Nikon Bids Farewell To SLR Cameras, Closing A Chapter

Nikon is ceasing all further production of its SLR cameras, marking the end of an era. The company’s decision to pan away from SLRs comes after finding that it was struggling to tread waters in a digitally-versed market.   

As first reported by Nikkei Asia, the camera company is giving up its trade on single-lens reflex cameras to focus on digital mirrorless cameras instead.

The viewfinder is what distinguishes SLRs from digital mirrorless cameras. SLR cameras use mirrors to reflect the image to the photographer, whereas mirrorless cameras, as the name implies, do not. Instead, image signals are used to convert light into electric signals.

Mirrorless cameras also enable the incorporation of artificial intelligence to detect the faces of humans, animals, and other objects.

Nikon’s last SLR, the D6 SLR, was released in June 2020, and there hasn’t been another since.   

It’s no secret that the rise of smartphones over the last decade has turned the camera industry on its head. Smartphone makers have found a way to build studio-quality cameras into pocket-friendly handsets and make them user-friendly at the same time.   

While this move may save the company from making more losses, it is perhaps a greater loss for professional photographers who rely on sophisticated gear.

[via PetaPixel and Nikkei Asia, Photo 98706580 © Pratya Srichan | Dreamstime.com]