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Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

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Re: Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

#61

Post by xyzzy_plugh »

robotmay wrote: post #38
beagle3 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Traditional lens manufacturing is likely in its last days (which can easily take a decade or two, but ... the end is visible). Modern lens are made with techniques perfected in semiconductor manufacturing, and use advances in material science (meta materials in particular). I don't know how close this is to mass market, but I've seen superthin flat lens, with a marginal cost of production around ~$2 in a university f…

There's a couple of lens advancements I've seen recently that I found particularly interesting: Canon putting Fresnel elements in their lenses to reduce size/weight: https://kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/400mm-f4-do-is-ii.htm Canon making an f/11 800mm super telephoto lens that can still autofocus thanks to the new mirrorless camera bodies: https://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/eos-r/lenses/800mm.htm I think we'll see a b…

Wow that lens is bonkers. What a reasonable price. I love it.

Aside, I enjoy that Ken also loves this lens, despite it being mostly plastic, which he usually shits all over. It actually seems like a feature here, for weight purposes.

Re: Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

#62

Post by xyzzy_plugh »

formerly_proven wrote: post #56
robotmay wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a couple of lens advancements I've seen recently that I found particularly interesting: Canon putting Fresnel elements in their lenses to reduce size/weight: https://kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/400mm-f4-do-is-ii.htm Canon making an f/11 800mm super telephoto lens that can still autofocus thanks to the new mirrorless camera bodies: https://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/eos-r/lenses/800mm.htm I think we'll see a b…

> At the moment lens prices are pretty bonkers but I think that Canon f/11 lens is a great indicator; it's basically less than 1/10th of the cost of a traditional 800mm lens and does more than enough for most people. But that tradeoff seems hardly new to me. Consumer 70-300 for ~300 $ vs. Pro 70-200 for 2000+ $. The "only" difference is build quality and the pro lens being 2-3 stops brighter. Price difference: ~10x.

I think you're in agreement with me, but the difference for the pro versions are usually substantial, such as weather proofing and more rugged materials (metal vs plastic) and usually more glass (less distortion at extremes, etc.). The market kinda makes sense: if you care about a few extra stops, and distortion at the extremes, then you are probably an enthusiast or professional who is willing to shell out. Otherwise, you'll have a great deal of fun with the cheap lenses.

Re: Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

#63

Post by xyzzy_plugh »

jillesvangurp wrote: post #52
dbrgn wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can imagine, I also just switched from a Canon DSLR to a mirrorless Fujifilm. Even apart from smartphones, purely in the photography space, mirrorless cameras are becoming more popular (and I'm not aware of a significant offering by Nikon in that area).

Nikon has a nice mirrorless series of cameras (the Z-series). Both Canon and Nikon have gotten more serious on that front over the last few years. Especially their full frame mirrorless offerings are pretty nice and competitive. Sony is still considered quite good in this space but it is a lot closer than it was a few years ago. I also bought a Fuji this year (X-T30), upgrading from an old Canon Rebel. I'm so far rea…

I switched from an old Nikon DSLR to Fuji X-T3 this year as well, and it's great.

From the form factor to ergonomics, plus I use it as a webcam with incredible bokeh. Mirrorless is the future, and I don't even miss full frame.

Re: Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

#64

Post by paulnechifor »

iso1631 wrote: post #40
tpmx wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the short term: The pandemic. "Camera Sales in 2020 Have Plummeted As Much As 54%" https://petapixel.com/2020/11/06/camera-sales-in-2020-have-p...

Weird. With people stuck at home, and less time spent commuting and socialising, I'd have imagined hobbies like photography to take off.

It's hard to take photos when you're not allowed to leave your home... I just put my tripod inside my backpack and pretend I'm an essential worker.

Re: Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

#65

Post by mobilemidget »

jpm_sd wrote: post #59

Incredible article from 2018 about Nikon's factory dedicated to lens glass. https://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2018/04/17/glass-for-g...

The nikor lenses I have, are items I own that have gone down in price the least over the years. One actually seems to have increased a little.

Re: Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

#66

Post by lm28469 »

staticelf wrote: post #54
howtofly wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

LOL Let's guess where your father's mask is made during this pandemic. Given that China has provided 200 billion masks, the answer is almost obvious. Please throw away all your masks made in China, right away! I'm also curious how long it will take you to find a country that is both willing and able to sell you masks during this pandemic.

I, like my father, of course use some stuff made in China since for several things there are literally no other choice. But regarding masks, I live in Sweden and basically no one here wears a mask, including my father. Both me and my father have been isolated of course but there is really no need for him to wear a mask. We shop online and otherwise only meet people from our own family. I work from home and he closed…

> I live in Sweden and basically no one here wears a mask > there is really no need for him to wear a mask.

Can't believe we're 10+ months in and people still think like that. Didn't the Swedish gov and even the king declared they fucked up big time like last week ?

Sweden's covid handling is a total failure:

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/norway/

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/finland/

Re: Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

#67

Post by colechristensen »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #26
colechristensen wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is stupid, it’s just because you can’t. Most Nikon models don’t have a clean hdmi output and limit video recording to twenty minutes.

The twenty minute thing is because of device classification. If a device records twenty minutes or more of continuous video, it is classified as a video device, which changes the regulatory structure. If you watch movies, these days, it's almost unheard of for a single shot to be more than a minute or two in length. Even films like 1917 are really digitally-stitched montages. I think the real reason is that Canon is…

I looked it up, it’s a european terriff which adds several percent tax to video cameras, with a time limit for what is classified as a video camera. So it’s just about money for one market. One source claimed it was going to be eliminated a year ago.

As for shot length, sure what makes it into films rarely gets 20 minutes but that is quite different than what you want to do while shooting. Much more, we’re not all shooting videos for a feature film.

Re: Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

#68

Post by howtofly »

staticelf wrote: post #54
howtofly wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

LOL Let's guess where your father's mask is made during this pandemic. Given that China has provided 200 billion masks, the answer is almost obvious. Please throw away all your masks made in China, right away! I'm also curious how long it will take you to find a country that is both willing and able to sell you masks during this pandemic.

I, like my father, of course use some stuff made in China since for several things there are literally no other choice. But regarding masks, I live in Sweden and basically no one here wears a mask, including my father. Both me and my father have been isolated of course but there is really no need for him to wear a mask. We shop online and otherwise only meet people from our own family. I work from home and he closed…

I believe your description is quite typical in Sweden, which explains why the fight against covid-19 there is a total failure. Wearing masks is not only about protecting yourself, but also about protecting people you meet. I think wearing masks are nearly all about protecting other people, unless you have N95 and replace them regularly. It seems that I had made a wrong guess from this common sense, which obvious doesn't hold true in Sweden.

If it were a joke, it's not funny.

Re: Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

#69

Post by KineticLensman »

numair wrote: post #42

Nikon hasn’t really made an amazing camera since the days of the F5 (the weapon of choice for greats such as Peter Lindbergh). I really feel that Japan Inc. needs a version of that Stephen Elop “burning platform” rant.

> Nikon hasn’t really made an amazing camera since the days of the F5

The F5 appeared in 1996. Are you really saying that Nikon haven't produced a great camera in 25 years? I personally think the D3s (2009) was a pretty amazing camera for sport / low-light work, although obviously it has been superseded since then.

Re: Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan

#70

Post by pjc50 »

beagle3 wrote: post #55
criley2 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>but I've seen superthin flat lens, with a marginal cost of production around ~$2 in a university facility, that work better than some $500 lens -- and the latter are expensive because they are hard to make the traditional way. I find this very fascinating because while I enjoy my ever-increasing smartphone camera and use it as a daily driver, I have a about 13 year old Canon DSLR (one of the first one they made now)…

I was not referring to phone lens, although those things are being applied there too. It is now possible to build a telephoto lens for your DSLR, that costs $2 to make, is short and flat, yet has better optics than your current kit. When these become common, it will likely cause another seismic shift in the pure-camera market. Perhaps some of them will actually be bonded with the sensors, unlike what we have today. R…

... can you actually buy this yet?
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