Smartphones will kill off DSLR's soon/

[Blumlein 88]

It's happening much faster than I would have thought only a few years ago. It's near certain Nikon will not announce a new DSLR or F mount lens ever again.

Report: Nikon to stop making DSLR cameras, withdraws from SLR development after 60 years of history - Nikon Rumors

Today Nikkei reported that Nikon will stop making DSLR cameras and withdraws from SLR cameras development after 60 years of history. Nikon quickly came out with a press release calling the report “speculation” and denying the rumors: “There was a media article regarding Nikon’s withdrawal of SLR...

nikonrumors.com

They already said so. This is one of dozens that reported the same info.

Canon said so first.

Canon officially discontinue entire DSLR range, 1D X Mark III to cease production - EOSHD.com - Filmmaking Gear and Camera Reviews

The optical viewfinder and EF mount is officially dead. An opportunity for Pentax to take over a niche market? In an interview with the Japanese press (https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/economy/20211228-OYT1T50000/), CEO Fujio Mitarai says the 1D X Mark III will be the final Canon DSLR in production...

www.eoshd.com

So far it wasn't the smartphone that killed off the DSLR, it is mirrorless cameras.

 

[EJ3]

They are not mutually exclusive.

TRUE!

 

[Ron Texas]

Report: Nikon to stop making DSLR cameras, withdraws from SLR development after 60 years of history - Nikon Rumors

Today Nikkei reported that Nikon will stop making DSLR cameras and withdraws from SLR cameras development after 60 years of history. Nikon quickly came out with a press release calling the report “speculation” and denying the rumors: “There was a media article regarding Nikon’s withdrawal of SLR...

nikonrumors.com

They already said so. This is one of dozens that reported the same info.

Canon said so first.

Canon officially discontinue entire DSLR range, 1D X Mark III to cease production - EOSHD.com - Filmmaking Gear and Camera Reviews

The optical viewfinder and EF mount is officially dead. An opportunity for Pentax to take over a niche market? In an interview with the Japanese press (https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/economy/20211228-OYT1T50000/), CEO Fujio Mitarai says the 1D X Mark III will be the final Canon DSLR in production...

www.eoshd.com

So far it wasn't the smartphone that killed off the DSLR, it is mirrorless cameras.

I don't know about Canon, but Nikon denied the quoted report. None the less, the DSLR is on the way out. This is different from the end of film because even though DSLR cameras are going out of production, their output still fits in with the digital infrastructure.

 

[mhardy6647]

They are not mutually exclusive.

Absolutely correct. Thanks! I failed to mention that.

 

[TonyJZX]

I think technology like fashion comes and goes.

The title is confusing causation with correlation which none of you should be surprised at.

The smartphone has largely decimated compact cameras... I myself have prior to this decade been a avid 'collector' of compact cameras... remember the Canon Ixus?

But when smartphones took over no one wanted compact cameras... I myself remember buying Nikon Coolpix cameras for literally well under $50 on special. They largely did not take pictures any better than a reasonably modern smartphone.

Of course there will always be a market for compact cameras... look at the Lumix and other types.

However it should have been abundantly clear from day one that the digital SLR was a real kludge... we use mirrors because we have always used mirrors.

And the development of the eye level LCD viewfinder would eventually kill mirrors.

There will always be a market for interchangeable lens large body cameras. It just took 20 yrs for mirrors to die from advanced electric viewfinders.

 

[mansr]

However it should have been abundantly clear from day one that the digital SLR was a real kludge... we use mirrors because we have always used mirrors.

And the development of the eye level LCD viewfinder would eventually kill mirrors.

The viewfinder is one reason for having the mirror. It's only recently that electronic viewfinders have reached sufficient speed and resolution to be an acceptable replacement for optical ones. Another reason is that for some time, high-end sensors didn't support live readout.

 

[Tks]

The viewfinder is one reason for having the mirror. It's only recently that electronic viewfinders have reached sufficient speed and resolution to be an acceptable replacement for optical ones. Another reason is that for some time, high-end sensors didn't support live readout.

What sensor's are these? I'm assuming research/industrial?

 

[mansr]

What sensor's are these? I'm assuming research/industrial?

Every Canon DSLR before the 1D Mark III (2007). Nikon might have had the capability earlier.

Auto-focus and light metering also needed the mirror even after live view became available.

 

[Tks]

Every Canon DSLR before the 1D Mark III (2007). Nikon might have had the capability earlier.

Auto-focus and light metering also needed the mirror even after live view became available.

Oh I thought you were also referring to mirror-less systems of high mega pixel count today of some sort.

 

[MarcT]

I don't know how to control depth of field on my Android Galaxy smart phone, but I admit I haven't really tried to study that out. And it is several years old now. But it does take nice snap shots.

 

[mansr]

I don't know how to control depth of field on my Android Galaxy smart phone, but I admit I haven't really tried to study that out. And it is several years old now. But it does take nice snap shots.

It can't be done. The lens has a fixed aperture. Software can sometimes produce a convincing fake background blur.

 

[mhardy6647]

It can't be done. The lens has a fixed aperture. Software can sometimes produce a convincing fake background blur.

Lordy but I love modern times.

 

[Blumlein 88]

It can't be done. The lens has a fixed aperture. Software can sometimes produce a convincing fake background blur.

Lots of phones now have multiple cameras and sensors. I wouldn't rule out you might take two or more shots together and use dsp to create a realistic bokeh.

 

[mansr]

Lots of phones now have multiple cameras and sensors. I wouldn't rule out you might take two or more shots together and use dsp to create a realistic bokeh.

My phone (Pixel 5) has two cameras, normal and wide-angle. The apertures are different, but so are the focal lengths, and I haven't worked out how the resultant depths of field compare. They're both pretty deep. The two sensors do together provide some depth information that could be used to aid an artificial blurring process. Even then, it won't be perfect. For instance, a very thin object in the plane of focus in front of a more distant background can easily be missed and blurred in error.

Phone cameras have come a long way, but they are still not putting up much of a challenge against bigger glass outside of casual snapshots.

 

[Gorgonzola]

I agree that smartphones will kill DSLRs. Every year they get better and better.

Show me a smartphone with an eye-level viewfinder and I might agree with you.

 

[mhardy6647]

Show me a smartphone with an eye-level viewfinder and I might agree with you.

there's probably an app for that.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Show me a smartphone with an eye-level viewfinder and I might agree with you.

Most mirrorless cameras don't have one.

 

[KellenVancouver]

Since beyond 16-26 MP the lens generally becomes more important than the sensor, I don't see phones competing with high-end equipment. That said, I'm glad that phones are expanding camera use because it presents more opportunity for people to get "hooked" and delve into photography as something other than mere leisure opportunism. People who actually care about how their photographs look are akin to audiophiles who care about the sound of music, so it seems there will always be an associated market niche.

 

[jbattman1016]

I mean, the camcorder industry is gone thanks to smartphones, but we still sell professional video cameras. This is how the camera industry will likely remain till we can start attaching our current lenses to cell phones.

 

[Gorgonzola]

Most mirrorless cameras don't have one.

Most medium and upper range mirrorless do have eye-level finders, and essentially all DSLRs and professional cameras do. They are no anachronism. It's a better way to compose, especially for bright light conditions, and for action pics.