A report from Nikkei Asia says that Nikon will stop making DSLR cameras and put all of its efforts into making mirrorless cameras.
If it’s true, the end of Nikon DSLR cameras has come sooner than expected. Before, it was said that the company wouldn’t stop making F-mount cameras until 2025. But Nikkei Asia says that Nikon is “losing out” to smartphones, which are getting better cameras all the time. Nikon wants to get back at its competitors by making products with more unique features.
The report goes on to say that the Japanese camera giant will keep making and selling DSLR models, but it will put most of its attention on digital mirrorless cameras.
Nikon didn’t confirm or deny the shocking news that came out this morning, but they did say, “Nikon will continue to make, sell, and service digital SLR cameras.”
“There was a news story about Nikon stopping the development of SLR cameras. This news story is just speculation, and Nikon hasn’t said anything about it,” Nikon says.
Nikon just said last month that the D5600 and D3500 models are no longer being made. Since the D6 SLR was released in June 2020, no new SLR models have been made. The company has already stopped making digital cameras that are small and easy to carry.
Canon, another big name in DSLR cameras, said that the EOS-1D X Mark III would be its last top-of-the-line DLR camera. At the time, the CEO of the company said, “The market is quickly moving toward mirrorless cameras. So, we’re pushing more and more people in that direction,” he said, adding that the company might still make some entry-level and mid-range DSLR cameras in the future.
At the end of a time
Nikon has been around since 1917, but it didn’t get its name until 1946. It made its first SLR in 1959, and professional photographers and journalists have always thought highly of it. It became well-known for making high-quality alternatives to German brands like Leica, which used to rule the market.
In the late 1990s, the Tokyo-based company started selling DSLRs, and it and Canon quickly dominated the DSLR market.
Nikon DSLR sales started to drop when mirrorless cameras became popular, but the company has since made the Z9, which was the best-selling professional flagship full-frame mirrorless camera in the first quarter of 2022.
