I don't think we'll miss anything. The D850 replacement was engineered years ago and the prototypes have already been built and tweaks made. With the amount of lead time required for digital cameras, there is no point in throwing away all the engineering it took over the last few years to start over. In the past, by the time Nikon released a dslr the engineers were already working on it's replacement. Delays due to lack of parts availability/manufacturing issues is a different story.
Interesting reading, it makes one think, The world now lives with change rapidly, quarter by quarter one year by one year is now a long time, not every 4 to 5 years.
In order to survive, I think that the engineering plans for the future have been accelerated forward for release or dumped, at the moment the camera industry is in panic and serious survival mode, Sales are through the flaw, Covid has compounded that even more, and the industry needs to put distance between it and the smart phone industry that has savaged profitability and continues to is hijack future growth potential for the Camera industry.
I think we have watched Sony jump into mirrorless cameras first to test the waters, A) because they could see an opportunity to survive and grow, B) they knew Nikon and Canon would move to slow, C) Sony could see that customers were not getting what they wanted, D) the industry needed rationalisation, overall the industry has seen only a shift in market share but the overall pool really hasn't grown yet actually declined.
Nikon has lost market share, Canon has held on, Sony has grown, Canon now admits it needs to provide connectivity and tap into the features offered by Smart Phones that are only getting better and leaving a carnage of DSLRS and Mirrorless cameras in the gutter.
Canon recently acted decisively and in a desperate attempt to preserve its market share, hence we see a jump in features that have always been sitting on the shelf.
Canon admits Connectivity like a smart phone, Video, and a high quality camera is the future, add to this the new driver in the game 5G and 5G gen two that I see as the hand in glove match for the smart phone market, and is accelerating the demand for more features, hence the camera industry needs to abandon long term traditional plans and act decisively or get out, the lack of lead time and engineering development is just an excuse to justify failure to share holders and or buy time.
Consumers are pretty savvy now, move and adapt quickly, parents on the beach yesterday all taking video of the toddlers splashing in the water, No one had an SLR or dedicated Video camera or compact mirrorless camera, every one had a smart phone. 5g or gen two 5 G will allow 45 minutes of Video to be sent from your smart phone is seconds. Oh Light Room Photo Shop yes you can have it on your smart phone already.
I mean i
ts not the big powerful or wealthy that always survive...its the adaptable, to be adaptable you need to move quick decisively with courage and deep pockets. You need to also have diversity and vertical integration. To Day Engineering and development is easy and fast to create or buy. I mean why come out with a lame Z6 Z7 with crap eye focus and all the issues that don't encourage buys, then come out with a version II still not on the money, really, the industry is has self inflicted damage.
The statement Nikon has
supposedly ? made that the camera division needs to make a profit and stand on its own two feet or else is really reckless and explains the poor naïve old school thinking culture coming from the top, remember the fish rots from the head not the tail ……..Nikon is a brilliant product with a loyal strong brand and strong following its just not being driven correctly from the top. I feel it will survive, I think its in a serious transition stage.
Remember the Japanese way of doing business is clever and different, do you think that there are 3 competitors or are they really one industry with three brands that dominate the global market...you know the answer, not dissimilar to the Japanese car industry. The world in business now only value Brands, doesn't matter what the product or quality is Branding is what counts.
Nikons biggest asset is its branding Name, that's the goodwill that will sell and a buyer will pay for, should Nikon even be for sale.
Would it be unrealistic to assume that Nikon and Sony work collaboratively or are joined indirectly at the Hip, combined they represent a formidable size and market share and full diversity of products.
Sony makes the finished sensors for Nikon, Nikon makes the machines that make the sensor in the first place for Sony to make the finished sensor for Nikon. Canon its a clear picture.......
The thing I like about Nikon is its Image files...…..
All only and opinion and hypothasis
OZ down under
