Question: Being in 2006, is there any change in your 35mm full frame camera strategy?
Answer: “It has not changed at the present time.”
Question: What’s the biggest obstacles to Nikon in manufacturing and selling a full frame camera?
Answer: “In making the full frame sensor camera, nothing can be considered as obstable. In the first place, the current situation is that the picture quality of the DX camera can already sufficiently produce a satisfying photograph. So, what’s the meaning of such a big sensor? Of course, there is also a price problem. We cannot put out an outrageously priced camera simply because we want to have better function on the camera.”
Question: But, isn’t it true that the Canon 5D product is actually quite successful?
Answer: “Certainly, there is a product like 5D out there. However, a camera is not only about the sensor, the product has to be considered with a combination of various elements. We have cost balance the various components of the camera, based on our judgement, there is no necessity to sell a camera with full frame sensor. Of course, there is also a view that the area which cannot be covered with the DX can be covered with a full frame sensor. We do not deny this view, but we’re not certain if it is actually true that the area that cannot be covered by the DX can truely be satisfied by a full frame sensor.”
Question: So far, Nikon has been co-developing the sensor with Sony. In the future, is this co-operation with Sony will continue?
Answer: “At this point in time, we have not changed our strategy from the past, we will decide flexibly. We’re always adopting the optimum sensor for us that’s available at that time, we will not change this strategy in the future. We will not stick to one particular partnership.”
Question: Are you still progressing with the LBCAST development?
Answer: “It continues. Its research and development are still continue, but in the present condition, we need to choose the best sensor for the camera. We are not sure whether or not the sensor from Sony is better. Currently, our thinking is to proceed with the flexibiily of choice.”
Question: This time at PMA 2006, there was no announcement of new DSLR camera. For the next announcement, what’s Nikon plan for the future line-up and the in what class of camera?
Answer: “We tackled the entry level DSLR market starting from the D70, after that announced the D50. In order for us to extend our market position in the 4 million DSLR camera market, we think it is necessary for us to complete the entry level model.”
Question: It is the case that you included the technology which is obtained with the development of D2 in D200, but in the future, do you also plan to add “the essence” of such superior machine even in the entry machine?
Answer: “That depends on the situation. Do you think the general users will accept the functionality and efficiency of the D200? We do not believe so. Entry level camera requires ease of use, small size and light weight. These are quite different from the high level camera models. The development direction of the entry level camera should be different from that of the high end models.”
Question: There is a high number of users of the entry camera market. Will you consider giving them more than one cameras for selection?
Answer: “After analyzing the needs and diversity of the entry level market requirements, we think there is the needs to increase the cameras to provide a better fitted functionality to satify a wider customer base.”
March 3rd, 2006 at 3:56 am
No Full-Frame DSLR From Nikon…
…
March 3rd, 2006 at 5:51 am
Who is this guy ?
March 3rd, 2006 at 6:19 am
Why do you think it’s right to oblige users having leses for 24×36mm cameras to renouce to use thems as developed on a digital FF camera? I think that’s a silly attitude from Nikon. Don’t you think so? What woul the future be for one great brand thinking negatively in the FF frame deveopment?
March 3rd, 2006 at 6:24 am
Why do you think it’s right to oblige users having lenses for 24×36mm cameras to renounce to use thems as developed on a digital FF camera? I think that’s a silly attitude from Nikon. Don’t you think so? What would the future be for one great brand thinking negatively in the FF frame development?
My view is that the former reduced size used in actual digital reflex cameras is a bastard standard without future. Just used to give some products to a new market in a period without cost solutions to manufacture full zize captors with a reasonable cost. I hope photography will evoluate as the computers. Do anyone remeber the first PC? Now the least PC we may buy are more powerful following a ratio 1000/1 compared to the first PC. No comment.
March 15th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
Dear Nikon,
You make me angry and sad!
I use nikon for over 25 years,
used F’s F2’s etc. and have a lot of
superior fisch eye and wide angle lenses.
I use a Kodak dcs slr/n now to use my
14mm ED/AF nikkor but Kodak stopped with the
production of it………….
I think its very unprofessional from NIKON not
to listen what their professional users say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What should I do with my collection of 22 Nikkors???
A lot off professional photographers who I know are
switching now to CANON for this reason.
I’m considdering too to stop with NIKON (after more than
25 years loving this system) when NIKON don’t anounce
a full fram sensor at the photokina 2006!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m angry and sad………
Peter Rothengatter
Utrecht Holland
info@hetfotoatelier.nl
March 16th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
Well it’s fairly obvious from this interview that Nikon marketing feel there is more money catering to the entry level market, ie, less expensive cameras w/smaller sensor (Booo!!!), than really creating something professionals REALLY want and continue to ask for. I too have owned Nikon equipment for 25 years but think it’s time to get w/a company that’s a bit more progressive, eg, Canon. It pains me to do that because I don’t particularly care for the control layouts on Canon cameras NOT to mention the investment I have in “G” lenses so….ebay, here I come!
March 18th, 2006 at 8:15 am
What an arrogant prick!
This is precisely why I am abandoning my sizeable investment in Nikon equipment.
It seems to me, at Nikon, it’s all about Nikon and not the customer.
So, Nikon, F-You…..stronger letter to follow!
Art
March 24th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Dear Nikon,
please release a FF DSLR only, when the boring Moire/Vignetting issues (you know from what cams I’m speaking, don’t you) are completely gone.
March 25th, 2006 at 4:55 pm
Dear Nikon,
PMA and no FF DSLR
Photokina ????
Please make an announcement to give me some hope. After more than 25 years sticking with Nikon I don’t want to switch. But, September is as long as I plan to wait before replacing all my “full frame” film bodies and going 100% digital.
Saying the D2 is good enough shows the same attitude Kodak had about Kodachrome 64 as Fuji listened to pros and took the market with a better product. I think that analogy fits very well to the current Nikon/Canon pro DSLR situation.
I’m waiting on you.
April 2nd, 2006 at 8:09 am
If Nikon is about Nikon as one poster said, wait until you make the switch.
I’ve been shooting pro for 15 years and digital the last 5. I have yet to encounter a situation where my DX format keeps me from getting what I have visualized, and in many cases my shots have been pre-visualized. So I have time to decide whice lens and format (DX or FF film) I should use. My film bodies are doing nothing but collectin dust. With basically the same necesities of previous posters as I shoot for editorials, weddings, landscape, architecture etc…. I’ve always able to get what my editors ask for. It is not the arrow, it is the indian. Just because a colleague on my side is shooting a MKII or 5D that doesn
t mean that I wont be able to get the shots they are getting right next to me.
If Nikon releases a FF in the near future, good, very good for those crying for nothing at this moment. Post you eBay auctions, I’d like to take a look and see if there is something worth to buy for the price. Not that I don’t believe in Digital FF, as a photographer and consumer with real needs, I only see Digital FF as a gimmik at this right moment. There are plenty of issues to be addressed and I’m not willing to be a beta tester with my own money. Nikon is not saying they won’t produce FF in the future, they want to do a capable product out of the box. The grass is not greener on the FF yard of the C brand.
Enjoy your new white lenses. Ohhh, good luck nailing a decent copy of your new flamant 16-35. Meanwhile I’ll be shooting with ‘’legends'’ like the 17-35 AFS, 28-70, 85 f/1.4 etc, etc, etc….Ohhh, before I leave, good luck with the ancient flash system of the system many are planing to move. I have that 14mm ED, if I really need it, there are two F5 alongside a Cool Scan 5000.
Cheers!
January 19th, 2007 at 4:00 am
I completely agree with Peter from Holland.
And I also has been working with Nikon professionally since 1987.
Nikon makes his pro users feeling betrayed and angry.
I am also about to switch to Canon in case in very near future I don’t
hear about FF for the Nikon.
It is really sad!
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:46 am
WOW!!!!!
It is really amazing to see what an emotional issue this is.
Just to point out a middle of the road solution…
Every thought about having a Nikon and Canon body.
I have used many systems but currently use a 5D. I did a shoot the other day with Nikon lenses (10 dollar adapter 30 dollar manual focus screen) and the results were beautiful. So why the Nikon Canon rivalry.
What’s a little manual focus and stop down metering between friends??
April 3rd, 2007 at 7:04 pm
I wonder what’s the portion of DSLR of the Nikon camera/lens sales. If the DSLR portion is not so high, then Nikon will respond slowly (or even not at all) to customers’ responses.
Anybody know the actual data for 2006 as well as 2005?
Personally, I’d really like to see a full-frame DSLR from Nikon. I also wish Nikon then release a more affordable FF DSLR like Canon 5D (soon not a long time later such as one year).
If Nikon is really focusing on the entry-level DSLR, I’d like to see a DX size sensor with VR functionality built in a Nikon camera body. For example, my wife is still afraid of using my Nikon. The result is usually not so satisfactory.
April 19th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
I think everyone here is missing a critical point. Now, I use Canon, and I just picked up a 5D myself, but that is besides the point here. For Nikon to not cater to the requests of their high end users and produce a FF body is just a poor business decision IMHO. Think about it. If they blow off their high end users and worry about the yuppies looking to shoot their kid’s soccer games, Nikon will slowly adapt the reputation of being a prosumer company. Eventually Canon will take over the professional market altogether. Nikon needs to realize that sometimes keeping a reputation behind its name might be worth sucking it up and producing a less profitable high end camera. And even if it is way over priced, at least it will be out there.
May 25th, 2007 at 6:51 am
I have been a Nikon user for over ten years and have a nice collection of lenses which have served me well. Unfortunately Nikon’s stance on the full-frame sensor means that I am, like many other professionals, seriously considering a switch to Canon. It’s a great shame that Nikon is being so short-sighted and I struggle to find the commercial reasoning behind its decision. Perhaps the company has no interest in retaining its professional market because there is more money to be made out of the ‘prosumer’ market?
June 8th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Ok, I represent the new generation of Nikon users. My first SLR was a Nikon D50, and I’m 34. I don’t have a huge stack of legacy lenses, therefore I don’t care whether full frame is supported or not. In fact i like the 1.5 crop factor, as my 200mm really gives me 300 when compared to a full-frame sensor. Now what I REALLY want is some of the features that the 1d Mark III has, mainly SILENT SHUTTER, a higher dynamic range, lower noise at high isos, and micro-adjustments for back/front focus as an added bonus. I’m not a pro so I can’t justify 5k otherwise I’d buy the canon; but I wouldn’t mind spending ~2k. I hope the next nikon (d300?) adds these features.
July 20th, 2007 at 8:25 am
I too have moved from a Nikon film body, f3hp to first a D50, very shorty after d80 (waiting for d200s ?). I use both ff glass and dx glass as well. Why all the whining about no ff Nikon, are you really just Canon users justifing YOUR setup? What does your ff really give you that a dx set up can’t, 10mm with factor of 1.5 is enough for my shots and how many times do you really need to go wider? Is it that big of a deal that if your really a Nikon shooter you would give up on all that wonderful glass and flash just to have to crop it anyways? If what you say is true that you can no longer shoot will out ff, your vision is no longer possible, then switch, dont whine or threaten, just do it. If you really have the good glass, I’ll be happy to buy it, hope to see your stuff on ebay soon, and remember, sell cheap because all this time you used it you where wrong, it really is junk, okay?
November 9th, 2007 at 11:15 pm
Hi all,
I’m kind of angree at Nikon from being so stuborn and the only company I know that doesn’t not give its customers’ advice any consideration. I’ve been using Nikon since the mid-80’s. As long as I can remember, Nikon held the top spot in film all the way through the end of the 90’s, however, it certainly seems that Canon has far surpassed it in DSLR’s.
Many of my pro-shooter freinds are jumping-ship and not whining at all. Their business require a cutting edge technologies and Nikon doesn’t provide that at this time. Most of the guys I know have made tons of $$$ using Nikon Glass and system and have enough funds to switch. Well, I don’t have that luxury to go all the way, however, I’m one of the few that decided to use both sytems. I currently own the following: Nikon D200, D2x from Nikon, and recently purchased a Canon 5D kit with 24-105 f/4L. I’ll tell you this from experience, Canon 5D beats my D200 & D2x in all the technology categories, which is a testament to Canon’s commitment to providing their consumers with cutting edge system. On the other hand, Nikon beats Canon with all the top carftsmanship qualities. I know most of you would say, a photographer should only be concerned with photo quality and output results. It comes down to business, it’s simple math, if Canon builds their 5D in the same craftsmanship as it’s Nikon couterpart, it would almost be impossible to give you the greater FF technology and Craftsmanship for a reasonable price most of you mentioned earlier. I have both systems and honestly still prefers the Nikon despite it’s inferior technology. Canon can only dream of building as good as a Camera as Nikon does.
I agree that Nikon has an up-hill battle to regain confidence and recoup some of the lost marketshare, but I’m confident that it’s only a matter of time before Nikon regains it’s pride to being on top of the photography food-chain.
Better Built and Carftsmanship qualities = Nikon
Advanced technologies = Canon
Glass = Nikon Optics (almost a draw)
Pro Users = Definitely Canon
Prosumers = Unfortunately, all of Nikon’s system is now Prosumer system when compared to Canon hi-end (21 megapixel).
for me, I’ll be using both until Nikon catches-up then I’ll dump my Canon stuff on Ebay for cheap for those of you that switched…