Following the success of our digital line-up over the last seven years, which has resulted in more than 95% of Nikon's UK business being within the digital area, Nikon Corporation has made the decision to focus management resources on digital cameras in place of film cameras. This decision will allow Nikon to continue to develop products that match the demands of an increasingly competitive market place....

[snip]

As a result of the new strategy Nikon will discontinue production of all lenses for large format cameras and enlarging lenses with sales of these products ceasing as soon as they run out of stock. This also applies to most of our film camera bodies, interchangeable manual focus lenses and related accessories. Although Nikon anticipates that the products will still be in retail distribution up to Summer 2006.

Wow! That came quicker than I was expecting.
- steve 1-12-2006 6:26 am

No kidding. Five years ago I was in one of New Orleans' better camera stores looking for something for my new digital camera and the guy wasn't up with it, saw it as a fad, poor schmuck.
- jimlouis 1-12-2006 5:12 pm

Only a year and a half ago I had a similar experience in one of Portland's best camera shops. The guy copped the "digital cameras aren't real cameras" 'tude. I basically had to sell the camera to myself.
- steve 1-12-2006 7:24 pm

I might have overstated this a little bit. The original article was not exactly clear. It now appears to me that they are discontinuing all their film cameras "except for their flagship F6 line and its relevant glass." So they're not quite stopping completely. There is still a little beach head for film at the very high end.

In other digital camera news (this time video,) check out red camera. Lots of speculation about this running the range from "complete vaporware!" to "will change the world!". The specs do indeed sound impressive, but no one has actually seen anything yet.
- jim 1-12-2006 7:29 pm

I know several of the principals at Ambarella, a silicon startup that has just come out of "stealth mode". Consumer silicon to handle the image processing for high rez still + HD video cameras is their target. These are some of the best guys in the business. They'll get it done. Don't know red camera, who claims to have a kick-ass sensor. The sensor and the processor are the two key pieces. The rest is off-the-shelf.
- mark 1-13-2006 12:59 am

Red is a big question mark. The money is from the founder of Oakley. Seems weird, but evidently he is a *huge* enthusiast, and it's clear he has some serious bucks. So it's at least possible it's not all vapor. But an unknown sensor named 'Mysterium' does sound a little fishy.

Thanks for the Ambarella info. I'll keep my eye out for more. Very interesting space for sure.
- jim 1-13-2006 1:06 am

Red.com finally put up some more information. A bunch of specs and a $17,500 price tag. But the small print says that shipping date is unknown and all specs subject to change, so this is still firmly in the vapor stages. But there is a little more info now. As before, a lot of people seem really excited about this camera.
- jim 4-24-2006 11:35 pm

They're at NAB. I plan to stop by their stand.
- mark 4-25-2006 9:50 am