Nikon 1, the camera company’s line of mirrorless cameras, is on its way out.
The 1 series cameras are no longer available on Nikon Japan’s site and are listed as discontinued. Major photography retailer B&H also lists the mirrorless cameras as currently unavailable, according to a report from Nikon Rumours.
Nikon confirmed the discontinuation in a statement emailed to Gizmodo. “The Nikon 1 series cameras, lenses and accessories are no longer in production,” a spokesperson said. “The Nikon 1 J5 and other Nikon 1 products are available at select retailers in some regions.”
The 1 series of mirrorless cameras, aimed at amateur photographers looking for portability and versatility, was hamstrung when it came to performance. While the cameras shared features with other mirrorless cameras like interchangeable lenses, the one-inch sensors were too small, the cameras incredibly pricey considering the specs, and the additional features too gimmicky, even for first-time photographers for whom the cameras were made. The last update to the 1 series came in 2015 with the Nikon 1 J5, so killing the stagnating line off entirely makes sense.
While Nikon’s 1 mirrorless cameras looked good, they were a disappointing entry from Nikon, especially when compared to other mirrorless cameras from companies like Sony and Olympus, which offered DSLR-quality images at the same price of Nikon’s less capable 1 series.
So what’s next for Nikon now that its only mirrorless cameras are getting phased out? Would you believe it’s a full-frame mirrorless camera? Around this time last year, Nikon President Kazuo Ushida suggested mirrorless full-frame cameras might be on the horizon, and last week Nikon Rumours detailed the specifications of two reportedly upcoming mirrorless cameras from Nikon, one with a 24- or 25-megapixel sensor, another with a 45- or 48-megapixel sensor, both using the rumoured full-frame Z-mount for the company’s mirrorless cameras. Nikon didn’t comment on these possible new releases.