Many European Nikon websites were down during the past few weeks (especially on weekends). Those outages could be caused by technical issues, but I am not sure how this is possible with the current web servers technology (redundant/backup servers, staging servers for pushing new updates, etc).
Anyhow, the main Nikon Imaging website is also scheduled for a 4 hours maintenance this Thursday:
"Product line up pages will not be accessible due to maintenance during 1PM to 5PM Japan time in Jun. 17, 2010."
On several occasions in the past Nikon has brought down their websites in order to update them for an upcoming announcement.
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187 Comments
Seriously! Nikon D400 please! I need it or I’ll be forced to buy a *wince* Canon 7D.
I have to have 1080p video for my new job. Come on Nikon! Rescue me!
why not just rent a 7D or a 5D mark II. cheaper and you’ll be happy that you did when the d400/900 comes out
Don,t!!!!!I juss did it,buyin a 5 D mrk II,after the D 300s it feels like crap I prefer my D 90 ,exept for the immage that is great and the moovie also,If you swich from Nikon to Canon It has to be the 5D mrk II ,otherwise you will feel the undeniable feeling of undergradin,for the AF the ergonomy the speed!!!!If you have an uper level that the entry level Nikon you need a 5D mrk II or you will not make sens!!then go back to Nikon when they ll give us the 5D killer that will be the best and only smart moove!!!!
By the way I forgot , just buy the 50 mm f 1.8 II new ,you can do that,It is the best lens in evry brand almost ;then swich back to nikon wen they ll come right!!
That,s what I’m doinn!!!!!!!!
Getting ready for a HUGE D3000s announcement?
I was going to say this, since nobody placed such comment under the D3000 discontinuation post. Remember all the fuzz about the D300 replacement? Full HD, up to 18MP and such just days, even hours before its release. Ever since disappointment was prohibited and excitement strongly supported. So get ready for some cheerleading fanboyism: a 12 MP D3000s with HD is about to come. This is just sooooooo great.
Not sure it would motivate me to jump from my D90. I might be tempted for a FF model though.
Gimme a D3000 to D90-sized FF camera of professional build, puhhlease!
12 mp 3 fps, 720p or +, D700 to D3s iso performance and I’m sold right away!
It is much easier to predict the low end models than the upper.
Most likely this will be a refresh to move the 12MP CMOS sensor all the way downline and give the camera a live view capability. The video comes for free with HD.
I would expect some erosion of the upper end sales as a result. But only as far as the D5000 as the D4000 will still lack the advanced AF features and the rest of the D90.
I can’t see a need to bump MP beyond 12 since there will be a need to differentiate the D5000 replacement. My guess would be that the D5000 replacement will not arrive until Nikon has full 1080i HD and it will be 14MP or so which is a little bit short of an 8×12 print at 400 dpi. That is fine for the market segment.
I would expect the whole pro line to move up to 18 MP with the D4 refresh. But the D90 could well move earlier as that is by far the most important camera in Nikon’s range. It is the highest volume seller on Amazon but clearly much greater margins than on the D3000/D5000. It would not surprise me for the D90 to come out with a preview of the 18MP sensor.
Once you get above 18MP you really have to pack in a lot of pixels to make a big impact on the print size. 16×24 would require a 50MP camera to do a true retinal print. The highest resolution displays that are easily obtained are only 6MP. So 18MP looks like a good choice to me.
Frankly it shouldn’t be necessary to take even a part of the website down for this sort of thing. I’m astonished Nikon still do this! Oh well, here’s hoping we get something interesting in return.
I suggested the same a couple of weeks ago but got my head bit off.
As a web developer, I don’t understand it either. It’s not necessary to take websites down like they’re renovating a store-front in a high-street. It should take seconds, if that, if it’s done properly. Having said that, I still hope there’s an announcement
It has not been necessary for over a decade. Most people have a shadow site and either copy the shadow site to the main one or simply cut over the IP address.
People have been doing that since 1993.
It is not a matter of ‘necessary’. It’s a matter of ‘marketing’…. just to get ‘us’ guys excitied.
One reason I can think of would be to make sure that any web cache repositories are fully expired so that everything new repropagates correctly within their infrastructure.
The other reason is that Nikon most likely does a live QA test on the sites to make 100% sure it works in a live setting and on a grander scale. This second reason is a quite refreshing realization and hints about quality in everything Nikon do… implicit marketing if you will.
They will announce new dslrs but you need to wait at least 12 months before you can get a copy.
Hey Admin,
Heard of this?
Latest Nikon gear in space -
http://www.dpreview.com/news/1006/10061402nikoniss.asp
if NASAs buying loads maybe it doesn’t help supply!
Yes I saw that, I just don’t think it was worth posting – they purchased 3 cameras and 4 lenses. I don’t think this was worth a separate press release. I will cover it in the weekly Nikon links section (I will cover also the Nikon camera that travel underwater from Aruba to Florida).
Does anyone know how to check the batteries level on a SB-900 ?
Little bit out of subject ,
but the only way I see is the recovery time between too flash.
two *
It has begun
It must began before it has begun
And it must begin before began
Well, Nikon used to play the game of having web server outages to foreshadow announcements. Now they just take their web servers down because it’s so much fun.
I can’t wait for that D3000s announcement! Consumers need a new low-end dSLR every 6 months.
It has begun! 24.6 mp D900 is coming soon for $3500 bundled with 24-105mm f/4 VR, which will cause a magnitude-10 earthquake effect in the photography world.
People will start camping in front of dealers’ doors to get it first (as happened with IPhones). Nothing will be the same again
many landscape & studio photgraphers will migrate to Nikon for D900, so intensely that Canon may even face going bust unless they can do something equivalent. we all know 5D mark II is not that brilliant at stills.
Nikon will double its profit due to new prime lens demand from large volume DX to FX switch, yes, because of D900.
damn, i would buy one and put my D700 on ebay in a heart beat. IF D900 plus 24-105 f/4G (i almost typed ‘L’ instead of ‘G’) VR really cost US$3500.
my bet is D900 itself would easily cost US$3500 body only. for 24MP, people would still camp in front of dealers to get one. the queue size would triple if it has decent video.
agreed, and another 1500 for the 24-105 f4. Such a lens would be a popular pro lens just as it is in the Canon market, dont expect it for under a grand on its own.
Agreed – look at the price premium VR adds too; the 16-35mm f/4 VR is a case in point. How Nikon truly puts this lens in the ‘affordable’ category is a bit cheeky for me when it’s retailing at over £1000 in most outlets in the UK. I’m not sure however that there are many owners of the 24-70mm f/2.8 that would jump at a 24-105mm f/4 VR though especially when it is likely to cost virtually the same in Nikon land.
Yes I want a good full HD video with extra microphone input.
24MP is not absolutery necessary 18-20mp is good if it can keep the D700 low sensitivity quality.
I’ll pay up to $2995.
A 300mm ED-G f/4 VR II would also be a nice surprize( $1995 ?).
minus the lens and i would do the same
D900=$2995 body only.
I’m also very exited (my D90 is hiding), I offer a FREE test chart set for the 1st photographer owning a D900.
(Invisible Man)
im rather surprised that nikon didnt release a camera with the world cup , now a know they brought out the D3s which tells us that the D4 is next year but the D700 should have been updated in time for the world cup but not just for the world cup for nikon them selves are falling behind the D800 should be next up
also im thinking of buying a D300s body only can someone give this camera a reviewed opinion
cheers
all: get to bed and sleep well! when you wake-up: check the pages …
Wake up from your dream now. No D900 today.
My website goes down a lot and I never release anything.
wahahahaha same as nikon then….
haha
I want the D90 replacement !!!
yeah! even canon550D already better than nikon d90 (both same price). nikon should improve!
I want..ehm..something ..at this point..whatever it is…even a refrigerator ..but with some pixel and hi iso capability
it’s a D4 in D3s clothing
It’s disgusting. Nikon must give up that horrible design. It looks more like a lawn mower than a camera. At least, the batteries could be detachable in order to give it a normal shape.
Vuvzelas are disgusting
Ok,
I start saving money for the D900 today, $5 a day.
$2995/$5=599 days=20 months=less than 2 years ! cool !
its ok with just 3 a day.. they probably still hasnt released it in 2 years lol
Would they really release a D700 upgrade/replacement with the current sales on them? I don’t think so, thats not good marketing…
On the Site down thing…. Apple does this all the time when they update their pages with new iMacs, Mac Mini’s ect.
There will always be some sales for any model if you don’t give any other choice. It’s not the point. Sorry, 2 years old D700 is considered outdated in today’s world, even though it may show flawless performance.
i honestly think were going back to the film days type releases where sure you could have the new nikon F5 but if you were using the F2 youd be fine as well for most kinds of things. Five years from now you could still be using the D700 for most of your work if not all or the DXXX that is out then but you would be using a D100.
D700 is considered outdated in today’s world, even though it may show flawless performance
Not just may show – it IS flawless. OK no video (I personally care not) and for landscapes that sensor size feels a little limiting for large gallery work but otherwise it’s still pretty damn perfect and every D700 owner will hopefully agree. Wedding togs might just want that video option a lot more these days though but for the pros the D3s has it anyway… I still can’t see the rush to replace it especially as I can’t see the 5DMKII being replaced until Q1 2011 either…
RussB, you will be very surprised when this summer Canon will release something in the category of the 5DII.
You’re right, I will be surprised. My money is on no replacement in 2010…
By the way Japan time is what time to us(west coast)?
Minus 16 hours. So late Wed. night.
Go try out Zone Tick. Very cool software for time zone confirmation on one’s PC (don’t know if it’s avail. for Mac or not). Have been using it for years.
It’s not quite late Wed. night here. Typing this on my lunch break right now (Wed 6/16).
The second half of 2010 may be an interesting one for Nikon. Based on Nikon’s history of product announcements, they’ll almost certainly release updates or replacements for the D3000 and D90, and they almost certainly will not announce upgrades or replacements for the D3s and D300s.
Everything seems up the air. A D700 update/replacement seems likely, but it’s not clear what it will be, if it does come. A D3x update (video + UI improvements) wouldn’t be surprising. Following their past history, Nikon will probably release a new DX lens with the D90 upgrade.
Of the 6 lenses that people have been requesting for years (35mm f/1.4, AF-S 85mm f/1.4, 300mm f/4 VR, 24-105mm f/4, 70-200 f/4, 80-400mm upgrade/replacement), my guess is that we’ll get at least either the 35mm or the 85mm replacement, plus at least one of the zooms (24-105mm f/4, if I were to bet) to go with the announcement of an updated FX body. The 200mm f/2 seems to be due for an update to VRII and nanocoating as well.
I have a good feeling about this one.
Looking foward to Thursday morning!
Can we please get DX 24 2.8 and DX 55 1.8 with AF-S? I really don’t care about FX lenses and just want some quiet, fast and small DX primes!
Why not, good idea. Even if Nikon doesn’t consider it profitable, Sigma or Tamron may do. For example, there is a Sigma 4.5mm f/2.8 DX fisheye which Nikon doesn’t produce any similar.
How many DSLRs has Nikon launched in 2010 until now? … I can’t remeber, I think Nikon won’t reach its average level of 4 or 5 this year…
Nikon is at dormant mode for a long while before a series of big explosions.
crossing fingers. (not related to me anyways. happy with my d3x d3s).
and EVIL will be good.
Fingers being crossed as well for a D700 refresh of some sorts. However I am no longer holding my breath.
I will be surprised if Nikon announces something this Thursday, very surprised.
Don’t be surprised. June 18, 2010 Medium Term Management Plan announcement at Nikon. Maybe they have show some new point and shoots.
oh yea, I forgot about that – I am saying that I will be surprised because I have not heard anything about a scheduled press event in Europe. In the past 2 years they aways had a press event scheduled for their announcements.
Maybe a minor Update? Anyways NR I sometimes like you and I sometimes hate you. Very surprised is not very positive
. And you would know better than any of us. Anyways, how often do they announce that they will going offline for 4 hrs?
Usually they don’t announce when they update their website with new products, which means that this may a technical update. I think at that point we can forget the month of June – nothing will be released this month.
thanks for the hard work admin,
are you personally still convinced that there will be a d700 replacement despite the internet chatter about a release in 2011?
yes, I think there will announce a D700 replacement before Photokina but this is just my personal opinion, I do not have any credible info on that
NR is right. Probably a leak would have occurred and we would know about a new DSLR.
If Nikon make a FX 14MP, I stop doing the dishes, vacuum & windows, I get a second job and buy a D3x.
my sentiments exactly!
I hope there will be new products announced…
Web page should be updated instantly (if any), but they’ve probably relocated the page to a faster server and needs time for their ISPs to update the IP addresses routing at their switches. Normally to support increasing traffic and web page update (product update). Should take less than 4 hours, but maybe they want to do some testing.
So Nikon, please make your customers happy. Give us some new camera bodies and lens.
BY the way, the way, the new popular photography mentions a D500. Now find out where!!!
I have an electronic subscription of pop photo. I went through the July edition and could not find any D500 reference. It’s probably a typo in some of the ads in the last pages.
yeah sorry to bother you, joking, it is an obvious typo, in the sigma 50 500 os review. Now that is a lens i am seriously interested in, but probably will not buy!
Unless the 80 400 replacement comes fast (And mortal prices) it’s the 150 500 siggy for me now…
When is a camera not considered “new?”
When it’s discontinued?
Hello everybody, the ‘good news’ is expected before end of June,2010.
So stay tuned.
Hope for an 300mm F4 AFS VRII
so i can afford an 300mm F4 AFS
I purchased the 300 mm AFS f4 2 weeks back. Thus far it’s simply brilliant but I wouldn’t wait for the VR and a price reduction on the old lens, you might just fade away.
The 300mm is screaming for a better camera than my D40X to do it justice.
If we see anything on Thursday it will not be more important than a new P&S. D700 replacement at Photokina is more wishful thinking. It will probably be the D90 replacement. Remember, Canon went 3 years with the 5D. Anyone here really think the D700 is outdated? Other Nikon bodies can shoot video, but the 5DII owns that space. Besides, you need a bunch of stuff to shoot meaningful video on a large sensor camera, not to mention completely different skills from still photography.
Oh My !!! I dun care if its D800/D900 or watever… i hope nikon would just release a new version of FX model =) !
My guess is that they have switch to Mac servers for their web. They always need to shutdown when adding new products.
The website have technical problem because I couldn’t register my brandnew D3s.
I dont suggest people HACK into their server,
I dont suggest people to bribe a worker from nikon for info
and specially I dont suggest people to sneak in into their HQ
but i do suggest giving us some a new awsome FX camera!!!
why do I get the feeling that people are more interestested in the technology race than making images ?
I do hope my FM2 doesn’t go ‘out of date’ with the impending announcement.
Well, as this has been mentioned time and again there is a difference between photography and gear lust.. For the former your FM2 won’t go out of date; but for the latter it certainly does.
Yes I’m lusting for the new technology, but that is a part of making images, because I am not satisfied with the result of my images due to not my photographic ability but by the limitation of my gear. Currently I am satisfied with the noise and MP is simply because I want to give my client the best, and it’s not in my budget to get a camera for 8k just to get the result I want.
It’s not neccesarry that it have to be a 24 MP camera, I would be a happy camper with atleast 18MP with an awsome AF, video is not my main concern, it’s a bonus.
But seriously people stop crying about the video on Dslr, it’s a still camera first!!!
Do think of what you wanna do, if you wanna shoot pic get a Dslr, if you wanna shoot Video get a camcorder!!! Or a panavision!!! It’s nice to have both feature but a Dslr never gonna have the same quality as a dedicated video cam, nor a panavision capturing a still image as good as a high end Dslr.
I meant currently I’m NOT satisfied…
Sorry I’m typin on my iPhone
Hmm.
Your FM2 can’t handle AF-S, VR or G glass. It’s already out of date.
really.
/me wants pro primes.
Isn’t it a shame that nikon’s portrait lenses were not updated since 1995 ?
Every nikon body is already better than its canon equivalent… where’s the point in making a d900, d4 or whatever ?
I mean I love my nikon bodies, but thinking about switching to canon because there’s no way I spend 1500$+ for a 15 years old design lens
how about nearly ten-year-old AF-S 200mm f/2 VR?
just slightly too heavy and pricey for my needs
So why switch to Canon, most of their fixed focal length lenses are of a similar design vintage.
Perhaps this is the surprise Nikon talked about then. It’s going to be a real surprise since it’s not really anticipated. Hope it’s something we all want!
… and I just ordered a D700 after waiting for 1,5 years for Nikon to get their act together… well, I guess any announcement won’t result in a product coming out which I can use on my vacation in July anyway so probably gonna keep it and sell it later with a loss…
You will love it dude – it will make you forget this forum is even here
I am not sure about this, but reading between the lines, there could be a buy out. The new company would be called Ninon, or perhaps Cakon.
Man, Nikon is singlehandedly causing me to be a shitty photography. How in the world am I supposed to live up to my World’s Greatest Photographer badge if all I have is the D700. The bloody thing won’t even take pictures in complete darkness!! I mean, come on! Get with the program already. I have been waiting 10 years for Nikon to add the MagicAutoEverything system and the best they can do is NonMagicAutoEverything??. Nikon FAIL! Ship the D900xsyz already!!!!!!
I have TOTALLY HAD IT. Nope, I can’t wait any longer, I am going to switch everything to Canon IMMEDIATELY–going to buy the Canon 5DMkII so that I can finally take pictures of my little Chihuahua at home with Canon’s amaaaaazing 10-800mm f/0.92. Because, you know, the 5DMkII takes manly man video too. Not the girly girl video that is on the D90. I mean, how else is my iBook going to respect me in the morning if I don’t come home with 200GB of video on TeeniePooh?
Seriously, Nikon. LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS!@!!!!
Amen.
VIDEO is a totally unnecessary & hampering feature for DSLR industry.
Video,
1) delays production cycle due to R&D,
2) makes electronics more complex and vulnerable
3) raises prices by at least 10%
Therefore, Nikon must separate still-only models from video-enabled dslr. I think it would be wise to manufacture a 24mp D700x, than trying to sqeeze 1080p video with all its demanding yet non-standardized subformats & codecs in it. You put 24p today, tomorrow they want 60p. Such a headache! While there is a loyal photographer-only group large-enough for marketing.
It must be just a temporary trend, people who own a mkII think they are great movie directors & they can even challenge Hollywood industry with their handheld, shaky, focus-hunting 5 minute so-called full HD clips uploaded to Youtube
I hope this craze will calm down in a year or so when everyone realize 99% of the videos around are useless junk.
As are 99.9% of all STILLS!
Landscape Photo – you’re incredibly naive if you think it’s only amateurs that are using 5d mk2′s, go watch these: http://www.zacuto.com/shootout
Not to mention the fact that 5d’s have already been used to film an episode of House, which is one of the biggest shows in the USA.
So, yes, video in DSLR is very important, and if you don’t think so, i’m afraid you may just have become irrelevant.
“Wow” to what could be achieved with professional approach (btw, watching these “webisodes” in a free-streaming way demands a very good internet speed. Mine falls at least 5-6x lower, and needs long buffering time).
I’m amazed to see how this feature was taken that much serious by seeing the 3rd party solutions generated in such a brief period. Also, I couldn’t ever guess the degree of interest and the number of videographers compared to classic photographers. I’ve always tempted to think it as a niche interest or a fun-thing to film a friend’s birthday party, or holidays, etc.
Still, I believe that DSLR must be impoved in two different routes by different R&D departments because of their conflicting needs. Anyone who uses in a professional movie may barely need its high resolution still features. Time will show, they may evolve in a way that high-end video-dslr will specialize for motion both in shape & functions. Still dslr may keep being video-enabled but to the degree of casual work only; otherwise after some point, it may get into the way of producing high quality stills.
Last thing to say, though motion & still share some common ground, in some points they necessitate opposite midsets; usually in film industry the idea, or imagery is structurally spread into a timeframe, while in photography there is a strong sense to capture the perfect frame that will last. One may get such a shot that a 2-hrs movie may be insufficent to express. Single vs multiple… concentrated vs spread, solid vs liquid, etc.
Maybe nothing but Abdulwahed, the Saudi Nikon agents, have specials on the D90, D300 and D700. In this part of the world, specials are not there for the benefit of the consumer but are generally indicative of ‘end of line’.
I know I poopoo video on DSLRs all the time. I don’t get it personally. Myself? I am totally hopeless when the camera doesn’t auto-focus for me, and since I said so, video is useless.
There are crazy people–tweakers and people who waste too much time on RAW–who think Nikon gets the importance of video but just aren’t great at it yet. (YEAHHH RIGHT! Hahahahahaha).
It’s the same sort of idiocy behind the suggestion that t the D90 was a groundbreaking or well ahead of the 5DMkII. Who cares, I got 1080p but I still can’t autofocus and my film movie camera beats DSLR movies any day!
Kids these days are totally wasting their time being creative with photos and movies. All this mash-up muckitymuck with DSLR videos has nothing to do with real life. Back in the day, you had to be a real man. The world wasn’t about YouToob or BookFace.
Trust me, I was a real man, I know what real men did in the movie industry. I even created a couple of patented technologies for real men. Seriously, forget movies with DSLRs or mirrorless systems. A camera should just be a camera.
I told Nikon they should quit wasting their time and focus on implementing my patented Revolving-Film Loader invention. You see, when people see how easy it is to switch between Velvia 50 and Kodakchrome, everyone will forget this digital nonsense!
was a real man?
If DSLR video is the inevitable way to go for the low-budget movie industry due to advantages of full frame sensor & lens flexibility, and if the demand is there, then I wonder what holds the major manufacturers (Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, etc) from producing a dedicated motion camera for a similar price, backed by this new technology? Something shaped for filmmakers, no need for additional gadgets that gives the ergonomy people are previously used to.
Then photography & video will not necessarily get interfered by their contradicting design parameters.
Below is a from an imaginary meeting at Nikon HQ:
Sales Executive: All inventories say that medium-budget photographers are shouting for a 24mp D900 for 2 years. We’ve lost so many landscape photographers to Canon & Sony. Is the protopype ready to me manufactured; we are planning to sell it for $3500 msrp. The main profit will be from lenses.
R&D Officer: Yes easily if we didn’t have to imply full-HD video on the system. You know, we have been working round the clock for a year, but we can’t overcome excessive heating problem on the sensor. The microcircuits have to be redesigned, we asked Sony but they can’t help. If it were 720p, then we may manage the problem with our own resources.
CEO: 24mp + 720p video ready to be announced in a month, or the new 18mp sensor from XYZ company at Taiwan which supports 1080p with no problem. We must decide it right now.
R&D officer: We have been testing the samples. It’s ok if we have a strong anti-aliasing filter, but it detoriates still image quality while the other sensor was perfect with a weaker filter.
Logistics officer: Plus, the sensor supply is not enough for estimated demand. The earliest possible is Q1 2011.
CEO: Which one is more on demand? Ultimate still image quaility or can we compromise some for the video feature?
Sales Executive: Nikon DSLR is primarily aimed for stills, but we are under strong pressure from Canon. We estimate a %75 more sales figure if the D700 upgrade features 1080p video.
CEO: We must decide for most appropriate name too. D800, D900 or D700x ?
officer:
Assistant: Sir, it depends on the chosen technology and future roadmap
…….
Let it be a D900 for the love of God.This is getting ridiculous Nikon! Just as ridiculous as putting down your site temporarily for up-dates…
After a lot of worrying abouyt whether my planned camera purchases would be out of date right after I bought them it occurred to me that the current D700 and D3x will take care of all my needs. In fact, increasing the resolution of the D700 would probably ruin it for me.
It’s not that these cameras couldn’t be improved, but that none of the likely improvements will be particularly useful to me. So I’ll buy whatever is best at the time I go buying and not worry about the week after that. Now if only Nikon would keep dealers in stock with what they already are advertising I’d be a happy camper.
If they sent out a questionaire to pros asking about need for medium format-quality camera perhaps its an indicator that the next pro-level DSLR will be something like 40mp. Why release a 24mp d700? when sales of the D3X would disappear? For me, full viewfinder full-frame is essential. I’d ignore sales rep talk and even Nikon’s own interviews as bullshit/misinformation. A Canon rep told me that Canon make Sony’s sensors, which is obvious bollocks if Nikon is buying them. lol
Hehe, I sent the swedish Nikon site a mail regarding some accessibility improvements a while back. Among one was that the site was causing strobing effects etc.
I don’t know if the European sites share the same platform, but mayby I’m to blame