Nikon Image Space just got a death sentence. This is when to download photos by – and what Nikon is replacing it with

SD card going into a slot on the Nikon Z6 III camera held in a pair of hands
(Image credit: Gareth Bevan / Digital Camera World)

Nikon Image Space is shutting down. The imaging giant announced that the cloud storage service will begin shutting down on October 15, closing the chapter on the dedicated storage space while opening up 5GB of free storage on Nikon Imaging Cloud.

Nikon Image Space is the brand’s dedicated cloud storage platform that included 2GB of free storage, or 20GB of free storage by registering a Nikon camera. The platform serves as a backup and cloud storage solution for Nikon photographers.

Nikon says that service to the Nikon Image Space will shut down on October 15, after that date, all features will be disabled except for the bulk download tool. Nikon is giving photographers a few more months to save their images using that bulk download tool, until April 15.

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Nikon isn’t shutting down Image Space without offering an alternative – reports from Nikon Rumors suggest that the company is adding more storage to Nikon Imaging Cloud instead. After Nikon Image Space begins the shutdown process on October 15, Nikon will add 5GB of storage to Nikon Imaging Cloud.

That's lower than the 20GB formerly part of Image Space with a registered camera, however, and Nikon Imaging Cloud also isn't directly compatible with Nikon's DSLRs.

(Image credit: Nikon)

The move adds more long-term cloud storage to Nikon’s app that already offers unlimited temporary storage for 30 days. Nikon Imaging Cloud is also used for firmware downloads and saving image recipes. Axing Nikon Image Space moves Nikon’s software to fewer, more streamlined options.

Nikon Image Space will shut off every feature except for bulk downloads on October 15 at 9 AM Japan Standard Time – which is 1 AM BST on October 15 and 7 PM EST on October 14.

Nikon Image Space will fully shut down on April 15, 2027 at 1 PM JST (5 AM BST / 12 AM EDT) – after that, any photos and data left on the platform will be permanently deleted.

(Image credit: Nikon)

In a notice announcing the change, Nikon said the move was “due to changes in the market environment,” but did not specify what those changes are.

Camera makers as well as cloud service providers are facing the after effects of the rise in artificial intelligence creating high demand for storage. That demand is increasing the cost of memory components for camera makers, including Nikon, and is also driving up demand and use of cloud storage.

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Hillary K. Grigonis
US Editor

With more than a decade of experience writing about cameras and technology, Hillary K. Grigonis leads the US coverage for Digital Camera World. Her work has appeared in Business Insider, Digital Trends, Pocket-lint, Rangefinder, The Phoblographer, and more. Her wedding and portrait photography favors a journalistic style. She’s a former Nikon shooter and a current Fujifilm user, but has tested a wide range of cameras and lenses across multiple brands. Hillary is also a licensed drone pilot.

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