• Nikonreseñas
  • Nikonreview
  • Fotoschool
  • Ode to Ugliness
  • Portfolio
  • Contact
  • Log in

That's it for Nikon in 2011

by gerard.prins on Dec 8, 2011 in Current Events
That's it for Nikon in 2011

This has definitely not been a good year for Nikon, nor for most other Japanese companies or the Japanese as a people, for that matter.
The devastating March 11 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami followed by severe flooding in Thailand in November 2011 must – even if Nikon has been extremely careful in its damage assessments – have servery affected normal operations.

Our hearts go out to all the Japanese and Thai families who have lost their homes, properties, livelihood and dear ones in these natural disasters, and our hopes are for the proverbially resilience of the Japanese and their neighbors to recover from what – to other nations – could well be the definite blow.




Although most of us were quite disappointed in August when Nikon failed to launch the long-expected D800, in retrospect it was only fair to assume that – after the above events – the company would not be in shape for game-changing technology.
With the holiday season virtually over, it is fair to guess that Nikon will not launch anything else in 2011, and that – contrarily – 2012 may be a year to remember in the company's history: at least the D3, D700 and the D300s are up for a refresh or upgrade.

In 2008 and 2009 Nikon launched four new DSLR cameras, in 2010 two and in 2011 only one – the D5100.
The company did not drop off with Coolpix launches, on the other hand, where – in fact – 2011 was one of its most proliferous years.
No less than 14 CP models were launched during the current year, only comparable with 2006, when Nikon launched the same number of new cameras in the compact category.

During 2011 Nikon launched only two new lenses; the 50 mm f/1.8G and the 40 mm f/2.8G – neither of which is considered particularly ground breaking – versus 9 new lenses in 2010. We'd have to go back to 2004 to observe such a low number of new lens releases. Between that year and last, Nikon always launched at least 6 new lenses.

That's it for Nikon in 2011

By far the most relevant Nikon launch in 2011 was that of the Nikon One System, but, even though the company reports “solid” demand, it is yet to be seen if this new format is here to stay.
The last “mayor” launch of Nikon in 2011 was the SB-910 flash, which – although appealing – is definitely not a game-changer.
It builds on SB-900 technology, improving on operability and making some minor, even though interesting, changes on the flash head.
The SB-910 allows for normal, wide and center focused flash, which makes for more subject oriented lighting patterns.
However, it does not include the – expected – continuous (LED) lighting for video, which could have been considered a mayor step forward.

All and all, that's it for 2011. It’s not that we like it, but then again it’s more than one might expect from a company that’s been hit twice by a mayor disaster.
Let’s hope 2012 is a – far – better year for Nikon, because it would mean a far better year for us.
Happy 2012, Nikonians!!



Want to help?

I'm a freelancer!
If this article is useful to you, you might want to consider a small contribution. Thank you!

Tags: 2011 2012 accessories camera coolpix disaster dslr flash launch lens microphone new nikon php sb-910 upgrade video
  • « January 2012. Nikon launches the D4. Time for a review of its product strategy.
  • October 5, 2011. A farewell to Steve Jobs. »

No feedback yet


Form is loading...

Comment feed for this post

Want to help?

I'm a freelancer!
If my work is useful to you, please consider a small contribution. Thank you!

Search

Translate


Who's Online?

  • Guest Users: 0

Articles

  • Astro photography for beginners
  • Upgrade or deal-breaker? Seven reasons not to buy the Nikon D7500 and get a D7200 instead
  • Your telescope as a super-tele lens: methods, tools, pros & cons of eyepiece projection and prime focus astrophotography
  • Home built heavy duty Crawford focuser with building plans
  • Is my camera motorized or motor-less, compatible with NAI, AI, AI-S, AI-P, AF-D, AF-I, AF-S lenses and GPS or not? Answers.
  • The Nikon F-mount. Manual focus NAI, AI, AI-S, AI-P, Series E and auto-focus AF-D, AF-I, AF-S, D- and G-Type lenses. A compatibility inventory
  • Why DxO Mark's lens “tests” are utter nonsense
  • Got a new camera? Problems with Photoshop or Camera RAW? Check out Nikon Capture NX-D. FREE!
  • Autofocus reloaded. AF-S, AF-C, AF-A, AF-F. 11, 39 and 51 point AF systems. Dynamic area AF, focus areas and 3D
  • When and how to use fill-in flash, high speed sync and slow sync flash
  • Adobe adds support for the Nikon Df, D610, D5300, D4S, D3300 and D810 in ACR 8.x (CS6 and CC ONLY)
  • Compatibility chart for Nikon DSLR and Adobe Camera RAW & DNG Converter (Updated 20-03)
  • 25-02-2014: Nikon launches the top-of-the-line 16.2 Mp. D4S
  • Cool Stuff V. Godox Witstro AD-180 & AD-360 portable bare-tube flashes
  • Good news for wildlife and sports shooters: Tamron launches the Di SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 VC USD
  • The Quick & Dirty Focus Test
  • Back Focus, Front Focus or Spot-on? Do the Domino Test
  • October 17, 2013. Nikon replace the D5200 with the D5300
  • October 8, 2013. Nikon launches the D610 to replace the 13 month-old D600
  • Nikon's numbers are dropping. Why?
  • Geotagging test of the Nikon D7100 and the Promote GPS N-90
  • How the DNG Converter makes your RAW files compatible with any version of ACR
  • Some very useful tips for shooting Video with your DSLR
  • Nikon announces to have produced the 80 millionth Nikkor
  • Adobe surveys potential CC customers. Mostly address the right issues, except the single most essential.
  • Flickr make a mayor change to their interface. Just in time or just too late?
  • Adobe Creative Cloud or CC. Cash Cows for Creative Criminals
  • Adobe adds support for the D5200 in ACR 7.3 and D7100 in 7.4 (CS6 Only)
  • Promote GPS 10-pin CA10 to D90-type CA90 connector conversion.
  • The D5200: Nikon’s most unnecessary launch ever.
  • Nikon's Premium Pricing and Pixel Overkill: A New Dead End Street?
  • Adobe adds support for the Nikon D600 in ACR 7.2 (CS6 only).
  • Adobe adds support for the D3200 in ACR 7.1 (CS6 only). D600 not yet supported.
  • Nikon D600 vs. D800. For what it offers, the D600 should cost $500 less.
  • EN-EL15 battery recall
  • To Goog Almighty: how do I get my search traffic back?
  • Adobe publishes Camera RAW and DNG Converter 6.7 final releases. The last for CS5.
  • Nikon launches the long overdue AF-S 28 mm f/1.8G Nikkor
  • Nikon launches the D3200, the WU-1a wireless mobile adapter and the 28mm f/1.8G prime lens
  • Flickr is dead. Long live Facebook
  • XQD vs. Compact Flash on the Nikon D4. Which is the fastest?
  • Adobe ACR 6.7 RC (CS5 only) and Nikon updates add support for the D4, D800/800E. Nikon software now also x64 native.
  • The new Nikon D800. Medium Format akin or not? A spec comparison with the Pentax 645D
  • January 2012. Nikon launches the D4. Time for a review of its product strategy.
  • That's it for Nikon in 2011
  • October 5, 2011. A farewell to Steve Jobs.
  • September 21, 2011. Nikon launches Nikon One: 2 mirror-less cameras, 4 lenses, and a host of accessories.
  • August 24, 2011. Nikon may finally give us the launches we have been waiting for. (Edited) Well, I guess not.
  • Sigma discontinues the 100-300mm f/4. Time to call upon Nikon for an affordable 400 and 500 mm
  • EN-EL3 rechargeable battery recall (D50, D70, D70s, D100)
  • Nikon launches the D5100 and the ME-1 stereo microphone for digital SLR
  • Cool Stuff IV. The Strobies XS bracket: turn your hot-shoe flash into a studio flash.
  • New software releases from Nikon, Adobe and Apple
  • Mac OS X 10.6 Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update. Support for the Nikon D7000 and CP7000, among others.
  • Cool stuff III. The Superclamp: don't leave home without one (or two)
  • Adobe launches Camera RAW (CS5 ONLY) and DNG converter 6.3 RC. Support for the Nikon D7000 and D3100, among others.
  • Missed the D7000 launch, but went to Amsterdam, played the tourist, met my grandson and “tested” the D7000, Pentax 645D at Photokina
  • Nikon launch their own on-line store in the US. Unfortunately, it's outrageously expensive.
  • Nikon & NASA. Almost 40 years together in space.
  • Cool Stuff II: lenta.ru. Probably the coolest portal on the planet, right now.
  • Cool Stuff I: GoPro HERO wearable, waterproof 1080p HD digital video and still “sports” camera
  • The rumors were not too far off: Nikon launch the D3100 with the 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR.
  • Nikon View: could it get any worse? A crash test review of View NX2.
  • The rumors are no longer rumors. Nikon launch their new Coolpixes S1100 Pj and S5100.
  • NEW! Nikon View NX 2 now available for download.
  • Adobe Labs publishes the Camera RAW ACR 6.2 release candidate (CS5 Only) and DNG Converter v.6.2.
  • It's that time of the year again. Rumors about new Nikon DSLR cameras: D3100 and D7000 (D95).
  • JPG vs. RAW, 8-bits vs. 16-bits, sRGB vs. wide-gamut RGB. Which to choose, when and why
  • Shot befittingly with a Nikon: my grandson
  • Nikon EN-EL3e false low-battery warning problem. Possible solutions.
  • Swamped in comment Spam
  • Geo-tagging Flickr images: the coolest game on (Google) Earth.
  • Adobe releases Camera RAW ACR 5.7, probably the last update for CS4.
  • The earthquake in Chile and the power of photography.
  • Nikon updates software. Now compatible with Apple Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.x) and Windows 7, Vista 32/64 bits.
  • I'm not the only one who thinks Adobe is Lazy...
  • Nikon introduce 7 new Coolpix cameras. Finally move their butt, um, sensor. Launch their first BSI-CMOS in the P100.
  • Can I use Nikkor AI and AI-S manual focus lenses on my Nikon DSLR? Yes, you can!
  • Nikon's greatest hits, 1999-2009
  • Adobe Camera RAW ACR 5.6 RC (CS4 only) now available for download. Support for the Nikon D3S, among others
  • Green pictures in Nikon View?
  • Nikon View NX does not work on Snow Leopard (OS 10.6)
  • 14-10-2009. Nikon launch the D3S with 12.800 standard ISO plus the DX 85mm f/3.5 micro-Nikkor
  • RIP: the Nikon D300, officially discontinued
  • Which is the best RAW converter: Camera RAW, Nikon View, Capture or Phase One Capture One?
  • Adobe Camera RAW 5.5 Release Candidate (Free, CS4 ONLY). Support for the Nikon D300S and D3000
  • New Nikon camera? Photoshop or Camera RAW Trouble? Check out Nikon View NX! (Updated)
  • 30-07-2009: Nikon Launch the D300s and D3000 cameras. Specs here.
  • Nikon service advisory for a power related problem with the D5000 (certain serial numbers only)
  • The rumors confirmed: launch date for the Nikon D300s and D3000.
  • A good laugh for our Dutch friends...
  • My Nikon wish list. Some of it I can afford, some not (yet).
  • D5000 & 18-55, 55-200 Outfit for the price of a D90 (Body alone)
  • In depth D5000 review on DPreview
  • Competition for the Nikon GP-1(a). Promote Systems GPS N-90 for the D90, D6x0, D7K and D5K series, the D3100 and D3200
  • Nikon D300, D90 & D80 EN-EL3e false low-battery warning problem.
  • Let's stick it to Adobe and Nikon! 3 Alternatives to upgrading RAW software every time you get a new camera
  • Plausible rumors about the specs of the new Nikon D300s and more...
  • Adobe Camera RAW 5.4 Release Candidate (CS4 ONLY). Support for the Nikon D5000 and other cameras.
  • Teaser Campaign for the D400? More rumors: D400, D750.
  • Nikon D300, out of stock or discounted in stores in the US, France and Sweden. D40 and D80 discontinued in Europe.
  • Adobe now officially WORSE than MS. Sell by NOT doing, rather than doing.
  • “Geotagging” with your Nikon. Review of the Promote GPS N-1
  • Review: Nikon D40 + AF-S DX 18-55 mm. f/3.5-5.6GII ED kit. Maybe the best Nikon ever?
  • My Nikon cameras, the ones to come and why.
  • Review: 18-200 mm. f/3.5-6.3D IF DC Sigma. You can't have it All.
  • Review: APO 100-300mm f/4D EX HSM Sigma. Sharpness on a Shoestring
  • Review: AT-X PRO 12-24mm f/4G DX Tokina. Big Bang for your Buck
  • Dictionary of (digital) photography terms and abbreviations

©2021 by Gerard Prins All content of this blog is copyrighted. Articles may be reproduced only when providing a byline and a link to the original article. Images may not be reproduced without previous, written permission of their author(s). • Contact • Help • CMS • cheap web hosting