Plethora of DSLR cameras

icnoble

icnoble

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Iain
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I have used Nikon cameras since film days, (it could have easily have been Canon). My current Nikon is a D800 plus the holy trinity of lenses, and the smaller D5100 for travel, holidays. I have recently bought a Fuji X-T1 and XE-1. I am, like many other photographers, both amateur like myself, and pro have done. And like them I am selling all of my Nikon equipment, unthinkable a year ago. Both Nikon and Canon are bringing out new DSLR's almost by the months, and both companies are talking about going into medium format territory. My feeling is that taking things in the wrong direction, and if I was a director of Nikon or canon I would seriously be considering the mirror less market and producing cameras like the X-T1.
 
Nikon and Canon do both produce mirror less cameras, they've just not been particularly successful.
There seems to be conflicting reports on mirrorless sales, but the fact remains that a lot of photographers are moving over to them.
There's clearly a place for both. I always regard cameras and lenses as tools in a toolbox. Indeed I have an SLR and a mirrorless and use each to their strengths in the circumstances that suits them. Horses for courses and all that......
 
After recently upgrading my d90 to a 610, I had a bit of a change of heart. I was kind of fed up with lugging a 610 around on holidays and the likes, so pushed the boat out and picked up an olympus em-10 kit while travelling back from Singapore last month. I initially feared for the future of the d610, but after a month or so the em10 has been on holiday and to a wedding, and the 610 has been to a kids birthday party and out locally. I would have regretted selling the dslr, and I've settled to keep both, and use them as it suit.
 
My heart wanted me to keep the Nikon, but this time my head won. It really boiled down to the fact that lugging heavy kit around is not my bag any more.
 
Since the beginning of 2012 Nikon have brought out the D4, D4s, D800, D800E, D810, D600 and the D610. That is seven full frame cameras some of which have had technical issues. Surely the could have slipped in an X-T1 type of mirror-less camera.
 
Given the lack of success of the 1 series, there is probably no appetite. And their attempt at retro, the DF looks the part but is apparently flawed in its operation. The XT1 is far better in its execution, and of course builds on a superb range of lenses Fuji have developed for the X-range. In fact Fuji have the retro market sewn up, for as long as retro is fashionable.
I suspect there is simply no appetite for it at Nikon, either commercial or marketing.
 
Fuji alone seem to have found the right formula for the retro mirrorless market - there's obviously more to it than just creating a compact-size body with a larger than compact sensor.

As for the rate of DSLR development, all the major makes must be under enormous pressure to remain competitive in the market for what has become a consumer, rather than solely professional product range. Also as consumers, we have become used to the idea of continual updates, and would probably start wondering why the same cameras were being produced for 5 years without improvement.
 
Oh Olympus have a good pedigree there too. We are lucky at the moment that many manufacturers are releasing a big variety of great cameras to choose from.
 
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