rear-facing camera) was introduced. Since then, the market has plummeted—just 3.01 million compact cameras were sold around the world in all of 2021—as smartphone cameras have improved. 

Personally, I’d say the five-megapixel camera in the iPhone 4S, released in 2011, was the turning point for many people. It was the first smartphone camera I ever used that felt like it could take great pictures. 

Quiet discontinuations

While no major camera manufacturer has declared the compact market dead, they are all acting like it is. The proof of the compact camera decline is in the pudding: According to Nikkei, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Fujifilm, and Sony have all either drastically cut or discontinued production. 

Canon hasn’t released a new compact camera since 2019, although it told Nikkei it was “shifting to higher-end models” while continuing to support lower-end models. At least, as long as there is still demand. 

Nikon, according to Nikkei, has stopped developing its “Coolpix” line of compact cameras. Nikon said that it sells two “high-magnification models,” though their future would be at the mercy of the market. 

Panasonic told Nikkei that it was planning to keep making compact cameras, however, it had scaled back production and was focusing its development efforts on high-end mirrorless cameras—including one it’s working on with Leica. 

According to Nikkei, Fujifilm has stopped producing its “FinePix” line of compact cameras, though it’s still producing high-end models like the X100V.

Finally, Sony told Nikkei that it hadn’t stopped developing compact cameras—though it hasn’t released a new one since 2019. Presently, there are a handful of “current,” high-end Sony compacts on the market.

Ricoh-ing your own way

Related: Ricoh GR IIIx review – a delightful and capable pocket camera

With Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Fujifilm, and Sony all out, the only companies really left are Ricoh/Pentax and OM Digital (formerly Olympus)—neither of which is mentioned in the Nikkei article. 

While OM Digital is still very much transitioning to its new ownership structure, Ricoh is just doing Ricoh things. It’s released two different point-and-shoots in the past year: the Rioch GR IIIx and the Rioch WG-80. 

Granted, neither is a typical point-and-shoot. The GR IIIx has an APS-C sensor and an f/2.8 lens, while the WG-80 is ruggedized and waterproof, and both target different high-end segments.

Changing times

It seems that after a turbulent decade, we might finally be seeing things settle down in the camera industry. Canon thinks the camera market has largely “bottomed out” so it makes sense that the major manufacturers would stop trying to push point-and-shoots onto a largely disinterested public. The good news is that they then have the resources to invest in the kinds of cameras that people still buy.

Though, if you still want a point-and-shoot, Ricoh is the obvious brand to look to.

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Canon sees rosier days ahead for its camera business. The company’s recently-released second-quarter 2022 financial results include a Q and A section that addresses questions about the brand’s future in photography. According to the document, Canon feels as if “the camera market has largely bottomed out at its current size.”

Canon’s take on the camera market

Related: Report says Nikon to pull the plug on DSLRs

The Q and A also contains other juicy tidbits, including answers about the future of the DSLR. With recent reports that Nikon is getting ready to phase out mirrored cameras, where does that leave Canon?

“Going forward, we expect the professional and advanced amateur segment to expand further and that products will become more highly developed. Accordingly, we expect the overall market to grow from now on. As for DSLR cameras, we will continue to supply products as long as there is demand,” the document reads.

So, Canon’s future focus will clearly be on more advanced models rather than entry-level cameras. But the brand is less clear about if and when DSLR production could wrap up. Then again, though some say the DSLR is dead, sales data says otherwise.

Canon’s financial outlook

Related: Cash-strapped storage company Drobo files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

With the worst seemingly in the rearview mirror, Canon is not only looking to double down on its high-end camera offerings but expand its footprint with new investments. The company also notes that it expects supply chain issues and inflation to ease in the near future.

“Even if production around the world recovers smoothly, it will probably take around a year for the inflation caused by the shortage of goods, which arose from supply-chain disruptions etc., to subside naturally. We expect to continue growing as we have transformed our business portfolio and will actively invest to further enhance our products.”

All of this is good news, and at a time when we could probably use it. With recent reports of camera body retirements, lens line discontinuations, product scarcity, brand bankruptcies, and more, it’s nice to know a brighter future for the industry may be just around the corner.

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A wedding is supposed to be a joyous thing. But all who have planned a wedding know the preparation and stress that often run up to the big day. So imagine what hundreds of couples were feeling when the photography company they hired abruptly declared bankruptcy—in one instance 48 hours before a ceremony.

Related: Botched wedding Photoshop has Internet in tears 

What happened

The company in question, South West Photo and Film (SWPF, formerly known as Lee Brewer Photography), declared bankruptcy on July 27, 2022, citing hardships brought on by the pandemic. Those who had booked with the photography service and emailed to inquire received this email in reply:  “We have tried so hard the last couple of years to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial implications have proven too much for us to get over. Unfortunately, I have been left with no choice but to cease trading and declare bankruptcy as of today, July 27. An official receiver will be in touch with further information.”

SWPF has closed its website and social accounts, making it extremely confusing for couples to get in touch and understand what will happen to their photos and, in many cases, their contracts. The now-defunct business was taking bookings up until the week it filed for bankruptcy. And Newsweek reports that up to 800 couples are affected in some way.

Related: Vanessa Joy on the art of capturing someone’s big day

A community rallies 

For couples awaiting their images, SWPF wrote: “…if you have had a wedding with us in the last 12 weeks and are still waiting for your photos/ video, we will be in touch over the coming weeks with the information on how you can get access to your photo and video files.”

However, it has done little to assuage the couples’ concerns. In the wake of the news, two photographers local to the region served by SWPF set up a Facebook support group to help others find replacement photographers and videographers. It’s also become a place to vent. 

“Daughter getting married August 28th…four weeks time…near Bath…absolutely heartbroken. Paid £1200 for photographer and videographer. We can’t find this money again. Heartbroken for her. There is no spare money anywhere, how can this happen, how do you explain to your daughter that there will be no professional photos or video of her special day?” one poster wrote. 

Vendors and fellow group members have rallied around each couple, providing recommendations and commiserating. Some photographers are offering to shoot at cost or at a discount given the situation. 

The wrap

We certainly hope the situation ends happily-ever-after for all the couples. And for any photographers considering a carer in weddings, it’s best to know what you’re getting yourself into before you open up shop.

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Recent reports and articles indicate Nikon is getting ready to wind down its DSLR business soon. Fortunately, the brand seems at least somewhat committed to supporting F-mount users and their gear into the future. And a firmware update issued this week for the nearly 10-year-old Nikon D7100 DSLR reinforces that commitment.

Nikon D7100 firmware version 1.05

Related: Nikon D7100 Camera Review

When we say this is not a major firmware update, though, we mean it. Jumping from firmware version 1.04 to 1.05 fixes an issue where the rear screen turns off in live view after 10 minutes. From Nikon, the update:

“Fixed an issue that resulted in live view ending about 10 minutes after being started in Camera Control Pro 2 with [No limit] selected for Custom Setting c4 [Monitor off delay] > [Live view] in the [CUSTOM SETTING MENU].“

It’s worth noting that the D7100, announced back in 2013, has long since been discontinued. Still, Nikon is throwing resources behind improving its usability, which is admirable. If you’re a Nikon D7100 owner, you can download the last firmware here.

What about firmware updates for other Nikon DSLR models?

In an article published in the Japanese financial newspaper, Nikkei earlier this month, an anonymous source suggests that Nikon will “pull the plug” on DSLRs sooner than planned (the current plans end production by 2025). In response to that report, Nikon Japan had this to say:

“There was a media article regarding Nikon’s withdrawal of SLR development. This media article is only speculation and Nikon has made no announcement in this regard. Nikon is continuing the production, sales, and service of digital SLR. Nikon appreciates your continuous support.“

While the brand doesn’t technically deny or confirm Nikkei’s rumor, what it does say is that the “service” of digital SLRs will continue into the future. The question is, does service mean more than just repair? This fresh D7100 firmware update certainly gives us hope that it does. And if that’s the case, it’s good news for the countless Nikon DSLR shooters out there still clinging to their time-tested tech.

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Kodak is jumping into battery manufacturing, no, not camera batteries, electric vehicle batteries. The brand has announced a minority stake in the battery startup, Wildcat Discovery Technologies. Apparently, the legendary company’s film-coating process shares similarities with “supercell” EV battery manufacturing; who would’ve guessed? And while Kodak does plan to convert some machinery from film production to batteries, this by no means indicates plans to scrap or scale back film production. Let’s dive in.

Related: The Kodak Ektar H35 is a new, affordable half-frame camera

What is Wildcat Discovery Technologies?

Based in San Diego, California, Wildcat is a laboratory that focuses on rapid battery development for a variety of sectors, working with clients that include the automotive, electronic, and military domains.

Employing “proprietary high-throughput methods,” Wildcat is able to quickly manufacture EV batteries. The company is currently developing a supercell iteration that it claims could be up to a 90% capacity improvement over the current best batteries on the market. And Kodak’s new investment will serve to accelerate the process, with the goal of having the EV battery on the market within two years.

Related: In photos: Inside the facility where Kodak brings film back to life 

How will the partnership work?

Kodak is furnishing its coating and engineering services, noting that it plans to develop and scale its film coating technologies “which are critical for the safety and reliability of the next generation of EV battery technology.”

In exchange, if and when these new batteries hit the market, the film manufacturer will be able to negotiate production and licensing agreements with Wildcat.

Why EV batteries?

Given Kodak’s history, the well-informed wouldn’t be surprised. Already, the company has been piloting a coating facility that focuses on materials and substrates of EV batteries and fuel cells for a variety of clients. Kodak anticipates the addition of a new machine by 2023 and plans to repurpose a current full-scale coating machine that focuses solely on serving the EV market. 

“This investment in Wildcat reflects Kodak’s commitment to building new businesses by leveraging our existing skills and infrastructure. Coating substrates is a critical aspect of manufacturing batteries and no one is better at coating than Kodak,” says Jim Continenza, Kodak’s Executive Chairman and CEO. “We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with an innovator like Wildcat to provide more powerful, safer solutions for applications such as energy storage and EV batteries and participate in this rapidly growing market.”

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The data storage company, Drobo is facing an uncertain future. Late last month, the brand and its parent company, StorCentric, both simultaneously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in California’s Northern Bankruptcy Court (San Jose).

It’s sad news for one of the earliest names in both direct- and network-attached storage, but it’s not necessarily the end quite yet, as one or both companies could emerge rejuvenated. Should that happen, hopefully, the brand’s products will have been reworked to reflect the needs and realities of the current storage market.

Related: 125-year-old lens maker Meyer Optik Görlitz is back and better than ever

Things got off to a great start for Drobo

Founded in mid-2005 as Data Robotics, the company quickly came to be defined by its first product, the original Drobo “storage robot.” Launched in 2007, the device was lauded by the likes of Ars Technica, Engadget, TechCrunch, and more. And to be clear, the brand still certainly has its fans even today.

But those heady early days and the company’s fortunes weren’t to last. While Drobo’s products had their standout features when compared to the competition—most notably, the ability to simply and easily mix drives of varying specifications within a single array—those same features have also proven to be an Achilles heel in other respects. Not surprisingly, the heady praise of Drobo’s early reviews couldn’t last, and public opinion likewise started to fragment.

The success wouldn’t last

Within just five short years, the now eponymously-named Drobo found itself pitted against other early rivals like Synology, Thecus, and QNAP. It was also facing a new wave of consumer storage devices from better-known brands like Dell, HP, Netgear, and Seagate. Many of these rivals offered similar or better performance and pricing. At the same time, the company’s customers increasingly experienced hardware failure, and worse, were then stymied in their rescue efforts by their devices’ proprietary nature.

The company could have hardly hoped for publicity like Trey Ratcliff‘s December 2011 proclamation that “I no longer use my Drobos,” which he called “much cheaper and much slower, and many people believe less reliable.” But even worse was to come in Scott Kelby‘s very public breakup letter, “I’m Done with Drobo,” which he published in June 2012.

This was to be the start of a turbulent few years for the company. Within a year, Drobo had merged with Connected Data, a new storage startup founded by Drobo’s original CEO, Geoff Barrall. And just two years later, Connected Data divested itself of Drobo, spinning the latter off in 2015 to become a separate company once more.

The changes were enough to bring Kelby back on board by early 2017. But by the following year, Drobo was already under new ownership again, this time merged with enterprise storage company Nexsan to create a new entity, StorCentric.

Related: Best SSDs

StorCentric managed just one product release before the situation worsened

In the final weeks of 2018, the new company released its first—and to date, only—new Drobo product, the Drobo 8D. Initially, things seemed to be on the right path, with early reviews proving quite positive. But then in the second half of 2018, the stock suddenly disappeared from shelves right as StorCentric seemed ready to spread its wings. Over the next six months, availability fluctuated before the 8D suddenly disappeared altogether in March 2020.

The newest storage device wasn’t alone in vanishing from the company’s product listings, as the 5D, 5Dt, and B1200i models were also discontinued around the same time the 8D went AWOL. Five other Drobo models remain listed on the company’s website, but all were geriatric, having launched anywhere from five to seven years earlier. By early 2020, only two of these five were still available at retail. (As of today, not a single one remains available to purchase.) Yet Drobo remained silent as to the reasons for its supply issues.

COVID-19 certainly didn’t help

Just as we were starting to ponder the reasons for ourselves, the world suddenly found itself faced both by COVID-19 and all the supply chain issues it rapidly caused. The pandemic finally prompted StorCentric CEO Mihir Shah to break the silence, alluding to delays in its supply chain. As the months rolled on and other companies found ways around their supply chain problems, Drobo’s product line continued to languish and the company remained conspicuously silent.

Shah’s 2020 statement still remains the company’s latest blog post, and its social media properties had all stopped posting by the end of last year. In all of 2021, the company issued just two press releases, one a recap of its prior year and the other announcing participation in a giveaway with lighting company Lume Cube.

Whatever the reasons, the money has run out

With Drobo and StorCentric’s simultaneous bankruptcy filings, we now learn that both companies have run out of cash altogether. But it’s important to note that while this is clearly bad news for both companies and their staff alike, it’s not necessarily the end for either brand and their products.

The process both Drobo and StorCentric have entered is for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This indicates an intention to reorganize the companies while under the control of a trustee, with the goal being to resolve debts and return the company to solvency, possibly under the control of the debtors should insufficient funds be available to cover their debts.

At the same time, though, there’s no guarantee that Chapter 11 proceedings will reach a successful conclusion. Drobo’s situation seems particularly concerning given both the age of the company’s existing product line and the lack of any indication it has new products in the pipeline ready to go. In a market where its competitors are still releasing new products and making strides forwards, Drobo has already sat still for multiple years. Now under bankruptcy, it has even more waiting to do before it can attempt a renaissance.

Has time run out, too, or will Drobo return phoenix-like?

With the first court hearing scheduled for July 19 and creditors able to make claims through October 17, things won’t likely be returning to normal for Drobo and its parent company for some time.

The question is how much longer it can hope to survive without any products on sale and whether it has any products waiting in the wings that could turn its fortunes around. For the sake of its staff and remaining loyal customers, we can only hope so.

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Sometimes when a company abandons a product line it’s a shock, like when Samsung unceremoniously pulled the plug on its entire camera business after months of protestations that it remained committed to the market. Other times, it’s almost a foregone conclusion. Sad as the news may be for DSLR fans, this story falls squarely in the second group, as Nikon is reportedly on the cusp of discontinuing its DSLR lineup according to Japan’s Nikkei, the world’s largest financial newspaper.

Retracing the transition to mirrorless

The seeds for this change were sown more than a decade ago with the arrival in late 2008 of the first mirrorless camera, the Panasonic G1, which along with the Olympus E-P1 a few months later, would go on to reinvent the entire market.

Nikon’s initial response to its new Micro Four Thirds rival was on the slow side, with the arrival of the Nikon J1 and V1 in November 2011, making it only the fifth mirrorless maker behind Panasonic, Olympus, Samsung, Sony, and even Pentax. Among the major brands, only Canon and Fujifilm were even more conservative in their reaction times.

Nikon’s initial mirrorless outing wasn’t well-received. A large part of the reason for this was that Nikon had opted for a smaller sensor size than all but one of its rivals. While this gave clear advantages in both size and performance, Nikonians simply weren’t ready to make that tradeoff against image quality. The 1-series was officially discontinued in mid-2018, having delivered only a single new product in the previous four years.

Related: The Nikon Z9 is the best-selling ‘pro flagship’ model of 2022, so far

Mirrorless adoption quickly snowballed, especially in Asia & Europe

It was clear Nikon would be back, though, as by then the mirrorless market was really picking up steam, particularly in Asian and European markets. The signs were already there that while the speed of the transition might vary from company to company, this was to be the way forwards for almost every brand.

Mirrorless just offered too many advantages for both manufacturers and consumers alike, thanks to its reduced mechanical complexity, improved portability, and greater suitability to video capture. While early models still had some clear shortcomings compared to DSLRs of the time—most notably in the areas of autofocusing performance and viewfinder quality—these quickly became non-issues as technology progressed.

The second time was the charm for Nikon mirrorless

And so reenter the market Nikon did, once again with a double-launch. When the full-frame Nikon Z6 and Z7 hit the scene in August 2018, the duo were much better received by the market than were their 1-series forebears. For one thing, there were no more concerns about sensor size and what that might mean for image quality versus rivals. For another, the Z6 and Z7 offered clear advantages over contemporary DSLRs.

The Z7 was priced nearly identically to the Nikon D850 DSLR, and it offered both similar build quality and resolution. Yet it was *far* more compact and offered faster burst shooting, much better autofocus point coverage, in-body image stabilization, and better video capture as well. Unlike the 1-mount before it, Nikonians took to the Z-mount in droves, confirming that Nikon was onto a winner and in the process, signing the death warrant for the company’s DSLRs.

Related: Nikon ends production of the D500, pour one out for a king of the crop-sensor DSLRs

Nikon won’t directly confirm this news any time soon, but it isn’t stridently denying it either

Clearly, Nikon exiting a market in which it has participated since the very late 1950s is going to be big news, even if the company would far rather downplay the transition and focus on what its mirrorless products have to offer. In part, that’s because it makes for a more positive, upbeat story than a discontinuation. Ultimately, “we’re not going to raise prices on DSLR lenses,” is a more attractive spin than “we’re not raising prices on DSLR lenses because we want to clear our inventory.”

The biggest reason that Nikon is unlikely to directly confirm the news in the near future, though, is simply that it has remaining DSLR-specific hardware in its inventory and sales channels that it needs to be able to sell. If Nikon is too blunt about the discontinuation, the brand may not be able to clear the shelves without taking a significant loss on that stock.

Nikon’s real statement can be found written between the lines

With the story now roaming wild, though, Nikon felt the need to take control of the situation somewhat, and so has released a statement as below:

Statement Regarding Today’s Media Article

July 12, 2022

There was a media article regarding Nikon’s withdrawal of SLR development. This media article is only speculation and Nikon has made no announcement in this regard. Nikon is continuing the production, sales and service of digital SLR. Nikon appreciates your continuous support.

Note, though, that there’s a very big difference between saying that a story is “speculative,” and stating that it is “inaccurate.” While Nikon could have done the latter, it has conspicuously chosen not to do so. That in itself is telling. And although Nikkei doesn’t identify from where this information was obtained, the outlet was clearly confident enough in its sources to run with the story in the first place.

So what does all of this mean for Nikonians?

So what does all of this mean for Nikonians, and for photographers in general? Honestly, not that much. We’ve all been aware that the end was coming for the company’s DSLRs sooner or later, and we said as much last month in our coverage of some recent Nikon DSLR discontinuations.

If you’re still attached to your DSLR, it will still be capable of just the same results as it always was. Sure, when it eventually fails, you may struggle to replace it, but that bad news is offset by the fact you’ll find it easier to get your hands on F-mount glass at lower prices.

And if you’re a Z-mount shooter, it means that all of Nikon’s resources are now fully committed to your chosen platform, with no more development money being put aside to shoehorn mirrorless imaging pipelines into DSLR bodies.

Your moves, Canon and Ricoh

As for Nikon’s rivals, the news puts Canon in the hot seat as the one remaining shoe to drop before Ricoh’s Pentax brand effectively has the DSLR market entirely to itself. And we wouldn’t be surprised to see reports suggesting just that sometime soon.

The post Report: Nikon to pull the plug on DSLRs appeared first on Popular Photography.

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