[falconeye]

We had a discussion here at PF if full frame is a niche market (too small for Pentax actually), or not.

In this respect, it may be worthwhile to notice that Nikon Germany has just published a press release entitled:

"Volles Format. Alle Möglichkeiten – Nikon mit Fokus auf FX-Vollformat-Fotografie" (engl.: Full Frame. All Possibilities -- Nikon with focus on FX full frame photography)

The full text is published here: Nikon setzt voll aufs Kleinbildformat | photoscala

It basically announces that future Nikon sales and marketing activities in Germany will be focused on FX.

The announcement incudes a URL, currently under construction: http://www.nikon-vollformat.de

--

My personal take at this is that camera sales have come under serious pressure over the last year or so and that full frame emerged as a segment being somewhat immune.

Moreover, I think this pretty much rules out any possibility Nikon would deploy a DX-size D400 any time soon. This should be good news for the K-3, however I see 7D and D300s users post about K-3 missing selection of 500-800 mm glass, TCs and possibly inferior 3D tracking AF.

So, it may well be that between smart phones and full frame, pretty much everything else is collapsing right now.

Maybe, it is just that the fashion trend for digital cameras incl. dSLRs which grew for 10 years now comes to an end, leaving the photography industry where it started off in the late 90s. Not the worst thing if you ask me. And it makes DX synonym to this fashion trend, at least for Nikon.

In the end, the 35mm format may not be as niche anymore as it used to be for the last 10 years. Partly because of shrinking APSC SLR and shrinking mirrorless system camera sales.

[Nesster]

What makes sense for Nikon, who already have a strong hold on the FF market, may not make sense for Pentax who don't. And yet, to the degree market reputation still goes with the 'pro' cachet, Pentax will need to do something sooner or later to avoid being marginalized. In the fine camera segment Pentax is strong in APS-C (relatively anyway) but less so in the quality compact / mirrorless area, which by everything we see is the other potentially lucrative segment.

[rawr]

Nikon DE seem to be merely trying to position themselves better in the FX space against Canon (and upstarts like Sony). Which makes sense. They see juicier margins in FX.

I don't think this means Nikon will stop selling APS-C. They are going to keep cranking out APS-C bodies by the million, I bet. They still sell well and provide Nikon's 'bread-and-butter', just as they do for Canon and Sony.

[Rondec]

I think it is a market that Pentax needs to approach. But if Nikon made a D400 that had upper end specs, it would probably steal D600/D800 sales. Nikon has invested enough in the full frame market that they can't afford to let APS-C get high enough to steal from their bread and butter market. It is why they deliberately cripple lower end APS-C models as compared to upper end APS-C and why they cripple the D600 compared to the D800. You have to up-sell folks and for Nikon that means moving people into full frame cameras and lenses.

[Clavius]

Since Nikon and Canon are in a trenchwar, I think Canon will not stay behind on such tactics.

[Stone G.]

I surely don't know, but I cannot help speculate that such a rather unmotivated press relase - with no other substantial news to accompany it - could be a defensive reaction to all the hype there has been around the new Pentax K-3 and Sony A7 releases???? I.e.: The K-3 sensor (applications) may be revolutionary, but you know, there is nothing like full frame.......

Whatever the market trends are, (and falconeye certainly knows much better than I about this), the K-3 really seems to have aroused an interest in Pentax technology that I haven't seen since I started out in SLR photography in 1981: Attention Camera Marketing Departments: Tell Me About the Sensor

[DeadJohn]

In hindsight, Nikon may have made a mistake churning out so many APS-C models. Some stores still have the 3000/5000/7000 in stock while slightly newer models are being manufactured. Nikon has a lot of outdated cameras on store shelves; that's not good for Nikon or retailers. It's not good for consumers either because places like Best Buy take a long time to discount cameras; hoping that a poorly informed customer will buy yesterday's model at the asking price, eventually clearing space for today's model.

(It's not just Nikon or Best Buy. A local camera store only shows the Pentax Kr and K5 on the shelf. They won't restock new cameras until the old ones sell, but at $1100 who will buy that K-5?)

[maxfield_photo]

In my opinion, part of Nikon's woes stem from their short product life cycle. The D5200 had a an 11 month run as their mid tier DX body before being replaced by the D5300 (just going by announcement dates, I realize that there is still plenty of merchandise in the distribution pipeline). Canon does it too, exactly one year after the 650D was announced, the 700D came along, this time the mode dial could spin 360 degrees, Ooooo. The two companies are locked in a struggle to see who can self-destruct first. Neither company will allow themselves to be 1-upped, when one announces a new camera, the other company will too, and each time it seems like the improvements become less and less significant. Consumers just don't want or need a new camera every 12 months, so of course sales are shrinking.

[Stone G.]

Maybe, it is just that the fashion trend for digital cameras incl. dSLRs which grew for 10 years now comes to an end, leaving the photography industry where it started off in the late 90s. Not the worst thing if you ask me.

Consumers just don't want or need a new camera every 12 months, so of course sales are shrinking.

Indeed. Like most others, I am thrilled with all the possibilities offered by constant advances in digital imaging technology, but I also sometimes long for the good old days, where a camera like my K1000 just underwent a steady evolution and didn't reach End-of-Service until some 20+(!) years after it's first release.

I don't believe that the annual cries for ever more and ever bigger (and cheaper) news can sustain a healthy, competitive camera industry in the long run. I would rather wait more than 12 months and then pay a little more.........

[Miguel]

If this proclamation applies to all of Nikon, to me it says more about Nikon than about the larger market. It appears that Nikon is prepping itself for an eventual acquisition by another company.

M

[RonHendriks1966]

We had a discussion here at PF if full frame is a niche market (too small for Pentax actually), or not.

In this respect, it may be worthwhile to notice that Nikon Germany has just published a press release entitled:

"Volles Format. Alle Möglichkeiten – Nikon mit Fokus auf FX-Vollformat-Fotografie" (engl.: Full Frame. All Possibilities -- Nikon with focus on FX full frame photography)

The full text is published here: Nikon setzt voll aufs Kleinbildformat | photoscala

It basically announces that future Nikon sales and marketing activities in Germany will be focused on FX.

The announcement incudes a URL, currently under construction: http://www.nikon-vollformat.de

I think this is a load off crabb....


Looking at Nikon's real advertisement there isn't much FF in it...

https://www.google.nl/#q=nikon+tv+reclame&tbm=vid

Only cameramagazines have advertisement for D4/D800.

[tuco]

Perhaps as digital matures we come full circle. Back to 35mm as small format and digital medium format becoming more common and taking its place in the photographic line up much like the film days.

[cali92rs]

Perhaps as digital matures we come full circle. Back to 35mm as small format and digital medium format becoming more common and taking its place in the photographic line up much like the film days.

Maybe, but I dont see that happening for a while. Unlike digital full frame,there seems to be very little movement in the digital medium format realm to get more affordable and accessable to the average consumer.

[lesmore49]

In my opinion, part of Nikon's woes stem from their short product life cycle. The D5200 had a an 11 month run as their mid tier DX body before being replaced by the D5300 (just going by announcement dates, I realize that there is still plenty of merchandise in the distribution pipeline). Canon does it too, exactly one year after the 650D was announced, the 700D came along, this time the mode dial could spin 360 degrees, Ooooo. The two companies are locked in a struggle to see who can self-destruct first. Neither company will allow themselves to be 1-upped, when one announces a new camera, the other company will too, and each time it seems like the improvements become less and less significant. Consumers just don't want or need a new camera every 12 months, so of course sales are shrinking.

I agree that consumers don't want or need a new camera every 12 months. It's a different world I know from the film days...when the K1000, LX and 6 X 7 went for many years...still selling.

I have a K10D bought in 2007, a K-m bought in 2009 and a K-5 in 2011. Yes, the technology of the K-5 is certainly much improved over the other two....but my K10D still photographs remarkably well (I like to think I have high standards)....birds in flight, stationary objects, etc.

Interesting to read about Nikon Germany indicating that they will focus their efforts on full frame.

Right now the cheapest FF body in Canada is around $ 2000 +/-. Unless eventually FF DSLR bodies come down to about $ 1000-1200 I think FF will remain a camera for the well off enthusiast and professional photographer. But if the price of a well featured, FF DSLR does come down to the $ 1000 mark, I think it will be the beginning of the end for the advanced enthusiast, ASP-C DSLR market.

In that case....I think it would be wise for Ricoh- Pentax to work on a FF DSLR body to remain competitive in the future.

Problem I see, is that many of Pentax' latest digital lenses are designed as ASP-C, not FF lenses. I think this may have been mistake on Pentax's part, if indeed the premium ASP-C market collapses in favour of similarly priced 'entry' but still well featured FF, DSLR bodies.

[lesmore49]

If this proclamation applies to all of Nikon, to me it says more about Nikon than about the larger market. It appears that Nikon is prepping itself for an eventual acquisition by another company.

M

I don't know about Nikon prepping itself for acquisition. I think it maybe an attempt on Nikon's part to return to their glory days (film days...1960's/70's) when they were considered as the ultimate professional and advanced enthusiast's camera body of choice.

Except of course for the Leica rangefinder....limited in telephoto lenses....but unapproachable in status and a very fine camera.

It maybe that Nikon see's going toe to toe with the giant Canon is a fruitless, expensive exercise....that they may not be able to win.

Perhaps Nikon see their fit to be...a smaller market. Full frame, no more ASP-C SLR bodies....but top notch technology, build quality...no entry , just FF advanced enthusiast/professional equipment and let Canon continue to market everything from entry ASP-C to professional FF.

In the end...like everybody else...just my opinion, just speculation with little to base it on.