Today should be a day of mourning for all Nikon users and fans. Until yesterday nobody could challenge the speed of high-end DSLR cameras, but today I think Sony did just that – their new a9 camera improved many of the disadvantages of previous a7 models. It looks like the a9 will finally be a serious competitor to pro DSLR cameras like the D5, at least on paper – we still have to see how the a9 will perform in real life (Sony specs always look very nice on paper, but not as good in real life).
I am not saying that the a9 is a better or a worse solution compared to Nikon DSLR cameras, all I am saying is that now Nikon will lose even more sales after the a9 starts shipping. I know, Sony is still missing many lenses and a pro support network, but Nikon can simply no longer ignore mirrorless.
In addition to Canon, which for some unknown reason to me is still doing very well, Nikon is now also challenged by Sony in the high-end/pro segment. I still want to believe (and I do believe) that Nikon has something serious to compete with, otherwise by the time the D6 is ready to get out, there may no longer be a need for it.
It is still not too late for Nikon to wake up… but it will be soon.
