BUSINESS TRENDS
Nikon stopped developing SLRs and switched to mirrorless
cameras
Smartphones force Japanese manufacturers to discontinue
once-coveted SLR models
Professional photographers have used Nikon's SLR cameras for
more than 60 years. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)
Nikkei editors
TOKYO -- Japanese camera maker Nikon will stop developing
SLR cameras and shift to digital offerings in the face of increasing competition
from smartphone cameras, Nikkei has learned.
Nikon's SLR cameras have been used by professional
photographers for more than 60 years and have become synonymous with the
Japanese company.
The company plans to focus its resources on mirrorless cameras,
which have become a mainstream product thanks to more advanced digital
technologies.
Nikon's cameras have lost ground to smartphones, which are
increasingly equipped with powerful cameras. Nikon aims to beat them by
offering products with more unique features.
No new SLR models have been released since June 2020, when
Nikon launched its flagship D6 SLR. This is because the company has already
stopped developing digital compact cameras.
From now on, Nikon plans to focus on digital mirrorless
cameras, but production and sales of existing SLR models will continue.
Nikon is the second largest manufacturer of SLR cameras
after Canon. An SLR camera uses a mirror to reflect an image the photographer
sees through the viewfinder.
Nikon was founded in 1917 and adopted the company name in
1946. The company launched its first SLR camera in 1959 and has long enjoyed a
high reputation among professional photographers and journalists. In addition,
the business has completed a name for itself by offering high-quality alternatives
to German brands like Leica, which once dominated the market.
In the late 1990s, Nikon switched to digital SLR cameras.
Last year, the company sold more than 400,000 SLRs, competing directly with
world leader Canon. Ricoh also manufactures SLR cameras under the Pentax brand.
Mirrorless cameras have a different viewing system and use
image sensors that convert light into electrical signals. Like SLRs, they can
be equipped with interchangeable lenses that offer a much more comprehensive
focal range than the fixed focal lengths found on most smartphone cameras. A
unique feature of Nikon cameras is the F-mount, which was introduced in 1959.
It has always allowed photographers to use a wide range of old lenses on newer
SLR cameras.
According to the Japan Camera & Imaging Products
Association, mirrorless camera shipments overtook SLR cameras for the first
time in 2020, with 2.93 million and 2.37 million units shipped, respectively.
However, there has been an overall decline. The combined
market peaked at 11.67 million cameras in 2017, but had fallen to 5.34 million
by 2021.
The dramatic decline has forced Nikon to focus on the
segment that still has growth potential. In 2021, the mirrorless camera market
will grow 31% to 324.5 billion yen, while the SLR camera market will decline 6%
to 91.2 billion yen.
Mirrorless cameras have powerful features. For example,
artificial intelligence provides face and pupil recognition. They can also
identify animals, vehicles and objects.
The Nikon Z9, launched last year, can shoot 120 frames per
second - more than ten times faster than most SLRs, without the wear and tear
of a moving mirror. That makes it ideal for sports and wildlife photography. In
addition, mirrorless cameras are lighter, smaller and virtually silent.
The price of mirrorless cameras has dropped to under 100,000
yen ($730), which is lower than comparable SLR cameras.
Thank you for the improved viewfinders and reduced lag;
faster image processing helps photographers in fast-paced situations.
Mirrorless cameras already account for half of the sales of
Nikon's imaging business, compared with about 30% for SLRs. In the financial
year that ended in March, sales of imaging products totaled 178.2 billion yen,
accounting for 33% of the group's total sales.
Rival Canon also plans to follow Nikon's lead and stop developing flagship SLR models within a few years.
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