This past holiday season was a very good one for Nikon. The camera giant beat out its competition as the number one selling brand for full-frame DSLRs for 2017, posting double-digit growth compared to the previous year.
The news, which was announced by Market research company NPD Group, may be due to the success of the Nikon D850, the first camera to get a score of 100 by DxOMark labs for overall image quality. The positive reviews certainly helped. The camera actually sold out for a while and Nikon had to issue an apology for not being able to meet demand—a nice problem to have.
In a way, you can thank smart phones for that: With the virtual disappearance of point-and-shoot digital cameras, Nikon has gone back to basics, and that seems to have paid off.
“Nikon has returned to an emphasis on high-end products for advanced and professional users,” says to Bo Kajiwara, President and CEO of Nikon. The company’s strategy going forward is to continue to improve its full-frame cameras.
If the current rumors of a full-frame or APS-sensor premium Nikon compact mirrorless camera under development are true (there have been persistent rumors about this since 2015), that product could further boost Nikon’s revival.
The NPD Group noted that there was a 69% increase in Nikon cameras sold and a 59% boost in dollars earned over the previous year. Canon may need to step up its game, especially with Sony making inroads with its well-respected 7a series of full-frame mirrorless cameras.
