Product innovation or profit booster
Back on April 25th, I did a post on the then rumored NikonZ8. Well, it is no longer a rumor as specs continue to roll out on this camera. That got me thinking about how camera manufacturers roll out products, not just Nikon, but all manufuacturers, sometimes for the sake of just having new product out there. Let me clarify what I mean, Nikon Rumors just released a specs sheet on the upcoming Z8 comparing it to the Nikons flagship mirrorless camera, the Z9..
The spec sheet on the Z8 is virtually identical to the Z9 with only these changes. They add the file format HEIF 10 bit, added dedicated airplane detection, allowed it to take 275 shots (z9 can do 700), added portrait impression balance and skin softening as options and finally allowed it take and SD card. It has built in LAN or sync terminal like the Z9, but does allow USB LAN connection. This is nothing revolutionary like when the Z9 came out. It seems as if manufacturers feel the need to continually mill products through the pipeline by only making minor tweaks and promoting it as some huge innovation. Now, I realize that all camera brands do this and there are those individuals that have to have the latest and greatest new thing. My point being that the new Nikon Z8 will be geared toward a specific demographic that does not want the size or price tag of the Nikon Z9. I then have to ask the question, why not just put these features in a firmware upgrade for the existion Nikon Z6 II or Nikon Z7II rather than bring out a whole new body. IMHO, it has to do with Nikons bottom line of capitalizing on the success of the Z-line of products for the net gain of the companies bottom line. Only time will tell if I am way off base here and the NIkon Z8 goes on to be as highly touted as the Nikon D850 was. It just seems to me that focus should be on the innovation and evolution of the product, based off feedback from real world users, rather than creating similar products with minor tweaks. OK, off the soapbox now ….