Will Nikon / Canon go retro ?

hobodan

hobodan

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After the succes of recent retro styled cameras like the Fuji x series and the Olympus omd-em5, I suddenly had a wild thought.
Whilst I appreciate that not everyone is into camera aesthetics, I personally would love to see something along the style of a Nikon FM2; with the spec of a D600 or similar. Obviously if your camera is your wage earner then looks will always come second to comfort and ergonomics. But for people that enjoy photography as a hobby, having a sexy looking & well made body would surely make shooting more enjoyable?

I have no doubt it would be a huge success.
 
I have no doubt they'd be a success as well. Trading on nostalgia is a sure fire winner these days.
However I generally prefer modern designs (don't go dragging that new Nikon 1 V2 out though) to the retro styled 'classics'.
 
Do they need to may be the question. They have majority market share so don't need to find a way in.
 
The beauty of the retro look is that it makes the camera less intrusive. People tend to stiffen up when they see a big DSLR. I've had people think that my x100 is either a) an old film camera b)a disposable camera and c) a toy over the last year!
 
Ive thought about this a lot, still t sure, I hope they do, they would make a tidy profit on it so I'm slightly inclined to think they might, it's all about money after all. No doubt they will cripple it in some way to keep the dslr market alive.
 
I was on holiday in Thailand last year and went for a swim, leaving my bag on the beach. Someone rifled through it when I wasn't looking, took a wallet with an insignificant amount of cash in, but left my X100, presumably thinking it was an old film camera :D
 
Pretty sure the gubbins of a D600 (or similar) wouldn't fit into the space an old film body has available - the battery alone needs more than would be available! Personally, I far prefer the handling of "modern" bodies to that of older ones - I find the moulded grip far better than the squared off flat area we used to be stuck with. Of all the older bodies I've used, I reckon the most comfortable was a Russian Rangefinder.
 
The retro look is clearly form over function. A modern DSLR is way more comfortable to use and hold for any period of time and there is really no reason to use a retro looking camera when a DSLR will match it or better it in pretty much every key area.

And that is from someone who only owns an X100...
 
Market forces are fair enough if prices reflect photographers wanting to keep in touch with worthwhile advancements in technology.

There are an ever increasing number of people who are more than happy to regularly spend a fortune upgrading to the latest 'must have' mobile phone, tablet, computer, TV and so on.

I feel the photography market is already heavily driven by people who are as much 'technology' and 'gadget' consumers as they are photographers and whilst this does affect prices, it does bring some benefit to photographers in terms of development.

I'm less convinced about the possitive affect that 'fashion' consumers would have though.
 
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Moreorless said:
I'd guess if it does happen it'll be with a mirrorless model.
Click to expand...

This is the most likely scenario. Appeal to the hipsters but don't alienate your base. Imagine if Canon wanted you to pay $3000 for some kit that only came in these colours! Business suicide.

But to have a line of "quirky" mid-priced cameras is a great idea. It could even come with an Instagram button!
 
I think the main thing I would miss if I went back to a DSLR would be lack of a shutter dial. I like the way that retro styled digi cams like the X100, X1 pro & M9 have a dedicated shutter speed dial rather than having to check an LCD to see what shutter speed you have set.
 
Thay could go real retro. With mahogany body, leather bellows, brass barreld lens and brass cap for shutter. May not be suitable for BIF.
 
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