(commentary)
Serious Nikon users have a whole host of questions they would like answered these days. Unfortunately, it's not in Nikon's nature to answer questions about the future, they just wait to announce products that we didn't necessarily want ;~) (Reader suggestions for questions are in blue.)
I thought it might be helpful to try to collect these questions in one place. Inquiring minds want to know the answers. Once I'm happy with the question set, I'll try to answer as many as I can.
CAMERAS
- Will there be a D300s successor?
- Will there be a D700 successor?
- Will there be a D3x successor?
- Will there be other Coolpix A models?
- Will there be other large sensor Coolpix? e.g. 1"?
- Will there be a Df update someday? Another Df model?
- Will Nikon make a DX-sized mirrorless system?
- Will Nikon make an FX-sized mirrorless system?
- When will Nikon update the D800? After two years? Three? Four? Never?
- Why are Nikon 1 cameras more expensive than DSLRs?
- Why isn't WiFi built into the D3300? Why not in all cameras?
- Will any DSLR other than the D5300 get a swivel screen?
- When will Nikon reduce the size/weight of its DSLRs?
- When will Nikon match the Olympus level of "weatherproof"?
- Will Nikon make a video-only camera?
- Will Nikon make a smartphone?
- Will Nikon make a modular camera?
- Will Nikon make a medium format camera?
- Does Nikon really need 18+ Coolpix models?
- Will there be an F6 successor?
FUNCTIONS/FEATURES
- Why can't we bracket everything? (Focus, etc.)
- Will XQD be supported by more cameras?
- Will CFast be supported?
- Will SD Class 3 or UHS-II be supported?
- Will any Nikon DSLR have 4K video?
- Will Nikon support ProRes? Or any other non-AVCHD type compression?
- Why don't we have an ETTR mode?
- Why can't users reduce menu items to just what we use often?
- Why aren't the banks linked?
- Why can't users create Picture Control bases?
- Will we ever get programmability in our cameras, or plug-ins?
- Why no 1:1 crop? Generally, why don't all cameras have a fuller set of crops?
- Why won't Nikon fully document the NEF file format? And the Bayer filtration specifications?
- Will all future high megapixel cameras all have the D800 Live View problem?
- Will we ever get live histograms? Raw histograms?
- When will we get calibrated LCDs on the cameras?
- Why was trap focus removed? Can we get it back?
- When will we be able to AF Fine Tune by focal length for zooms?
- Why isn't ProPhotoRGB a settable Color Space?
- What's the actual CoC Nikon uses in the focus system? Why?
- What happened to the 3-layer sensor?
- Why can't we get good focus screens for manual focus lenses any more?
- What will replace the current 51-sensor PD system?
- Will we get AF sensors further out from the center of the FX frame?
- Why can't the camera report (or calculate) focus distance?
- Will we ever be able to set focus distance by menu entry or other precise method?
- Will we ever be able to set AF Fine Tune by focus point?
LENSES
- When will the 300mm f/4 get updated?
- When will the 24-70mm f/2.8 get updated?
- When will the 16mm f/2.8 fisheye get updated?
- Will the 24-70mm f/2.8 update get VR?
- Will the 17-35mm f/2.8 ever get an update?
- Will the 17-55mm f/2.8 DX get VR?
- When will we get a DX wide angle prime?
- Will there be a DX prime set (e.g. f/1.8)?
- Will there be more FX f/1.8 primes (e.g. 20mm, 24mm, 105mm)?
- Will the 105mm and 135mm DC be replaced?
- When will we get a mid-range fixed aperture DX zoom again?
- Will we ever get a DX telephoto, prime or zoom?
- Will Nikon make a 400mm f/5.6? 500mm f/5.6? 600mm f/8?
- Will Nikon make a wider PC-E lens to match Canon?
- When will the 200mm f/4 Micro-Nikkor be updated?
- Will the Nikkor PC-E lenses ever get independent tilt/shift?
- Will Nikon introduce any other E lenses than the 800mm?
- Will we ever get an automated extension tube?
- Will we ever get an automated AF Fine Tune function?
FLASH
- When will Nikon create wireless flash via radio?
- When will Nikon build a high-end flash that doesn't overheat?
- Why aren't there LED based "flashes"?
- Why doesn't the Nikon 1 line support the Speedlights but some Coolpix models do?
SOFTWARE
- Will Nikon Capture NX2 ever get updated substantially?
- Why can't we create UniWB any more?
- Why doesn't Camera Control Pro run on iOS/Android devices?
SUPPORT
- When will Nikon develop better customer support?
- Where do customers send suggestions?
- Why won't Nikon repair Gray Market products?
- Why are there still Gray Market products if Nikon has subsidiaries nearly worldwide?
- What exactly are the "within manufacturing specifications" that Nikon repair often references?
- Will Nikon ever provide short term roadmaps of camera/lens plans?
- Will Nikon ever become customer friendly, or put the customer first?
- Will Nikon improve and open up NPS?
If you've got questions you'd like to see added to the list, be sure to send them to me.
