Nikon: Snappy success for digital SLRs

Camera maker boosts shipments, prepares to compete with other Japanese companies, predicts $300 price tag.
Photos: SLR cameras for the digital age
Image: Digital difference

The story "Nikon: Snappy success for digital SLRs" published July 5, 2006 at 4:55 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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Digital SLRs

These digi SLR cameras are all pretty good. I actually want to get one but the prices are still a little high. Bring them in line to be closer to consumer cameras in price and people will buy.
http://www.techknowcafe.com/content/view/422/43/

[baswwe]

they are so much better than 'consumer' cameras

although consumer cameras are catching up...

You can sometimes get good deals at Dell HOme for rebel xt at $500-$600... just have to watch slickdeals.net

Digital SLRs

These digi SLR cameras are all pretty good. I actually want to get one but the prices are still a little high. Bring them in line to be closer to consumer cameras in price and people will buy.
http://www.techknowcafe.com/content/view/422/43/

[baswwe]

they are so much better than 'consumer' cameras

although consumer cameras are catching up...

You can sometimes get good deals at Dell HOme for rebel xt at $500-$600... just have to watch slickdeals.net

[Razzl]

Giving them away

At the end of the film era many "amateur" film slr's could be gotten down in the $300 range and they were all excellent equipment, with many more features than point-and-shoot models plus access to the interchangeable lense families. If digital slr's get down to that price, which I'm not sure is possible, you will essentially be getting a film slr at 1999 prices with a free onboard computer thrown in. Obviously a sweet deal for the consumer!

But if Nikon wants to regain its former glory as well as sell the premium-priced models it could once count on selling themselves, it needs to do 3 things: give its loyal professional customers a camera with a full-frame capture plate (i.e., a capture plate the same size as a 35mm film frame) to obliterate the conversion factor, make the body compatible with heritage Nikon lenses, and stay ahead of the curve on the pixel race. It isn't going to do to tell the customer that they can't have as many pixels than a Canon amateur camera for the premium price they pay or that they should get accustomed to converting lense sizes in their head; and surprising numbers of long-time customers consider the old Nikon promise of endless backward compatibility to be a sacred, unbreakable covenant. Give these people what they want and they will pay any price, reasonable or not, as they did in recent memory...

[Razzl]

Giving them away

At the end of the film era many "amateur" film slr's could be gotten down in the $300 range and they were all excellent equipment, with many more features than point-and-shoot models plus access to the interchangeable lense families. If digital slr's get down to that price, which I'm not sure is possible, you will essentially be getting a film slr at 1999 prices with a free onboard computer thrown in. Obviously a sweet deal for the consumer!

But if Nikon wants to regain its former glory as well as sell the premium-priced models it could once count on selling themselves, it needs to do 3 things: give its loyal professional customers a camera with a full-frame capture plate (i.e., a capture plate the same size as a 35mm film frame) to obliterate the conversion factor, make the body compatible with heritage Nikon lenses, and stay ahead of the curve on the pixel race. It isn't going to do to tell the customer that they can't have as many pixels than a Canon amateur camera for the premium price they pay or that they should get accustomed to converting lense sizes in their head; and surprising numbers of long-time customers consider the old Nikon promise of endless backward compatibility to be a sacred, unbreakable covenant. Give these people what they want and they will pay any price, reasonable or not, as they did in recent memory...