Nikon to End Production of Most Film Cameras

Nikon Press Release ^ | Jan 11, 2006 | Nikon

[Jack Black]

Reshaping Nikon's Film Camera Assortment

As the film camera market shrinks and the popularity of compact digital cameras increases, demand for products that offer advanced features and extra value is growing rapidly. Additionally, the demand for high performance digital SLR cameras is also steadily increasing as customers shift from film SLRs or upgrade from compact digital cameras.

With film cameras accounting for an ever smaller percentage of Nikon's total sales volume, the company has decided to concentrate its vast resources toward those business categories that continue to demonstrate the strongest growth. Consequently, as Nikon focuses more on the digital camera business, the company must adopt appropriate measures to ensure its continued success.

With that, the Nikon film camera lineup will be reshaped, allowing more of Nikon's planning, engineering and manufacturing resources to be focused on the digital products that now drive our thriving industry. The measures that Nikon will adopt include discontinuing production of all large format Nikkor lenses and enlarging lenses, as well as several of our film camera bodies, manual focus Nikkor interchangeable lenses and related accessories. Sales of these products will cease as supplies are depleted.

Importantly, Nikon's film camera business will continue with our flagship model F6(TM) and with the FM10(TM), allowing the Nikon brand to continue serving the two strongest segments of the 35mm film camera market. Both professionals and dedicated amateurs who continue to view film as their preferred format along with students in need of an economical camera to learn the fundamentals of photography will have ideal Nikon products from which to choose. Additionally, Nikon will continue to produce the manual focus 85mm f/2.8D PC Micro-Nikkor(R).

With the interests of its customers in mind, Nikon will offer continued post-sale service for products whose production has ceased for a period of 10 (ten) years from Nikon Inc.'s last date of sale.

This shift in business strategy and in the utilization of resources will allow Nikon to further its storied history and reputation as a leader in the ever-growing digital market and continue to offer groundbreaking new products and technology for photographers of all skill levels.

SOURCE Nikon

[Jack Black]

Well we've suspected it was coming. It's not just that film is dying out. There are a lot of advantages to digital, for sure. Rather it's sadness at the passing of another supremely well made mechanical thing.

The best Nikon cameras (the original F, the F3, the F5, the FM2 and many others) were real works of art.

Nikon joins Olympus, Kyocera/Yashica/Contax, and Kodak which have completely stopped making film cameras.

End of an era.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[lormand]

I checked ebay recently and there are still people buying old FGs, like the one I still have.

[Cagey]

End of an era.

It really is. When digital first came out I thought that at least professionals and serious amateurs would continue using film. To my surprise, and Kodak's dismay, that era is nearing it's end.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Moma don't take my Kodachrome away.

[f zero]

My favorite was the FE2 you can't beet a match needle meter!

I hope they work on finding all the bugs in their digital line up. I just sent my D70 in for the BGLOD service repair! And I am lucky that my batteries did not burn up too!

[pganini]

LOL, they'll soon stop building digital cameras too (cuz they'll lose it to Canon).

[razorback-bert]

I use my 8800 almost all the time and all my Nikon bodies and lenses are gathering dust in the closet.

[JimSEA]

Kind of sad indeed however my D-50 while not the top of the digital line is outstanding for the hobbyist. Instant gratification and 400+ photos on one SD make it hard to justify film.

[NativeNewYorker]

RIP

[NCjim]

Well, I still love my N50 and recently bought a D50 so that I can share lenses. In my humble opinion both have their place but then again I am an old person and still see value in 35mm slides. *g

[Gay State Conservative]

My Dad,who died about 2 years ago,worked for Polaroid for almost 40 years.It broke his heart to see Polaroid go down the tubes as it did few years ago.This,too,would have broken his heart.

[Last Dakotan]

LOL, they'll soon stop building digital cameras too (cuz they'll lose it to Canon).

True, Canon's Digital-elphs are a beautiful thing and well worth recommending.

[poobear]

I worked the convention last Feb for Nikon. The D70 is a work of art!

[1066AD]

That dates me !

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Zuben owns the classic FM-1, originally purchased in 1976. Still operates terrifically, although the original leather case is sure showing its age (like the owner, I guess).

[NCjim]

I also still have my Minolta SRT-201 for that among other reasons...

[July 4th]

Depending on what professionals are doing with their images, film is still an excellent medium. Some estimate that the megapixel equivalent of medium-format film is somewhere between 20 and 60 megapixels. Until high-end digital backs become cheaper and more mainstream, those who need high resolution will have to stick to film and film scanners.

[dubie]

I love my Nikon D70s =)

[BritExPatInFla]

The D70 is a great camera, we use it for motorpsorts photograpgy, and it's been perfect. Film is great, but just not as practical anymore. Digital seems to lack a bit of the depth of color you get in a well developed film picture, though.