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 p.1 #11 · Speculative future Nikkors chat | |
Nikon needs new, innovative products to remain attractive.
Its recent output has been unsatisfactory, both in terms of cameras and lenses.
A new flagship model with a new SoC/Expeed8 is long overdue, and they’ve been holding back on lenses for a while now, which doesn’t make the system any more attractive in comparison.
Sure, there are always cycles and phases—things could look different again next year with Nikon’s new releases.
But right now, Nikon is generally lagging behind, while its competitor Sony is releasing one new camera after another and leading the way in innovation, whether it’s global shutter, DGO, or new sensor solutions.
The release of new Z lenses has also noticeably slowed down recently.
Nikon definitely needs to step on the gas a bit more.
Back in 2023, there was still a steady stream of new lenses, including the Z 180-600/5.6-6.3 VR, Z 600/6.3 VR S, Z 135/1.8 S Plena, Z 85/1.2 S, Z 70-180/2.8, and Z 26/2.8.
In 2024, however, only the two non-S primes—the Z 35/1.4 and Z 50/1.4—were released, and they didn’t exactly set the world on fire.
Other than that, there was only the Z 28-400mm/4-8 VR, which undoubtedly benefited the system as an option.
In 2025, again, there were only three FX Z-mount lenses: the Z 35/1.2 S and the V2 version of the Z 28-70/2.8 S; otherwise, just the Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ.
So far in 2026, the lineup has also been very sparse: the Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 and the V2 version of the Z 70-200/2.8 VR S—that’s it.
I’m hoping this is just a brief breather, especially since the lineup of FX lenses is, of course, relatively extensive by now.
But it feels like they’ve lost some ground, as the competition—in the form of Sony—is not only catching up in the area of wildlife and sports telephoto solutions but is also setting new standards there.
In an area where Nikon was still clearly ahead just 2–3 years ago, Sony is now closing the gaps with the 300/2.8, 100-400/4.5, plus the rumored 400/4.5 and 600/6.3, along with a budget 100-400/4-8—whereas Nikon seems to have taken its foot off the gas over the last 2–3 years and hasn’t addressed some of its own gaps.
Personally, I don’t even have a problem with that—I have everything I need and I'm happy with it.
But I'm also one of those users who, once they've made a significant investment in equipment, are set for years to come.
So I'm more in the category of people who use their devices for a long time and don't upgrade with every new generation by any means.
From that perspective, Nikon’s current approach—with longer model cycles and exemplary model updates via firmware and retroactive features—suits me perfectly.
The price pressure on models that are no longer brand-new also worked in my favor personally.
A new Sony A1 costs 2,000 euros more than a new Z8, and an new A1II costs a full 4,000 euros more—more than double the price.
So, if I were faced with the decision to invest in a MILC again today, nothing would change for me, Nikkor Z-lenses & Nikon Z8.
The Z8 is and was unbeatably affordable for its performance class with a fully stacked 45MP sensor, a price at which, with Sony, you’d get at most an A7V.
The only question is whether Nikon makes the most money this way.
For Nikon as a company, it’s important to finally catch up in this area.
They need to launch the Expeed8 Gen and pick up the pace with lenses.
Sure, the two redesigned “V2 holy trinity” zooms are very nice, but what’s come out over the last two years is simply too little in comparison.
That leaves them with nothing but the distant third or fourth spot and the need to sell their own cameras fairly soon after its release based on aggressive pricing.
Not the best conditions for a company aiming to establish itself as strongly as possible in the high-end segment.
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