Nikon fell asleep and now playing catch-up in the higher margin SLR camera and lens market. As iPhones replace point and shoot cameras, Canon and Nikon have to shift to higher margin products (professional level dSLR lenses) and making them attractive to consumers/prosumers. Nikon fell asleep as Canon made the first move with mind-blowing professional RF system lenses with Nikon playing catch-up in the Nikkor Z series.
I hope Nikon pulls through. Competition in the camera space is always good.
Nikon actually did quite well with their Mirrorless Z mount introduction. Their f1.8 lenses were far more sensible than the 'Pro' f1.2 behemoths Canon was churning out (oddly only able to be used on the entry level matching bodies) - and better matched to the mid-high level Z6 & Z7.
Those Nikon lenses received great raps, it's just that the full lens set (particularly longer focal lengths) has been slow in coming. Nikon is a smaller company than Canon, and in this arena of new product roll out, it showed. Nikon also chose to make the halo f0.95 Noct very early on - which was mostly irrelevant to those sweating on matching native lenses for the new mirrorless bodies - however - very Nikon.
Both companies didn't exactly hit it out of the park with their initial mirrorless offerings. Canon's were a bit ordinary, stripped out and entry level - and Nikon introduced a cumbersome new AF initiation (and the 'dreaded' one storage card only format - which was surely one of the greatest Internet beat ups ever, for most users in practice - a few wedding specialists notwithstanding). Both AF systems trailed Sony which didn't help either.
Only Canon's recent R5 has seen them edge ahead with one of those generational leaps that are lucky to come once a decade for diehard loyalists.
Having said that, Canon has been getting smashed in Pro APS-C DSLR's for circa ~5 years and doesn't even seem to have any intention of competing. Nikon is rumoured to be coming out with even higher performing new iterations of it's top 2 Pro/sumer DSLR's, as well as a high end /hi-res mirrorless - so it's not all one way traffic.
Focusing on the to-ing and fro-ing misses one major point which the camera industry is subject to, though less-so than the rebadged OEM binocular industry. That is duplication and differentiation.
In many ways, the Styrkas of the world are the quintessential American smoke and mirrors, snake oil ruse - 'pinstripes', 'racing badges', 'chrome trim' and 'fins' ..... none of which advances actual performance - it's just marketing fluff and bunkum. Hardly the basis for a sustainable business model.
Even the 'mighty' Canon and Nikon play uncomfortably close to this line. Their new mirrorless mounts have a scant 1mm in diameter, and 2mm in FFL between them. Madness.
Sit down and have a rational think about that - in a world that is headed over the edge ecologically, and consuming the planet at an unsustainable rate. Virtually identical, yet completely incompatible mount specifications - requiring duplication of the entire lens lineup by both companies. A 70-200 f2.8 by Canon, and a nearly identical product by Nikon. What a waste. What just a heck of a waste of resources.
Ultimately, who cares - Canon or Nikon ?
Beyond a few proprietary differences, they do exactly the same job. While competition improves the breed, and you don't want a big fat lazy cartel also wasting planetary resources for no tangible improvements - the current situation is a crime against humanity in my view. Sooo many industries are guilty.
The binocular industry is orders worse. Identical formats and designs rebadged over multiple brands. 'Shiny badges and trinkets' the only difference. What sort of madness is this ? This is not Dreaming ..... this is a Nightmare !
It's time to get real. If 2020 has taught us anything, then it is that - and even Blind Freddy can see it ......
Chosun 🙅
