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There are a couple of recent stories about the future of the camera industry on PetaPixel today. The first, a rumour that Olympus will stop making cameras within a year, almost certainly lacks credibility. Which is the conclusion which the PetaPixel article reaches. According to PetaPixel, the story goes against official statements from Olympus and is just the latest frequently repeated Internet speculation about the company's future.

https://petapixel.com/2019/11/12/rumor- ... in-a-year/

The second article, based on information from Nikon itself, is about how Nikon is looking to turn around its fortunes in the camera business. Nikon started out as a camera manufacturer but now other parts of its operation are expected to generate more revenue. The company has not sold as many of its new Z series cameras as it anticipated and sales generally are in decline. There are doubtless many factors involved and Nikon has not helped itself in the past through a series of well documented blunders. While it could be a long way off, nonetheless there is a slight prospect that Nikon might eventually exit the camera business. The industry is in decline, at least in terms of sales volumes, so it would not be surprising if one or more of the established players decides to call time, possibly to be replaced by someone else. It has happened in the past, it will undoubtedly happen again.

https://petapixel.com/2019/11/12/nikon- ... -business/

Oh dear, best we look after the cameras we have got!!

Laura wrote:Oh dear, best we look after the cameras we have got!!

Which is not really what I was saying, of course. The camera industry might be in a state of flux, but that has always been the case. There are lots of brands from the 60s and 70s which are no longer around. Petri, Miranda and Topcon to name just a few. Digital created issues for some, opportunities for others. Konica and Minolta first merged and then sold the DSLR business to Sony which, without a significant investment in a legacy system, has gone on to become a leader in mirrorles cameras. And who, a few years ago, would have thought that one day they would be shooting with a Panasonic? Samsung also tried to get into the market and then withdrew. Ironically just a few months after it introduced the NX1, the specification of which still looks good five years on.

It is impossible to know what the industry will look like in 20 years time. My hunch is that people will still be taking photographs and will still want good quality cameras. Technology will have inevitably moved on, of course, and probably will be driven by what is happening with computing and cameraphones. Also, Japanese culture is not the same as in the West and companies will persist in markets where other manufacturers would have given up. Unlike most other brands, which are part of much bigger conglomerates, Nikon is a camera producer which is looking to ensure its long term survival by breaking into new markets. While it is a giant in the world of photography, it is a comparative minnow elsewhere.

All that said, the real reason that sales are declining is that cameras produced up to a decade or more ago remain good enough for most purposes. They are, in general, well made and reliable. While expensive to buy, they represent a good long term investment. If, as Laura says, we look after them. Sound advice!

The future for Olympus' camera division might not be so secure after all. According to PetaPixel, Olympus CEO Yasuo Takeuchi has indicated that it might be for sale, link below.

https://petapixel.com/2019/11/19/olympu ... le-report/

There is a surefire way to kill a business which relies on selling to customers who can buy the various components piecemeal either as upgrades or an extension to existing capability. That is to allow the impression to gain traction that the system to might not have a longterm future. Unsurprisingly, Olympus is now attempting to backtrack on recent comments by its CEO which implied that its camera division could be for sale. It has long been Olympus' contention that its imaging division underpins the technology used in other more profitable parts of its operation.

Olympus can point to the recent introduction of the latest in its OM-D E-M5 series as an indication of its commitment. That is not necessarily a determining factor since it could be business as usual while decisions are being made about strategy. As previously mentioned, Samsung withdrew from the market shortly after introducing the NX1 which could have been a breakthrough product. There are vital differences, though. Samsung was a new player and needed to make further substantial investment, unlike Olympus which is already established. All I can say for certain is that after a push a year or so back, in my experience marketing initiatives by Olympus in the UK have been much less evident of late.

https://petapixel.com/2019/11/23/olympu ... -business/