The Beginning of the End for Nikon
As many of you know, I enjoy photography. The arts, in general, can be a great tool for those struggling with chronic illness, chronic pain and/or incurable illnesses. For me, photography provides a way to express myself and to be productive during a time when I can't seem to get anything right because I am struggling so frequently with health issues and associated debilitating symptoms. Perhaps more importantly, it is also a way to distract myself from my health issues. Needless to say, I enjoy the artistic and creative aspects of photography and I try to stay as active as my health will allow with this expressive hobby.
Part of this hobby is knowing your tools. Actually, 'knowing your tools' is a part of everything in life. Not only must I understand my own tools completely, but I must also understand what is available to replace my tools when they break, wear out or just start acting finicky.
Currently, I use camera gear from multiple manufacturers... Fuji, Canon, Olympus as well as accessories from more third-party manufacturers than I could count. My Olympus gear is my primary gear right now and it is getting old... VERY old. Unfortunately for me, as well as many others, my particular type of Olympus gear is no longer being manufactured nor upgraded so I must find a new direction to go when my gear starts failing.
There are many things I look for when trying to decide on a new camera 'system'. A system includes camera bodies, lenses, and other accessories. The more equipment that is available in this system, the more desirable it is to me. This also means that if I can buy many third-party items, like lenses, flashes, batteries, etc, this is also a big plus because it gives me more items from which to choose. Additionally, this competition between the original manufacturer and the third-party manufacturers keep prices competitive too.
So, many people have chosen Nikon or Canon gear because there are so many lenses and accessories available from Nikon and Canon as well as from third-party lens makers not to mention a slew of accessories from third-party manufacturers. Having all this extra third-party gear is a plus... and it helps to sell a system to the consumer because it makes the system more desirable.
Nikon was one of my options. Well... Nikon was one of my options until recently. Not only will I never buy anything Nikon now, but I am beginning to think that Nikon is backed against the ropes and fighting for their life right now. Their days may actually be numbered.
Remember Kodak? I could write a long blog post just on all the mistakes Kodak made including serious mismanagement which caused catastrophic failure in the digital camera market. This is not the blog post for that. What I do want to point out is that in the last few years before Kodak stopped producing cameras, they resorted to filing lawsuits... I suppose they felt they needed to earn money any way they could so they put their legal department to work creating lawsuits against other manufacturers trying to squeeze out money by claiming patent infringement. Kodak kept their legal department hopping. This, to me, was a clear sign that Kodak was gasping for air in their fight for life in the digital camera market.
Nikon is now doing the same. They actually sued some relatively unknown camera manufacturer because one of their cameras looked like a Nikon model. I should also point out that Nikon was hoping that their model would be a 'best seller' but it failed for a number of reasons none of which were because customers were confused and accidently bought the wrong brand camera. Anyway, it seems as though Nikon has resorted to frivolous lawsuits to make up for poor camera sales..
Nikon also filed a lawsuit against lens manufacturer Sigma claiming some nonsense about Sigma stealing a Nikon patented focus system, or some other nonsense. Personally, I don't care about the specific reason claimed in the lawsuit. What I do care about is how this lawsuit is akin to shooting oneself in the foot. If I remember correctly, Nikon lost the lawsuit and Sigma continues selling lenses in the Nikon mount.
I should also mention again that the availability of Sigma lenses (as well as Tamron lenses, Tokina lenses, etc) is a PLUS for Nikon. This choice in lenses makes the Nikon system more desirable to photographers. When a system is desirable, photographers buy cameras, and more cameras, and upgrade to newer bodies more often sticking with the same brand such as Nikon.
However, Nikon would prefer to put an end to third party lens manufacturers and in their losing quest to stop third-party manufacturers from selling lenses with a Nikon mount have now turned to screwing their loyal customers. In my opinion, they are shooting themselves in the foot here.
If there were no third party lenses available in Nikon mount, I would never consider buying into a Nikon camera system. Many, many, many photographers feel the same way. So, if Nikon sues everyone and causes third-party manufacturers to drop everything compatible with Nikon cameras, Nikon will lose a lot of business. Nikon is playing with fire here. This type of narrow-minded management reminds me of Kodak in their last few years.
So, Nikon lost their lawsuit against Sigma pertaining to Nikon-compatible lenses... What did Nikon then do? In short, they screwed the only people who have been buying Nikon cameras! They provided a firmware update to their cameras (a software update to the camera itself) which had nothing to do with improving performance nor adding features. Firmware updates are usually a desired update for the photographer. Until now, all firmware updates were written to actually improve the camera. This time around, Nikon wrote a firmware update which rendered all Sigma lenses useless! Now, all the photographers who had Sigma lenses for their Nikon cameras could no longer use these lenses!
Can you imagine this? Nikon emails you to tell you they have issued a firmware update which will improve the performance of your Nikon camera.... you excitedly attach your camera to your computer and update your camera... then you try out your newly updated camera only to find that NONE of your Sigma lenses work on your camera! Not only does this render your Sigma lenses useless, but if you only use Sigma lenses, then you no longer have functioning lenses and your camera as a whole is useless! Why would any manufacturer in their right mind do this?
Fortunately, Sigma is a reputable company and they subsequently provided a firmware update for all their lenses to provide new support for Nikon bodies. So, Sigma turned out to be the good guys... Nikon turned out looking petty and acting like a spoiled young child. Photographers with Nikon gear were pissed off at Nikon, with good reason!
This is just another sign that Nikon is against the ropes fighting for their life. However, in my opinion, it looks like they are now beating the crap out of themselves!
As if that was not enough, Nikon then provided another firmware update for a few of their camera bodies. This new firmware update rendered most third-party batteries useless! Of course, you wouldn't know the firmware update did this until after you completed the firmware update! They rendered third-party batteries useless! Batteries!!! Why would Nikon do this? Because they want you to only buy their batteries... some of which cost upwards of $60-65 each compared to the third-party battery cost of around $15-20! If this happened to me, especially after the lens fiasco, all of my Nikon gear would have been put on the burn pile in the yard!
Just how petty can a corporation be? Look at Nikon. They are losing the plot. They are losing touch with their loyal customers and, in the process, they are pissing them off beyond belief! Nikon looks as though they are losing the battle. They are definitely looking like Kodak in their last couple of years.
What is really sad here is that Nikon has some good products. Nikon also employs a LOT of people around the world and it would be very sad to see tens of thousands of people lose their jobs. It is very clear to me that because of gross mismanagement, Nikon is simply shooting themselves in the foot... over and over... and over...
Time certainly will tell but, for now, it is obvious to me that Nikon is against the ropes... and even jabbing themselves in the face...
Part of this hobby is knowing your tools. Actually, 'knowing your tools' is a part of everything in life. Not only must I understand my own tools completely, but I must also understand what is available to replace my tools when they break, wear out or just start acting finicky.
Currently, I use camera gear from multiple manufacturers... Fuji, Canon, Olympus as well as accessories from more third-party manufacturers than I could count. My Olympus gear is my primary gear right now and it is getting old... VERY old. Unfortunately for me, as well as many others, my particular type of Olympus gear is no longer being manufactured nor upgraded so I must find a new direction to go when my gear starts failing.
There are many things I look for when trying to decide on a new camera 'system'. A system includes camera bodies, lenses, and other accessories. The more equipment that is available in this system, the more desirable it is to me. This also means that if I can buy many third-party items, like lenses, flashes, batteries, etc, this is also a big plus because it gives me more items from which to choose. Additionally, this competition between the original manufacturer and the third-party manufacturers keep prices competitive too.
So, many people have chosen Nikon or Canon gear because there are so many lenses and accessories available from Nikon and Canon as well as from third-party lens makers not to mention a slew of accessories from third-party manufacturers. Having all this extra third-party gear is a plus... and it helps to sell a system to the consumer because it makes the system more desirable.
Nikon was one of my options. Well... Nikon was one of my options until recently. Not only will I never buy anything Nikon now, but I am beginning to think that Nikon is backed against the ropes and fighting for their life right now. Their days may actually be numbered.
Remember Kodak? I could write a long blog post just on all the mistakes Kodak made including serious mismanagement which caused catastrophic failure in the digital camera market. This is not the blog post for that. What I do want to point out is that in the last few years before Kodak stopped producing cameras, they resorted to filing lawsuits... I suppose they felt they needed to earn money any way they could so they put their legal department to work creating lawsuits against other manufacturers trying to squeeze out money by claiming patent infringement. Kodak kept their legal department hopping. This, to me, was a clear sign that Kodak was gasping for air in their fight for life in the digital camera market.
Nikon is now doing the same. They actually sued some relatively unknown camera manufacturer because one of their cameras looked like a Nikon model. I should also point out that Nikon was hoping that their model would be a 'best seller' but it failed for a number of reasons none of which were because customers were confused and accidently bought the wrong brand camera. Anyway, it seems as though Nikon has resorted to frivolous lawsuits to make up for poor camera sales..
Nikon also filed a lawsuit against lens manufacturer Sigma claiming some nonsense about Sigma stealing a Nikon patented focus system, or some other nonsense. Personally, I don't care about the specific reason claimed in the lawsuit. What I do care about is how this lawsuit is akin to shooting oneself in the foot. If I remember correctly, Nikon lost the lawsuit and Sigma continues selling lenses in the Nikon mount.
I should also mention again that the availability of Sigma lenses (as well as Tamron lenses, Tokina lenses, etc) is a PLUS for Nikon. This choice in lenses makes the Nikon system more desirable to photographers. When a system is desirable, photographers buy cameras, and more cameras, and upgrade to newer bodies more often sticking with the same brand such as Nikon.
However, Nikon would prefer to put an end to third party lens manufacturers and in their losing quest to stop third-party manufacturers from selling lenses with a Nikon mount have now turned to screwing their loyal customers. In my opinion, they are shooting themselves in the foot here.
If there were no third party lenses available in Nikon mount, I would never consider buying into a Nikon camera system. Many, many, many photographers feel the same way. So, if Nikon sues everyone and causes third-party manufacturers to drop everything compatible with Nikon cameras, Nikon will lose a lot of business. Nikon is playing with fire here. This type of narrow-minded management reminds me of Kodak in their last few years.
So, Nikon lost their lawsuit against Sigma pertaining to Nikon-compatible lenses... What did Nikon then do? In short, they screwed the only people who have been buying Nikon cameras! They provided a firmware update to their cameras (a software update to the camera itself) which had nothing to do with improving performance nor adding features. Firmware updates are usually a desired update for the photographer. Until now, all firmware updates were written to actually improve the camera. This time around, Nikon wrote a firmware update which rendered all Sigma lenses useless! Now, all the photographers who had Sigma lenses for their Nikon cameras could no longer use these lenses!
Can you imagine this? Nikon emails you to tell you they have issued a firmware update which will improve the performance of your Nikon camera.... you excitedly attach your camera to your computer and update your camera... then you try out your newly updated camera only to find that NONE of your Sigma lenses work on your camera! Not only does this render your Sigma lenses useless, but if you only use Sigma lenses, then you no longer have functioning lenses and your camera as a whole is useless! Why would any manufacturer in their right mind do this?
Fortunately, Sigma is a reputable company and they subsequently provided a firmware update for all their lenses to provide new support for Nikon bodies. So, Sigma turned out to be the good guys... Nikon turned out looking petty and acting like a spoiled young child. Photographers with Nikon gear were pissed off at Nikon, with good reason!
This is just another sign that Nikon is against the ropes fighting for their life. However, in my opinion, it looks like they are now beating the crap out of themselves!
As if that was not enough, Nikon then provided another firmware update for a few of their camera bodies. This new firmware update rendered most third-party batteries useless! Of course, you wouldn't know the firmware update did this until after you completed the firmware update! They rendered third-party batteries useless! Batteries!!! Why would Nikon do this? Because they want you to only buy their batteries... some of which cost upwards of $60-65 each compared to the third-party battery cost of around $15-20! If this happened to me, especially after the lens fiasco, all of my Nikon gear would have been put on the burn pile in the yard!
Just how petty can a corporation be? Look at Nikon. They are losing the plot. They are losing touch with their loyal customers and, in the process, they are pissing them off beyond belief! Nikon looks as though they are losing the battle. They are definitely looking like Kodak in their last couple of years.
What is really sad here is that Nikon has some good products. Nikon also employs a LOT of people around the world and it would be very sad to see tens of thousands of people lose their jobs. It is very clear to me that because of gross mismanagement, Nikon is simply shooting themselves in the foot... over and over... and over...
Time certainly will tell but, for now, it is obvious to me that Nikon is against the ropes... and even jabbing themselves in the face...
interesting - I hadn't heard any of this stuff! I have an older Nikon D70. tempted to upgrade, but can't justify the cost right now.
ReplyDeleteWell, the Nikon "fans" won't think any of this indicates problems... but, a lot of pro's are annoyed with Nikon as well as those who bought entry-level Nikon dSLR's on a budget. When on a budget, all those third-party accessories and lenses are important! I follow the business side of photography fairly closely though and I am seeing clear-cut similarities between the demise of Kodak and today's Nikon. It is a bad sign.
DeleteNow, if I were in your shoes... using a Nikon D70 and, I assume, you have a few decent lenses in Nikon mount... I would buy some time by finding a good used D90. Right now, KEH has a couple in excellent condition (I buy from them all the time so I can attest to the accuracy of their rating system) for $350, body only. If unconvinced whether the D90 is 'new enough'... here is a good comparison of the bodies which shows quite a jump in features/technology over the D70... http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D70-vs-Nikon_D90
Or, if you want to buy from a different manufacturer and start collecting lenses again (something I need to start doing myself because Olympus dropped dSLR's), take a look at Pentax. I'm toying with the idea of a new K50... however, money is a serious issue with me since I am on a fixed income. My switch over to a whole new system will need to come one body and one lens at a time over the course of years.
yeah, a coworker has a D90 and loves it. I only have 3 Nikon lenses, but would probably stick with their line just for simplicity and low(er) costs (instead of replacing all my lenses). thanks.
Delete