Nikon UK has moved to reassure customers that it will continue to service and repair film cameras following this week?s news that most will be discontinued.
Yesterday we reported that Nikon is to discontinue all but one of its film cameras to concentrate on making digital models.
It will continue to make and sell its flagship F6 film-based SLR (pictured). While sales of the FM10 manual model will continue, but only outside Europe.
Nikon UK?s general manager Simon Coleman told AP this morning: ?We will honour the service and repair of products up to 10 years from delivery of the product to market. We can completely reassure people that our service teams will be working on that basis.?
He confirmed that UK stocks will be available until the summer.
Responding to AP?s website story published yesterday he said: ?We are not ditching film cameras. It?s more of a phase out. We are committed to film but in a lesser way.?
Asked whether Nikon planned to launch any more film cameras in future he said: ?By inference of the [press] release you?ll see that our focus is on digital.?
The phasing out of traditional cameras to concentrate on digital models will not lead to any net reduction of jobs worldwide, according to Nikon.
Coleman explained that the company?s decision to discontinue most film cameras came after recent figures suggest that only 5% of the UK business is film-based and worldwide, just 3%.
He said the markets have moved so significantly in recent years that ?we just can?t underestimate the demand for digital.?
Coleman added: ?I think it is really positive that we are still committed to the F6 [35mm SLR]. It?s very important that we support that pro area.?
He stressed the importance of Nikon highlighting where it stands as a business while ? at the same time ? reassuring customers.
