Japanese camera maker Nikon will no longer make single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras. Instead the optics and imaging company will shift toward mirrorless models, according to Nikkei.
Nikon now plans to focus resources on mirrorless cameras. Accordingly, mirrorless cameras have become "mainstream products on the back of more advanced digital technologies," as per Nikkei.
The move is fueled by the intensifying competition from smartphone cameras.
The Death of SLR Has Been Coming for Quite Some Time
As mirrorless alternatives have increased in image quality, the death of SLR cameras has been quite expected to come, according to The Verge. The mirrorless cameras give consumers the option to use lighter and smaller products.
Nikon's SLR cameras contributed greatly to the Japanese company. For more than 60 years, it have been widely used by professional photographers.
However, with increasingly powerful camera features among smartphones, Nikon's SLR cameras have been losing out over the years.
By offering products with more unique features, Nikon aims to beat smartphones in the camera industry.
According to Nikkei, no new SLR models have been released since June 2020, when Nikon launched its flagship D6 SLR. It appears like the company has withdrew from developing compact digital cameras.
According to The Verge, Nikon announced that it was "discontinuing two of its more affordable DSLRs, the D3500 and D5600."
The company also stated that it wanted to focus more on "mid to high end cameras and lenses, targeted at professional and hobbyist photographers"
Nikon also wanted to strengthen products for younger users "for whom video is the primary focus."
While production and distribution of existing SLR model will still continue, Nikon intends to focus on digital mirrorless cameras from now on.
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Why Nikon is Opted to Shift to Mirrorless Models
Next to Canon, Nikon is the second largest SLR maker. "An SLR camera uses a mirror to reflect an image the photographer sees through the viewfinder," as per Nikkei.
The origin of Nikon can be traced back from 1917. In 1946, it adopted the company name. In 1959, it released its first SLR, and since then, the brand had long been held in high esteem by professional photographers and journalists.
Nikon had made the switch to digital SLRs in the late 1990s. Last year, it sold more than 400,000 SLRs.
For the first time in 2020, the shipments of mirrorless cameras overtook SLRs with 2.93 million and 2.37 million units shipped respectively, according to Japan's Camera & Imaging Products Association.
However, an overall decline was observed as the combined market peaked at 11.67 million cameras in 2017. It had, however, fallen to 5.34 million by 2021.
Due to the dramatic falloff, Nikon was forced to focus on the segment that still has potential to grow. The powerful capabilities of mirrorless cameras put it at an advantage.
In fact, the Nikon Z9, which was released last year, can shoot 120 images per second. This is more than ten times faster than most SLRs without worrying about the wear and tear of a moving shutter.
In addition, the price of mirrorless cameras have also been coming down to below $730. This is less than the price of SLRs.
Other camera companies are doing the same move as Nikon. Canon, for instance, stated last year that its EOS-1D X Mark III would be its last flagship DSLR camera.
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