January 12, 2006
Nikon Plans to Stop Making Most Cameras That Use Film
NIKON FE2, originally uploaded by myblackboxrocks
The industry switchover from film to digital with everyone dropping analog products continues - remember Kodak shedding its' B&W paper production? Today Nikon announced Plans to Stop Making Most Cameras That Use Film:
Nikon said it would halt production of all but two of its seven film cameras and would also stop making most lenses for those cameras. The company will halt production of the film camera models "one by one," though it refused to specify when.
A company spokesman said Nikon made the decision because sales of film cameras have plunged. In the most recent fiscal year ended March 2005, Nikon said that film camera bodies accounted for 3 percent of the 180 billion yen ($1.5 billion) in sales at the company's camera and imaging division. That is down from 16 percent the previous year.
As a Canon user, this doesn't affect me, but I've used Nikon gear before and I was always happy using it. But as someone who still shoots predominately film this reinforces the constricting market of products and services film users have available at their disposal.
Do you still shoot film? or are using Nikon products? Will this push you faster into the digital world?
comments
Wow, that's dramatic. I don't own any Nikon gear, but I love shooting film. It's good for us in the short term, as the depressed used market has made amazing film cameras more affordable than ever before. As long as I can still buy film and develop it, then I can live without new cameras. But I sense that those days are numbered as well.
posted by
Michael Kuhle at 2006/01/12
posted by
raul at 2006/01/12
This is very dangerous for Nikon. They are abandoning their stronghold and investing in the area where Canon beat them across the board. They may find a way to leap frog Canon or this may be the beginning of the end for them.
posted by
yefim natis at 2006/01/12
I'm a Nikon film user here. I don't think film & the processing will ever be completely abandoned. I still shoot with the Nikon FTn and F3 HP and my Leica M6.
posted by Glen Converse at 2006/01/13
Wow, this is Big. I hope they keep the F series.
My first SLR was a Nikon F. Weighed a Ton, but a very Nice Camera....
posted by
S.D. at 2006/01/13
I am a Nikon film user, I have F100 & FE2. Really don't want to give film. Also I invested in a lot of lens.
posted by Ken Carlton at 2006/01/13
Yeah, I'm tearing up a little, but Nikon is now making 95% of its revenue from digital imaging products.
95%
And, I read somewhere that the D70 is the best selling SLR *of all time*. I'm not sure how true that is, but it certainly blew my mind.
posted by
Brian Short at 2006/01/13
The cost of shooting 35mm is going to rise very quickly over the next 5-10 years as it becomes something more commonly done by hobbyists than consumers at large. Once you can't buy 35mm snapshot cameras, 90% of the consumer volume will be going away, and the cost of film and processing will start to skyrocket -- it won't be a mass production type item any more, and your local store will stop procesing it considering it's far more expensive to deal with developing film than simply printing digital images. (Training, chemicals, machines, etc.)
We may not see the end of common 35mm use in the next year or two, but the writing is definitely on the wall.
posted by
Tom at 2006/01/13
It's a shock and no mistake. I've just discovered the joys of Black & White film photography with my father's Nikon F, for a 45 year old camera its wonderful, heavy but wonderful.
The contraction of the film market isn't going to make me stop, I'll find a happy balance between digtal and film photography, but the use of film will certainly increase in cost.
It's a real shame, but I guess that's the price of progress.
posted by Steve at 2006/01/15
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