Is Nikon slowly dying?

[Roger]

I was double checking something I heard a few months ago here in town.

While Nikon supposedly created their own digital sensor three years ago, they are still using other manufacturers' sensors in their DSLRs.

Who is the manufacturer?

Sony.

Who is "new" to the DSLR market?

Sony.

Who follows Canon's lead in the camera market by not licensing technology to other companies?
(a la Apple)

Sony.

The story is that Sony will continue to provide Nikon with the CCD old technology. But Sony has a few improvements coming down the line, and will not give their new sensors to anyone else.

Nikon is a few years behind on sensor development. And now Nikon is jumping the gun with a more entry level camera than the D50, the D40. Couple that with CNet's shootout of the Rebel XTi v the D80, while the D80 is closer to the 20D or 30D (gee, I wonder who won, the D80, even though it costs a couple more hundred bucks, sounds like bringing a knife to a gunfight)

I think Nikon is beginning to grasp at straws here. open up Yahoo mail and what do I see? The D80. Almost all the time. Last time you saw a Canon ad??

I've seen more ads for the Sony A100 and Nikon D80 than for any Canon product. Sony, I can understand the need for advertising, as they have taken over the Minolta Maxxum line and are using the Maxxum mounts on their Alpha cameras...but Nikon....

 

[idarknight]

Without this getting into a Canon/Nikon war, I'd like to mention that there are a number of companies that are sourcing out their components to other companies - Nikon being one of them. I forgot the magazine that I saw it in, but there was a look at the future of dSLRs and other cameras. I stated that Canon was the only company with complete vertical integration, but relies only marginally on it's camera division for income (though that is where the majority of it's name recognition is based). Nikon, Samsung, Panasonic and others are all going to ebb and flow, but I don't think that Nikon is going to evaporate any time soon.

 

[Roger]

Same here - I realized after I posted - I don't want to start a "which is better" forum. Everyone has the right to use whatever equipment they want to.

Just concerned since Nikon has been around for so long, and competition usually creates innovation.

 

[Dan]

I've been a big Canon fan since I got my DSLR, a Digital Rebel.

However I'd argue that Nikon is looking good, and Canon is losing their edge.

I think Canon has had the lead in the market for too long and got lazy, they stopped innovating and started putting out very predictable products that, while good, were really rather obvious sucessors to the previous model.
Other companies have added a great deal more flexibility in the programming of their cameras. I read a little information on some of the stuff that the latest Pentax cameras have.. they have LOADS of features that Canon hasn't got.
Nikon too has a number of features that Canon users have been screaming for, for years. But for some reason Canon can't be bothered to break any ground there, instead they've become reactionary, simply giving their latest model (Rebel XTI, AKA 400D) a few of the things that all the other guys have. Dust reduction and higher resolution, that is. The word is that the dust reduction doesn't work very well, perhaps it does REDUCE it, but it doesn't come close to actually cleaning the sensor. If a lens blower didn't clean the sensor before the vibrating filter isn't going to cut it now. Mind you I don't know how well the other companies' systems work.
The other change, increased resolution, was I think a mistake. The extra pixels don't impact the final images much, in a POSITIVE way.. the resolution itself isn't that noticable, but it has lead to increased noise. Superior high ISO noise performance was one of the few edges that I felt Canon DSLRs posessed over Nikon. Now that's gone, the XTI has basically the same noise performance as Nikon's latest offerings. Whether they're using Nikon or Sony sensors is irrelevant.

Sooner or later Canon are going to HAVE to start putting more thought into their products. They have to know that they've lost their lead and are just one of many players in the DSLR market now. They've admitted as much in FINALLY introducing an attempt at dust removal.
I hold out absolutely ZERO hope that they'll ever introduce an in body image stabilization system.. they'd lose too much business from absurdly overpriced IS lenses (come on, just adding IS to the 70-200F4L more than doubled its price). But they're going to have to start giving us more flexible firmware with more customization and user options. A flexible ISO system that automatically changes ISO according to user defined limits in either shutter speed or aperture is the most commonly requested feature, but I'd personally like a few custom modes on the mode dial so I can set everything with one click, rather than having to adjust drive mode, autofocus, and all the other stuff one by one.


Anyway, I still adore my 30D, this wasn't really Canon bashing. More of an expression of disappointment with their lack of innovation with their recent products. I mean the 30D itself was really a minor 20D upgrade, however I didn't have a 20D so it was still a big upgrade for me. I'm just hoping that by the time I'm in the market for a new model, they have a new one out that excites me like the 30D did. A ten megapixel version of the 30D with poor noise performance is NOT going to cut it.
I guess I do agree with you in a way. I definately want Nikon to stay around, and I want them to continue to put out excellent products. Canon clearly needs the stiff competition to spur some new development.

 

[Tim]

/begin rant
PLEASE do not turn this into a canon/nikon war the way other boards do... acutally i must applaud your concise and intelligent criticisms and observations on this issue. all too often this topic turns into a "Canon RULES!! Nikon SUXX" with no basis for the comment other than someone just wanting to be a fanboy or flame the previous poster. this is a refreshing discussion and i hope it remains civilized. /end rant.
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that being said, "ISO priority" as Dan alluded to has been mentioned on wishlists for some time, but I dont think any manufacturer has implemented it as of yet. i may be wrong. another thing that canon users clamor for is the mirror-lockup function to come out of the menus and onto the drive-mode button. personally i dont mind where it is all that much but who knows. there are a lot of things that can be change or modified just in the firmware so i think it may be possible to do just that. we shall see...

 

[Roger]

I agree Tim.

I don't want to see Nikon go the way of Agfa Film or how Kodak almost disappeared off the planet.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Kodak disappearance is largely due to their lack of QC (or even consistency, for that matter) on their dSLRs. It was the most expensive mistake in my photography career when I bought their dSLR. Since then people shy away from Kodak dSLR (to the point they close their dSLR department).

As much as I like Canon, I agree that Canon starts to lose its edge for their dSLR offerings. I still love their products, but if they keep up with their way of (not) releasing highly demanded lens and/or keeping their high prices (especially now that Nikon released D40 kit at the same price of Canon G7), the new generation of photograpers will slowly shifting to Nikon.