Colorful, well-made, and designed within an inch of their life, the Nikon 1 lineup of cameras will be sorely missed.
For many, the announcement from Japanese optics manufacturer Nikon that it was ending the Nikon 1 camera system is like the official closing of an era.
Sure, everyone was expecting this but, even when expected, bad news is still rough to bear. And for those that really bought into the whole Nikon 1 line, it's definitely tough.
In the case of the Nikon 1, however, the latest camera added to the line hit shelves three years ago and the writing was basically on the wall. Still, it’s hard when you see a sturdy product ecosystem collapse with the pull of the shifting sands of consumer demand but such is the story of the Nikon 1.
You can still purchase the Nikon 1 camera and camera system accessories at retailers with remaining stock, but going forward Nikon will not be manufacturing any new cameras, lenses, or accessories for the line.
So if you missed out on picking a camera up you might still be able to buy one at a closeout price.
Hitting the market all the way back in September 2011, the Nikon 1 series comprised 11 different cameras and 12 different lenses over its history. This is in addition to the multitude of accessories made for the product, a once popular though fading line in Nikon’s product portfolio.
Industry insiders have known for some time that this was coming and even Nikon’s own indication of its future direction spelled nothing but doom for the Nikon 1 series.
As DPReview notes, Nikon’s Director of Laboratory Research and Development back in Japan, Tetsuro Goto said in an interview with Chinese website Xitek that “full frame is the trend” and that if Nikon went mirrorless then it must do so in a full-frame form factor.
