Nikon is ditching its only mirrorless camera line-up

In a possible case of “out with the old and in with the new”, Nikon has quietly killed off the 1-series of cameras, the only mirrorless snappers it had in its catalogue.

According to NikonRumors, the company has discontinued the entire Nikon 1 series by listing them as “old products” and removing them from its official Japanese website, almost a year after rumors of the line’s demise began circulating.

Nikon has confirmed with DPReview via email that “the Nikon 1 series cameras, lenses and accessories are no longer in production”.

RIP Nikon 1

While the early 1-series models didn’t have much in the way of distinguishing features, the latest addition to the range, the Nikon 1 J5 – which debuted way back in 2015 – was one of the fastest mirrorless cameras at the time with a 20 frames per second burst speed.

That wasn’t all the series had to offer either. The Nikon 1 AW1, which launched in 2013, is still the only interchangeable lens camera that’s entirely waterproof and can be used under water without a housing.

However, Nikon was unable to expand away from its excellent DSLR range to compete with the likes of Sony, Panasonic, Olympus and Fujifilm. One possible reason being the choice of sensor – despite a 1-inch type sensor, it was smaller than what was being used by the competition, who were moving on to full-frame formats.

Add to that a strange nomenclature for the series and a price point that didn’t do justice to its image quality, Nikon’s mirrorless range got left behind.

Shiny new toys

While the discontinuation of the 1-series after a solid seven-year run has sparked rumors that Nikon may give up on mirrorless cameras completely, we find that highly unlikely, given how popular they’ve become with enthusiasts and pros alike.

Rumors have suggested that a new Nikon mirrorless camera could be announced in the current fiscal year (which runs till March 2019 for Nikon), and this was all but confirmed with a verbal slip-up by one of the company’s executives during a TV interview.

Nikon is still making advances in its latest camera line-up, with the D850 currently one of the company’s bestsellers in the high-end range. Nikon also recently announced the Coolpix P1000, with its unbelievable telephoto reach of 3000mm.