Lazy Sunday reading: a brief summary of what happened in Nikon’s world in the past few days and few interested links:
- Nikon and Panasonic fear for their profits – Nikon will cut 800 temporary jobs – hopefully some of those employees will be so upset that they will spill the beans about the next product from Nikon - sorry this was a poor selection of words on my part and I do apologize to everyone that lost their job.
- “Market Prospect and Our Measures” Nikon’s take on the recession.
- Nikon’s D700 digital SLR has won overall Product of the Year at the annual awards hosted by Amateur Photographer (AP) magazine.
- More Nikon awards
- Did you know that this site existed – Nikon Digital Tutor (digitutor). I didn’t.
- Academic discount for Nikon software.
- WWT Nikon Photography Competition 2009
- Focus on Imaging is Europe’s biggest annual imaging show and Nikon will be there: February 22-25th, 2009 in Birmingham, UK. If you attend, send us some pictures.
- Sigma lenses rumor: “we will see new sigma 10-20 f/2.8 for Nikon soon, also 70-300 with optical stabilizer and 70-200 f/2.8 OS to follow, last 2 lenses are full frame”.
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27 Comments
Nice bunch of links… Sigma is really getting serious and their stuff is good. I have more Sigma lenses than Nikon.
Max
There is already a Sigma 70-200 2.8 with stabilization, but according to DPReview it has some spherical focusing problems. Maybe that comment refers to an improved new version ?
“There is already a Sigma 70-200 2.8 with stabilization”
NO, definitely NOT!
There’s one e.g. from Nikon, but not from Sigma.
Thre is on 70-200 2.8 from Sigma, what I was wrong is about the Stabilization, Sigma’s doesn’t have Stabilization (yet)
Yes, Sigma has 70-200/2.8 lenses since years. As said, if they do it right they will sell a lot (for that type of lenses).
I think the Digital Tutor site has been around for a while. I remember seeing it not long after I bought my D40 a couple of years ago. It is useful though and a nice site to bookmark for reference.
Something will be released on 18th,Feb.2009. I hope it’s from Nikon! ^_^
Source? Got more details? Thanks.
S6 or D400, I can’t tell…
surprised you run nikon rumors and haven’t had a clue about digitutor! it’ve been up since D100 introduction.
It was time for Sigma to offer an 70-200 with OS – no OS being a clear disadvantage these days for cameras without in-body OS like Nikon and in case it is at least as good optically as the current 70-200/2.8 without OS Sigma will have a fair market share from it if the price is right, means clearly below the Nikon 70-200/2.8 VR.
A 10-20/2,8 (which is for FX) will be quite a beast – judging from the current 10-20/4-5.6 it will be big, heavy and pricey, but surely it will find a lot of buyers if Sigma can deliver in terms of quality (and of course price, too)..
Note that these layoffs are not necessarily in the imaging division. In the imaging division, the recent substantial price increases should make up for the currency conversion losses. Of course, that won’t make up for a decline in sales, but especially in this economy, I don’t see a 5% decline as so terrible.
Furthermore, Nikon continuously leaves money on the table by not keeping equipment in stock, especially lenses. And there has been no improvement in this regard post-Olympics or even because of the recession. In the U.S., Nikon gave priority to the big-box stores, which was a critical mistake because (like Circuit City), they’re failing and because they carry only a very few models anyway.
Right now at B&H, out of 54 current Nikon lens models, 12 (22%) are out of stock. And 11 out of those 12 are also out of stock at J&R, implying that this is a Nikon problem, not a retailer ordering issue. And 6 out of the 22 (27%) lenses that sell for over $1000 are out of stock. Not that I’m in the market for one, but I don’t think they’ve every had a 600 AF-S. They only recently have managed to get the 400 and 500 and the 400 was supposedly released in November of ‘07 and the 500 and 600 in May of ‘08. When you can’t keep your pro lenses in stock, you’re turning away business from pro photographers who even in a recession are going to be your best customers. That’s a recipe for disaster.
I know Canon is much bigger company than Nikon, but out of 61 currently sold lenses (includes some discontinued models, but there’s still stock on them), only 7 (11%) are out of stock.
Pundits and economists say that one of their fears is deflation because in a deflationary economy, consumers defer purchases while prices come down. I think the deflationary fears are bogus considering how Japanese companies are all raising prices to make up for the currency conversion losses. But if they’re correct, I think that as soon as consumers (at least the still-employed consumers who can pay the mortgages) see that prices are not falling, they’ll start purchasing again. Of course any company in which a 5% difference in sales is going to make a big difference is still going to be in trouble.
“Furthermore, Nikon continuously leaves money on the table by not keeping equipment in stock, especially lenses.”
I agree (who couldn’t).
BUT we have to see the tremendous growth Nikon lens production had over the Fiscal Years:
1997; 890.000
1998: 1.000.000
1999: 970.000
2000: 980.000
2001: 1.080.000
2002: 1.200.000
2003: 1.230.000
2004: 1.230.000
2005: 1.500.000
2006: 2.020.000
2007: 2.640.000
2008: 4.450.000
2009: 4.050.000 First three quarters of Fiscal Year 2008
………..4.600.000 expected, so 550.000 for the current quarter expected, estimate down from earlier expected 4.900.000 Last quarter in calendar year 2008 was 1.420.000 lenses. That is as nearly as many as in the whole FY 2005!
If you recall the 80’s Japanese companies were knocking the snot out of many American companies, which were knee deep in problems fighting unions. Eventually, and in short order they – the Japanese – managed to loose most of the dominance due to their inflexible way of doing business and willingness to adapt quickly, in addition to a simply insane distribution chain. While American cos. were cutting as many links out of that chain as possible often going factory direct or nearly so, the Japanese refused to, at best eliminating a small amount, in the end loosing their stance.
I have absolute zero insight into the management quality of Nikon, however, based on what I am seeing, it is questionable. At least from my perspective.
Nice job Zoe on the analysis.
“70-200 f/2.8 OS to follow”
I like my 50-150 2.8, since I’ll stay with DX anyway. It’s a great lens. Solid as rock, lightweight, fast AF, and nice bokeh. I hope an OS version of this one will come some day.
I’d buy the 10-20 2.8 right away. That’s what I was wainting for in the ultra-wide category. HSM, large aperture, nice range. Perfect.
sigma 70-200mm, I have been banging on to them about this for ages, I have a 70-200 f2.8 but was loathed to get rid and get a nikon purely for the fact that the newer sigmas focus to 1m, my mate got one damn useful, so with os, guess what I will save up to buy. 1.8m is so not good especially in press situations when things move fast there’s no time ot change lenses., I borrowed the newer one, its real good for portraits at f4, nice bokeh and save having to carry my 85mm f1.8, so looking forward to the sigma.
Ha! Aww, Nikon Rumors Admin, you’re such a sensitive softy! I hope some nice girl appreciates that!
lolwut
I’m referring to the part of the headline that has a strike in it now.
lulz
I got an email and somebody actually complained about that.
Some nice girl?
Awww, I still think you’re a softy!
NEW NIKON PRO CAMERA WITH SQUARE SENSOR COMING
tell us more or email me the info
thanks
i love how their 2009 business plan has NO mention of the fact they are raising prices, turning away potential customers, and converting pro’s due to short supply of EVERYTHING. . .had i not pre-ordered my 50mm 1.4 G, I would have NEVER been able to get it. . .which is GREAT for Nikon, because now I’m forced to pre-order lenses and hope that the reviews are great. . .sigh. . .if the 10-18mm is true, I’ll have to pre-order that, to avoid waiting and the possibility of a price increase!