Is the Nikon 1 dead?

NSXTypeR

Tis' just a flesh wound!

Hiker

manhattanboy said:

@Ironheart the Samsung NX1 also works fine but that does not mean there is a future.

I am contemplating canceling my D500 order and moving to either MFT or Sony. I need a good silent shooter and was really hoping at least a V4 would have been announced by now. The Sony A7r2 for $2.5 grand or the Panasonic DX-8 for $1 grand have caught my eye.

My daughters boyfriend just bought a Sony A7Rii. Loves that camera. He took many shots hand held of fireworks in CA this summer. And he took it with him to Paris and Venice. It's a consideration for sure. I'm guessing Mirrorless will be the future someday. But the other consideration with Sony is the lack of lenses. The one's they do have are very expensive. Equal to or more than the Nikon lenses, which are very expensive!!

WestEndFoto

Full frame is expensive. Medium format even more so. The competitors in the full frame category have lenses available at most of the price points, particularly when you consider the third party lenses at the low end and Leica at the top end.

donaldejose

Nikon's mirrorless line should be out in 2018 and that will mark the end of the Nikon 1. I expect Nikon to market both a FX and a DX mirrorless body with a new lens mount and a series of smaller lenses. In a way, we will be able to say the Nikon 1 "grew up" or "matured" into the DX Nikon mirrorless body and that will be a good thing. If Nikon puts a sensor equal to the D500 sensor's image quality into its DX mirrorless body it should be a huge hit. Nikon's FX mirrorless body may well compete with the Sony A9. Hopefully, in 2018 Nikon will offer two versions of each mirrorless body: one at a "pro" level (like the bodies Nikon now makes with the "pro" control layout) and one at a lower price point (like the D750 or D7500). 2018 should be an exciting year for us. In 2019 we may see an entry level mirrorless DX body. Start saving your money.

PB_PM

I cannot wait for Nikon to release their mirrorless system. I bet a lot of people will dump their perfectly good DSLR's and lenses, which will lead to price drops on the used market.

moreorless

The Nikon j5 still sells very well in Japan so I could potentially see Nikon keeping the system going purely to service the cheap Asian mirrorless market making sticking newer sensors it.

The higher end stuff looks like it dead in the water though I'd agree and I could see the system as a whole not being sold in the US/Europe in the future.

donaldejose

Yes PB_PM, if Nikon's mirrorless bodies get rave reviews, prices should fall on the DSLR market because those will be seen as old outdated technology. BUT Nikon will have to offer a FX body which is seen a "pro" to avoid the impression that mirrorless is "less." In other words, a Nikon top of the line mirrorless body has to be able to do all the things a D5 or D850 can do now and still offer some additional advantages. Then mirrorless will be seen a offering "more" not "less" and lots of people will dump their DSLRs.

HankB

PB_PM said:

I cannot wait for Nikon to release their mirrorless system. I bet a lot of people will dump their perfectly good DSLR's and lenses, which will lead to price drops on the used market.

I doubt that a Nikon mirrorless line would push a flood of used DSLR lenses into the market place.

Nikon (and Canon) have one huge advantage for market success of a future mirrorless camera line — hundreds of million $’s in quality up-to-date DSLR glass, especially pro glass, ALREADY in the hands of potential mirrorless customers. All Nikon (and Canon) need to do to exploit this huge advantage is develop simple to use, elegant, functional, affordable adapters and/or expedited modifications for F mount DSLR lenses (and Canon EF mount) already in the customers’ hands.

Nikon has an almost 60 year track record of not obsoleting their legacy system. This track record runs far longer than that of any manufacturer, including manufacturers outside of the photo equipment industry, that I can think of. This really is unprecedented, though Canon’s mount also goes back several decades thus fully covering its contemporary, quality glass.

HankB

donaldejose said:

Yes PB_PM, if Nikon's mirrorless bodies get rave reviews, prices should fall on the DSLR market because those will be seen as old outdated technology. BUT Nikon will have to offer a FX body which is seen a "pro" to avoid the impression that mirrorless is "less." In other words, a Nikon top of the line mirrorless body has to be able to do all the things a D5 or D850 can do now and still offer some additional advantages. Then mirrorless will be seen a offering "more" not "less" and lots of people will dump their DSLRs.

Yes, excellent point. I can see prices for the DSLR bodies falling far more than for the DSLR lenses.

NSXTypeR

I think the one thing I'd really miss is the Nikon AW1. I honestly think Nikon really had to do something along the lines of that camera to differentiate itself, sort of how cell phone makers are running out of features and people need more just to justify a purchase. Hence, most high end phones are waterproof.

Nikon never knows how to market anything. Just call it the Nikono Mini and call it a day.

spraynpray

HankB said:

PB_PM said:

I cannot wait for Nikon to release their mirrorless system. I bet a lot of people will dump their perfectly good DSLR's and lenses, which will lead to price drops on the used market.

I doubt that a Nikon mirrorless line would push a flood of used DSLR lenses into the market place.

Nikon (and Canon) have one huge advantage for market success of a future mirrorless camera line — hundreds of million $’s in quality up-to-date DSLR glass, especially pro glass, ALREADY in the hands of potential mirrorless customers. All Nikon (and Canon) need to do to exploit this huge advantage is develop simple to use, elegant, functional, affordable adapters and/or expedited modifications for F mount DSLR lenses (and Canon EF mount) already in the customers’ hands.

Nikon has an almost 60 year track record of not obsoleting their legacy system. This track record runs far longer than that of any manufacturer, including manufacturers outside of the photo equipment industry, that I can think of. This really is unprecedented, though Canon’s mount also goes back several decades thus fully covering its contemporary, quality glass.

That glass would still be usable via adaptors.

WestEndFoto

Adapters? Hmmmm.... that works well for Konica and Minolta.

spraynpray

I'm assuming Nikon will make an adaptor of course....

PB_PM

HankB said:

PB_PM said:

I cannot wait for Nikon to release their mirrorless system. I bet a lot of people will dump their perfectly good DSLR's and lenses, which will lead to price drops on the used market.

I doubt that a Nikon mirrorless line would push a flood of used DSLR lenses into the market place...

While I doubt it would be saturated, the people who upgrade every cycle or those who must have the latest and greatest will. Many of whom have more money than brains, so they tend to just try to sell the stuff fast on eBay to get rid of it, happens every release cycle.

I might be a dinosaur for not wanting it, but I'm in no rush to go back to mirrorless after trying out various Panasonic, Sony and Fuji gear.

HankB

The thread "Mirror vs Mirrorless" has a more generic discussion on Nikon's mirrorless future. PB_PM's dissatisfaction with current mirrorless may not apply to new models still on the drawing boards...though I wonder if the new Sony A9 isn't mostly there.

All I am saying is that:

1. If Nikon's adaptation of current F-mount lenses to the inevitable (I hope it is inevitable) up market full frame and/or DX mirrorless is as good as we hope, then introduction of a Nikon mirrorless system then will not generate a flood of used lenses into the marketplace. F-mount glass already in users hands would then merely continue their service on new mirrorless bodies with a minimum of inconvenience. They would be traded in only as improved lens models trickle out.
   
2. If Nikon does a good job adapting F mount lenses to a new mirrorless system, they will have a huge market advantage over all other manufacturers (except Canon who will be in the same marketing position as Nikon). But if the F-mount adaptation is poor, Nikon will be at a DISadvantage to other consumer electronic manufacturers (mostly Sony) who already have a big head start with mirrorless.
   

NSXTypeR

https://nikonrumors.com/2018/07/14/nikon-1-the-end-of-an-era.aspx/

Enough said just from the link, but does anyone feel like it was a complete waste? I used it briefly in a Nikon showroom and I though it was good, but overpriced. I just feel like Nikon could have made so many small improvements and could have salvaged a decent camera into an excellent camera.

PB_PM

Nikon failed to market the Nikon 1 system to video shooters, which was one of its greatest strengths (I owned a Nikon 1 V1 for a year). Best small, interchangeable lens, video camera I’ve ever had. The depth of field from the small sensor made it great for reviews and the like. Was way more useful than the Sony RX100 series for video, when you considered the flexibility of using Nikkors on it with the adaptor.

sport

Until we see what magic camera Nikon comes out with I will withhold judgement about it being a waste. There was some great technology in the 1 series and I expect Nikon to build on that.

It always felt to me that they were trying to appeal to too many users. On one had you had them aiming at the soccer mom crowd with "it's so easy to use". Then they were trying to go after prosumer users with the v cameras. Now they are just another camera set joining Samsung on failed to launch pile.

HankB

I guess the camera phones siphoned away some of the market that would have gone to the Nikon 1

NSXTypeR

PB_PM said:

Nikon failed to market the Nikon 1 system to video shooters, which was one of its greatest strengths (I owned a Nikon 1 V1 for a year). Best small, interchangeable lens, video camera I’ve ever had. The depth of field from the small sensor made it great for reviews and the like. Was way more useful than the Sony RX100 series for video, when you considered the flexibility of using Nikkors on it with the adaptor.

Did the Nikon 1 system have proper mic in and audio out? I think that would have been a possible deal breaker for anyone who was looking into proper video from the Nikon 1 system.

I think the worst part about the development of the Nikon 1 was the death of the NIkon DL series, or the Nikon RX100 equivalent and the AW1. I seriously would have considered getting a Nikon version of the RX100. Instead I just got a RX100.

The AW1 was definitely under marketed and should have been called the Nikonos.

PB_PM

Input was not on the V1, no idea about later models. The built in mic wasn’t bad, and anyone doing seriesious stuff uses an external recorder anyway.

Calling the AW1 “Nikonos” wouldn’t make any difference, it was already the best selling Nikon 1 model according to dealers I went to. That and most people wouldn’t have a clue what a Nikon’s is, I sue didn’t until a few years ago.

spraynpray

My canon shooting buddy bought one to use in the sea and took it back a week later full of water. I can't convince him it was unusual. Anybody else hear of that?

PB_PM

Seemed to be somewhat common. When I was at a Nikon repair depot, someone was dropping one off for the same reason. Typically happened due to the gaskets getting dirty, for underwater use they needed to be cleaned regularly (after each underwater use). If it happened the first time, I would have been a little miffed though.

spraynpray

You could say he was! He did get good underwater shots on holiday for free though.

HankB

PB_PM said:

Seemed to be somewhat common. When I was at a Nikon repair depot, someone was dropping one off for the same reason. Typically happened due to the gaskets getting dirty, for underwater use they needed to be cleaned regularly (after each underwater use). If it happened the first time, I would have been a little miffed though.

Keeping gaskets clean is so essential. I think the problem is that we all routinely filter out the constant bombardment of moronic, wolf-crying warnings and instructions put into consumer product literature by ass-covering lawyers and marketeers. It's hard to actually notice when an instruction actually is crucial.