Nikon set to exit SLR camera business as it shifts focus to mirrorless cameras (2024)

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Nikon set to exit SLR camera business as it shifts focus to mirrorless cameras? ›

Since June 2020, when Nikon launched its flagship D6

Synopsis. According to reports, Nikon will discontinue making DSLR cameras in order to produce better mirrorless camera models as rising competition via the smartphone industry has disrupted the camera market.

Just last month, Nikon announced that it was discontinuing two of its more affordable DSLRs, the D3500 and D5600, saying it wanted to focus more on “mid to high end cameras and lenses, targeted at professional and hobbyist photographers” while strengthening products for younger users “for whom video is the primary ...

The very first reason why we believe that both professional photographers and even amateur or aspiring pros should switch to mirrorless is simply because mirrorless cameras are easier to use. And it all really comes down to the “electronic viewfinder” that's unique to mirrorless cameras.

It arises from the fact that the specialist autofocus sensor unit in an SLR is capable of making a much more precise measurement of subject distance than the adapted imaging pixels that are used in a mirrorless camera.

End of DSLR Development. Canon announced that the Canon EOS 1D X Mark III would be their last DSLR release. This announcement came shortly after Nikon made a similar decision to stop producing DSLR cameras. Canon and Nikon were the champions of the DSLR systems.

On the units sold Canon is on its own class with almost 50% share. Sony comes second with slightly over a quarter and Nikon is the third. Canon dominated the global digital camera market in 2023, accounting for nearly half of it.

The market share breakdown

Nikon: 19.1% (a decrease of 2.7%) Sony: 17.7% (a decrease of 0.7%) Fujifilm: 5.1% (an increase of 1.3%) Olympus: 2.8% (an increase of 0.1%)

The Nikon lens is much lighter, so they don't weigh the camera down. On the other hand, the manufacturer makes them much smaller than its competitor. As for the latter, his main pride is the L-Series. Here the manufacturer went wild, so it made the best quality and autofocus.

Nikon's aging F mount significantly hampered its efforts to produce a competitive and compelling lens lineup. That's not to say it doesn't make high-quality lenses — it does — but the technical limitations of the mount put it at a disadvantage that has cost its customers.

What is the major drawback of mirrorless camera? ›

However, they also have some disadvantages, such as shorter battery life, limited lens selection, and higher price points.

Image Quality

Both a DSLR and mirrorless camera can take high-quality pictures, with similar resolutions and amounts of graininess, known as noise. Mirrorless cameras traditionally had smaller image sensors, which used to mean lower quality, but that is not the case anymore.

The decision really comes down to your needs, as DSLRs still offer some advantage over mirrorless cameras, and vice versa. Bear in mind, however, that very few new DSLRs are being produced these days, so mirrorless may be your only option long term.

Better battery life - If you're shooting full-day weddings, events, or traveling, you'll find it handy that your DSLR batteries last longer compared to mirrorless. No delay using the optical viewfinder - Shooting with an optical viewfinder means you're seeing the real scene, not an electronic capture.

However, on average, mirrorless cameras tend to be slightly more expensive than their DSLR counterparts. This is largely due to the newer technologies incorporated in mirrorless cameras, such as advanced electronic viewfinders, in-camera image stabilization, and high-speed silent shooting capabilities.

Disadvantages of Mirrorless Cameras

This means they have a shorter battery life compared to DSLRs, which can be a problem if you are shooting for long periods of time. Electronic viewfinder can be laggy in some models: While the electronic viewfinder is a great feature, it can be laggy in some mirrorless camera models.

As can be seen from our data, Sony and Nikon had a combined market share of around 40 per cent at the time. Today, it's a different story. The formerly great Nikon has been losing market share every year, a figure that now stands at a modest 7.1 per cent.

Under a restructuring plan announced November 2019, Nikon has closed down two camera-related factories in Japan and has reduced its workforce overseas. It has scaled back its lineup of beginner-friendly cameras, focusing instead on the relatively stable market for products geared toward professionals and hobbyists.

The Z9, in particular, is considered to be the top full-frame option for professionals in 2024. The top four manufacturers (Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm) share 68% of the used market, down from 74% in 2020, due to the rising popularity of third-party lens manufacturers like Sigma, Tamron and Samyang.

Nikon sold the more cameras in the quarter than any other quarter since the last calendar quarter in 2021. All good. Nikon believes that they'll finish their fiscal year (ends March 31, 2024) at 800k interchangeable lens cameras sold (market share 13.1%) and 1.25m lenses sold (market share 12.8%).