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 NIKON KIU |
Rumor Mill |
Lead | |
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Posts: 2165 (05/20/2005 05:27 PM) |
Now that the SP is sold out what do you think Nikon is going to do next?
I am sure they are planning something!! They just got a hold of this rangefinder business again and I dont think they are going to stop now. Any rumors? Kiu |
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dugwerks |
Re: Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 169 (05/20/2005 06:57 PM) |
85mm 1:2 and S36 reissue and spoiler a new 21mm douglas/dugwerks |
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Nikon HS Webmaster |
Re: Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 2131 (05/21/2005 05:21 AM) |
Personally I cannot get a feel for what Nikon is doing. It seems like a form of market research. But I am not sure that it really tells them anything, other than they can sell a few thousand SPs.
Film cameras are not a dead issue, and clearly Leica has proved that a company can sell rangefinders. But... it is pretty clear that Leica just keeps selling to the same exact buyers over and over, and there is a limit to this kind of market. |
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M(d) |
Re: Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 0 (05/22/2005 07:00 AM) |
"Film cameras are not a dead issue, and clearly Leica has proved that a company can sell rangefinders."
well... www.dpreview.com/news/050...rouble.asp |
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Nikon HS Webmaster |
Re: Re: Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 2131 (05/22/2005 11:01 AM) |
From the above:
German website, Spiegel Online, has reported that Leica is in financial crisis after many banks cut its credit lines following an announcement last week, which said it stood to lose half its operating capital. The company, which introduced the first 35mm still camera in 1924, is also expected to close the financial year with an operating loss of 10 million (approx $13 million). Last year it reported a loss of 1.6 million (approx $2.1 million). Shareholders will hold a meeting on May 31 to discuss the future of the company. Spiegel Online says that Leica has missed the boat where digital photography is concerned and it is also suffering due to the low rate of the US dollar versus the Euro. Leica is in the long run doomed, except as a Japanese marketing ploy. And even the Japanese have not been able to get much milage out of the Leica concept because they do not yet understand it. They think it is the name, but it is the "feel." When Panasonic built their "rangefinder" Lumix they did not understand that the formost features had to be size and feel, not function. The Lumix was too big, and too light. |
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NIKON KIU |
Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 2165 (05/22/2005 11:13 AM) |
.....close the financial year with an operating loss of 10 million (approx $13 million). Last year it reported a loss of 1.6 million (approx $2.1 million). Shareholders will hold a meeting on May 31 to discuss the future....
No wonder the prices were down on their stuff yesterday.... Kiu |
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onlynikon |
Re: Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 220 (05/23/2005 04:10 PM) |
shareholders will be asked to rise the capital with 22 billion euro (appr. 28 billion usd).
60% of the shares are in hand of two larger companies, so Leica is since long no longer Leica, it is even not German ! The managment must produce a very severe plan for the future, if not the shareholders will not rise the capital. Anyway the minority share holders are not happy, because if the majority rise the capital, there % goes further down, so there will be onlyl losers. In a financial newspaper it was said that even prof. photographers go digital, and that many youngster even don't know Leica, they do know.... Canon AND........... yes NIKON Could be sad time or good time for Leica collectors...... |
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Nikon HS Webmaster |
Re: Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 2131 (05/23/2005 04:21 PM) |
Leica in the past was private, so the company was able to survive several sales and downturns, but now it is just a public company that has use of the logo and original designs.
There is no way they will continue to build cameras as we now know Leica, the handwriting is on the wall, they are doomed to change, my guess would be they will sell or license to Japanese, but who knows with a public company where the majority shareholded my choose to bail. |
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onlynikon |
rumor mill | ||
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Posts: 220 (05/24/2005 01:22 AM) |
Shareholders normally wants return on investment and want money back.
If, as here, the large majority is in the hands of another or a couple of other companies, doing business in shares instead of core business (here producing and selling fine cameras) the interest is not the same. Money back or bankcruptcy, in our system it can be ore "efficient" to choose for bankrupcy ! By doing so : no more problems, and the tax payer pays the bill !! |
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NIKON KIU |
rumor mill | ||
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Posts: 2165 (05/24/2005 11:00 AM) |
Now back to NIKON !!!
do I see a SP3 in the future? or a production SPX??  Kiu |
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Nikon HS Webmaster |
Re: rumor mill | ||
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Posts: 2131 (05/24/2005 01:42 PM) |
Good question, clearly Nikon could build a beautiful rangefinder, far surpassing anything Leica is capable of.
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kdemas |
Re: rumor mill | ||
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Posts: 15 (05/24/2005 06:15 PM) |
An SPX would be terrific. A metered Nikon rangefinder, in Black. I'd be a happy man :)
I'll be greedy and ask for the FM3A shutter as well. |
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onlynikon |
rumor mill | ||
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Posts: 220 (05/25/2005 01:22 AM) |
and why not autofocus, and why not removable back, and why not...
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hans braakhuis |
Re: rumor mill | ||
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Posts: 58 (05/25/2005 01:55 AM) |
Well, during the first Tokyo Convention, NHS Con 5 in 1969, the Nikon corporation showed an SP EL camera. It is already existing. We where friendly asked, not to make pictures. EL is same as Nikkormat EL.
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NIKON KIU |
Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 2165 (05/25/2005 02:31 PM) |
I am glad to hear rumors spreading like wildfire!!
any Japenese members want to stir things up? Go ahead make my day!! Kiu 
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NIKON KIU |
NEW DIGITAL | ||
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Posts: 2165 (05/25/2005 07:00 PM) |
HOW ABOUT A NEW DIGITAL RANGEFINDER?
WITH NIKON RANGEFINDER LENS COMPATIBILITY!!!  2.5 LCD SCREEN ON THE BACK!!  6M PIXELS!!! DREAMS!!!!!  KIU |
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kdemas |
Re: Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 15 (05/25/2005 09:44 PM) |
OK... how about if we really go far down the "I'm in REM eye movement deep sleep" wish list and go for a SPX with removeable digital back and an optional Leica M lens conversion mount (all in black titanium). OK, I'd be covered at that point. Well, then there are those Contax G lenses I have ;-)
All kidding aside isn't it great that Nikon released the S3 2000 and the new SP? It's a blast to even talk about new Nikon rangefinder equipment in the year 2005! |
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NIKON KIU |
Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 2165 (05/27/2005 08:31 AM) |
Clearly, Nikon has a special staff trained for this rangefinder project for the last five or so years,Between the chrome and black S3's and the 2500 SP's, they have built over 10,000 camera bodies plus lenses!!
does anybody think they will stop now? will they just close down this new rangefinder production facility? Kiu |
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Nikon HS Webmaster |
production for japan only??? | ||
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Posts: 2131 (05/28/2005 10:02 AM) |
They have built a lot of cameras, with little direction.
The bodies seem to be a misguided overproduction for the limited Japanese collecting market, that could never possibly absorb 10000 new cameras. It all seems totally screwy, and a little head-in-the-sand thinking to me. Plus it is a bit Japan-centric to put it mildly. |
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onlynikon |
Re: Rumor Mill | ||
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Posts: 220 (05/28/2005 01:05 PM) |
Talking about screwing up.
I think with the S 2000 we all have been screwed up. It seemed that they only would produce 2000 pieces, but it was also said that they produced about 10 000 shutters.... Now look at prices for new ones, almost half price ! The SP is going the same way ??? no one knews. Even 2500 pieces is a lot for the Japanese market, they also cannot absorb this, so I feel prices also will go down |
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NIKON KIU |
NEXT CAMERA | ||
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Posts: 2165 (05/28/2005 01:25 PM) |
But the fact remains that the SP got sold out in less than 3 months.And the S3 been done with for over a year now.
Selling out the SP that quick got to be tempting to Nikon. Now, I am sure Nikon is planning something.... Kiu |
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