Seeing the future of digital photography
The Far Eastern Economic Revenue goes where you have to go to see the future of consumer electronics, Akihabara in Tokyo, to explore where digital photography is going. Good summary of the current $8 billion market and key ideas about how these cameras will fit into the digital home and work environment.
For the five Japanese companies that dominate the digital-camera market today--Sony, Fuji Photo Film, Canon, Olympus and Nikon--these are very good times. In recent weeks, the companies announced that demand is outpacing estimates and boosted production targets for the year. While most of corporate Japan was detailing yet another six months of malaise, the big five were basking in terrific numbers in their camera segments. Numbers like these: In value, digital cameras now make up 87% of total camera shipments in Japan and 75% elsewhere.
The article sums up the strategies:
Posted by Mitch Ratcliffe at November 24, 2002 10:43 PM | TrackBack
SONY: Hooks its digital cameras into a whole system of devices that use its proprietary memory standard, the Memory Stick, to fit them all together
OLYMPUS: Outsources a lot of production, which keeps the sticker price down, but the lack of control makes it difficult for the company to adjust quickly to market demand
CANON: Excels in the high-end market and is betting digital-camera users will print pictures at home
NIKON: Hopes its brand and reputation in traditional cameras may help it snag a larger market share, but it's still trailing the competition
FUJI: Makes its own colour sensors, digital processors and lenses, and can control its component supplies better than just about anyone. But its brand may not be strong enough to succeed outside Japan