Last month was a good month for Nikon. A very good month indeed. According to the BCN Ranking (BCN+R, which collates about two-thirds of the country's retailers), Nikon’s sales volume topped the monthly market share for full-frame mirrorless cameras within the Japanese domestic market.
Remarkably, this is the first time that the Big N has done so due to heavy competition from Canon and with Sony dominating almost every month since it launched the mighty Sony A7 back in 2013.
BCN+R has charted Nikon’s monthly share at 33.4%, just 1.3% ahead of Sony, with Canon lagging behind at 24%. So what’s caused this sudden upturn in Nikon’s fortunes?
Well, it’s all down to the manufacturer’s brand new entry point into full-frame cameras, the Nikon Z5 II, which wasn’t even released until April 25. Despite costing significantly more than the original Nikon Z5's release price, BCN+R has pointed out that in today’s market the Z5 II is simply good value.
The Japanese sales database concluded that while the average Nikon Z5 II was listed for ¥247,000 (approximately $1,700 / £1,300 / AU$2,700), it was ¥50,000 ($350 / £260 / AU$540) cheaper than the average price of a full-frame mirrorless at ¥298,000 ($2,100 / £1,500 / AU$3,200).
And that’s before you consider the Nikon Z5 II’s monster specs. However impractical, I still can’t believe it’s capable of shooting 4K 30p RAW video internally.
BCN+R’s data shows that the Nikon Zf was previously Nikon’s best-selling full-frame camera. And while the Z5 II cannot compete with the Zf’s retro looks, its average price is ¥30,000 ($210 / £155 / AU$320) cheaper.
To reach the top spot, Nikon had to beat full-frame stalwarts from Sony and Canon, namely the Sony A7C II and Canon EOS R6 Mark II. But, with the resurrection of the compact camera and APS-C cameras gobbling up a 60% market share, full-frame isn’t everything.
According to BCN+R, full-frame cameras only account for 21.4% of sales value within the camera market (drawn from roughly 2,300 Japan-based retailers).
Just last week I reported on Map Camera’s April ranking, which had compact camera sales beaten by full-frame Nikon Z5 II by “overwhelming lead”. So, perhaps none of this is really all that surprising.
It’ll be interesting to see if sales of the camera continue to dominate in May. Until then, make sure you check out our full Nikon Z5 II review.
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If you've already taken the plunge, take a look at the best lenses for the Nikon Z5 II and Z5. If you're a Nikon fan, check out the best Nikon cameras and best Nikon Z lenses. And if you want to learn more about Nikon cameras, here's why I think Nikon is suddenly cool again.
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