“Nikon’s dropping 5 lines of SLRs” says DPReview’s Chris Nichols

During the recent first look video for the Canon EOS 90D and Canon EOS M6 Mark II over on DPReview, Chris Nichols let slip at around 6:45 in the video that Nikon is “dropping 5 lines of [D]SLRs”. This seems to suggest that Nikon believes that DSLRs are, for the most part, well and truly dead.

We already knew at the beginning of July that there were rumours Nikon was possibly planning to drop the D3x00 series, the D50xx series and that there would be no follow up to the D500. But now it appears two more lines of Nikon DSLRs are to be cancelled.

Nichols didn’t specify which of the product lines would be discontinued, but I think we have to assume that one safe bet is possibly the D7x00 series. Given Canon’s release of the EOS 90D, Nikon has to respond, really. As for dropping the D500, well, that makes sense if Canon has dropped any thought of replacing the 7D Mark II.

But let’s look at all of the DSLR product lines Nikon currently offers…

• D3x00
• D5x00
• D7x00
• D500
• D6x0
• D7x0
• D8x0
• Dx

If we assume that the D3x00, D5x00 and Pro APS-C bodies are to disappear, Nichols might be including the D6x0 as the fourth. While Nikon has not confirmed it, the D610 appears to have been the last of its lineage. The D600 sensor “repair” (which typically meant “replace with a D610”) is ending in January. This might be down to the possibility that the D610 is going away, too.

But what could that final DSLR product line, be?

Last month’s report suggested that the D7500, D750, D850 and D5 would see replacement models. And there have already been rumoured specs for a D6 including 5-axis IBIS. The Z6 and Z7 compare to the D750 and D850 pretty well already, and the D750 is notably overdue for a replacement, being just a couple of weeks shy of five years old.

The D750 is the oldest of the bunch when we look at the possible remaining cameras, and the only one that doesn’t shoot 4K video, too. Nikon might have decided that it’s best to just end the D7x0 line along with the D6x0 line and release a single body to replace both, much as Canon have done with the EOS RP.

Well, I suppose only time will tell. Or Chris. Chris could tell. But he probably won’t.

What would you kill off?

[via Nikon Rumors]