Digital BW, The Print

Well, we have heard that something new is due from Nikon digital this 
fall.. Something big..

I tend to think this news is dis-information from the Canon side..

Because if it isn't, it'll be a marketing/design failure on a scale of 
the  "New Coke" fiasco...

Fact is, for well over 30 years, Nikon has marketed their lenses and 
bodies on backward and forward compatibility.  The idea you could use 
old lenses on new bodies and new lenses on old..  (with limited 
exceptions and the reality that advanced features would not be available).

There are tons of news shops out there still using Nikon bodies and 
glass to the consternation of shooters who want two things..

1)    A full frame digital chip

2)    Auto White balancing equaling that in the new Canons

If  Nikon were to proceed in this manner, you'd see:

1)    Nikon news shops switching to Canon - why go to an untried product 
from a manufacturer who just suckered you...? The shooters would already 
rather move to Canon for the most part.  In this case any executive 
resistance would be gone..  ESPECIALLY if Nikon's new glass is bigger 
heavier and more expensive.. LOL

2)    Loyal Nikophiles (myself included) dumping Nikon glass and bodies 
en-masse (that might be a good thing for current D1 and D100 owners, as 
well as film purists., but it won't buoy Nikon's reputation)

3)    I'll move to Canon (after 20+ years with Nikon) faster than merde 
through a goose..

4)    The betrayal of a basic corporate selling point (retaining glass 
to use on your next body, and the next, and the next, etc.) would 
virtually destroy any Nikon corporate credibility with many pros - and 
particularly with the news shops

5)    Even the consumer Nikon market would erode significantly. (just 
look back at how Canon grabbed consumer market share when they came out 
with fast big auto-focus glass well before Nikon - people buy what they 
see pros using on TV and Nikons were outnumbered back then - early to 
mid 90's) What happened back then will be nothing compared to this wave..

5)    Nikon will become a minor consumer camera player.. equivalent to 
Minolta..

6)    Key Nikon executives will eventually commit seppuku (hara kiri) in 
shame..

Just my 2 cents, but it's based on talking to other pros in news shops, 
etc..
Keith

 

"Just some guy," and caretaker of the Multiverse's largest EPSON printer 
User Community (highly recommended by Vogon Poets and MegaDodo 
Publications), at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPSON_Printers/
 
"For the rest of you out there, the secret is to bang the rocks together 
guys"

 





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