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Posts Tagged ‘production’

CIPA’s April report shows digital camera production, shipments are down 56.4%, 63.7%, respectively, YoY

03 Jun
Total shipments of digital cameras (DSCs) worldwide for the month of April 2020 (Orange) compared to 2019 (Black) and 2018 (Blue).

Japan’s Camera & Imaging Products Association — better known as CIPA — has released its latest numbers, showing what camera shipments looked like for the major manufacturers through the end of April 2020. As is to be expected in these turbulent times, the numbers are down across the board.

As a whole, shipments of digital cameras in April 2020 were down to 550,000 units, a decrease of 63.7% year-over-year (YoY) compared to April 2019. Interchangeable lens and built-in-lens camera shipments for April 2020 were at 300,000 units and 252,000 units, respectively, a YoY decrease (compared to April 2019) of 63.7% for both unit types. Further split up, CIPA’s numbers reveal DSLR and mirrorless sales were down 60.8% and 67.0, respectively, YoY for the month of April.

Total shipments of interchangeable lens cameras (both DSLR and mirrorless cameras) worldwide for the month of April 2020 (Orange) compared to 2019 (Black) and 2018 (Blue).

While these decreases are alarming without context, they shouldn’t be surprising considering the current state of the industry (and world as a whole through this COVID-19 pandemic). In addition to slower sales due to COVID-19, the pandemic also all but froze supply chains and production for many camera manufacturers. CIPA’s numbers reveal production for April 2020 was down 56.4% for all digital camera units compared to April 2019.

Nearly every camera manufacturer has made it clear in some form or another that things will get worse before they get better and CIPA’s April numbers further confirm those sentiments. It remains to be seen how much the market recovers as more of the world opens up following the COVID-19 pandemic, but with more countries easing stay-at-home orders and quarantine restrictions, there’s a chance we’ll start to see some semblance of a recovery, even if it takes a few months to show in the numbers.

You can find CIPA’s graph and detailed breakdown on its report page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung reported to be expanding its image sensor production line

01 Jun

According to Business Korea, Samsung is planning to convert one of its current DRAM manufacturing lines into a camera sensor production line to the tune of roughly $ 815M.

The report says Samsung will be converting its DRAM line 13 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea into a camera sensor production unit. This transition isn’t unprecedented, as Samsung did the same back in 2018 with its DRAM line 11, converting it into the camera sensor production line S4.

This transition from DRAM production to camera sensor production happens because, as noted by Android Headline, approximately 80% of the manufacturing processes and equipment for the two operations overlap. so, rather than build from scratch, Samsung can save a dramatic sum of money by simply converting an existing production line.

Despite so much overlap between the two processes, the conversion is set to cost one trillion Korean won (?), which is roughly $ 815M dollars at the current exchange rate.

Business Korea doesn’t note what kind of sensors the converted production line will manufacture, but Samsung recently showed off its new 50MP ISOCELL GN1 sensor and has also teased the development of both a 150MP sensor and a 250MP sensor, with hopes to someday create a 600MP smartphone sensor.

Android Headline cites ‘industry experts,’ saying mass production on the converted line could start as early as year’s end, ‘once it completes installing and testing the new equipment.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CIPA’s latest numbers show camera production, sales slashed by half in March

27 Apr

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the camera industry particularly hard with a dramatic downturn in both production and sales during March. Traditionally a period when sales of new products announced after the New Year begin to come on-line, this March saw production and shipments from Japanese companies drop to only 48% of levels reached in the same month last year.

Figures released by the Japanese Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) show world-wide shipments were only 47.8% of the volume last March, with the number shipped to Asia (excluding Japan and China) only 39.8% of last those shipped in March 2019. Shipments to ‘Other Areas’ (including the Middle East) are most healthy but still down to 68.2% of last year’s volume, and this region accounts for a very small proportion of sales. Shipments to the USA were at 44.7% and those to Europe were 48.3%, while Japan managed 54.5%.

Production and shipped data for March 2020. Column 2 is for comparison to February 2020 and column 3 shows a comparison to March 2019. Column 4 compares Q1 2020 with Q1 2019

It seems SLR cameras have fared far worse than mirrorless models, which may be partly down to the fact that there are fewer new SLR models around at the moment. Production of SLRs reached only 32.6% of the levels for last March, while mirrorless models reached 56%. China was the only region to receive more SLRs than mirrorless cameras, but that figure was still only half of what the country took last March.

The CIPA figures are reflected in the sales reported by Stackline, which showed online camera sales in the USA were down 64% in March. With many camera shops with closed doors too, sales across the counter are also likely to be very poor. The market research company rated cameras no. 3 in its list of the 100 fastest declining product categories – with only briefcases and luggage doing worse. Unsurprisingly, disposable gloves were the fastest-growing product.

Last week Canon reported a drop in camera revenue of 27% for the first quarter of the year – slightly ahead of that across the total Japanese camera market which recorded a drop in revenue of 31.1% compared to the same period last year. The revenue drop for SLRs shipped from Japan was 40.2% while that for mirrorless models was 25.8% in the months January to March 2020.

Sales of lenses have held up a little better with the total volume produced in March dropping by 46.1% and those shipped falling by 44.8%. Production of full-frame lenses dropped by 34.5%, while those designed for smaller formats fell by 53% by volume. In better news, the value of smaller-format lenses shipped to the USA was up by 1.5% over the value shipped to the region in February – and I’ll take that as a positive.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Japan offers $2.2B to help domestic companies move production from China, but will it help the imaging industry?

14 Apr
Fujifilm X-Pro2 cameras being moved along the production process inside Fujifilm’s Sendai, Japan factory.

Last week, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Japan is planning to set aside $ 2.2 billion of its $ 993 billion emergency COVID-19 stimulus package to help Japanese companies move production out of China, a move with potential ramifications for numerous Japanese camera and lens manufacturers.

According to the report, the $ 2.2 billion would be split into two different funds. Roughly $ 2 billion will go towards assisting Japanese companies move operations back to Japan, while the remaining $ 200M will help companies move production into other countries, in what is likely an effort to help diversify supply chains that aren’t domestic.

Rather than purely speculating on the matters, we decided to contact executives at a few Japanese camera and lens manufacturers to find out what their thoughts are on this facet of the emergency stimulus package.

General Manager of Fujifilm’s Optical Device and Electronic Imaging Products Division, Toshihisa Iida, had the following to say when asked about the SCMP article and its potential impact on Fujifilm’s operations:

‘Manufacturing in China has changed a lot over the years. It faces many challenges such as parts and labor availability, increase in overall cost, [the] US-China trade issue, and most recently, COVID-19. We still depend heavily on China to source electronic and mechanical components, but we started sourcing from alternative vendors from outside China as well.

[Business continuity planning] is always a very important agenda in our business strategy. We learned from disasters such as earthquakes and floods in the past, and keep our eyes open to prepare for any situations to secure the supply chain. COVID-19 is no exception.’

As for its current production operations, Mr. Iida says ‘Fujifilm already owns factories outside China (e.g. Japan and the Philippines)’ and has also subcontracted factories. ‘Production quality in all of the factories [is] being monitored to achieve the same standard,’ he says. ‘We look at all the important elements for production, such as capacity, cost, lead time, and [allocation of] the products to the aforementioned factories in order to deliver the products efficiently.’

Here, finished X-Pro2 bodies manufactured inside its Sendai, Japan factory await final checks before being boxed up for shipping.

Despite the Japanese government’s record stimulus package, Mr. Iida remains unsure of its impact on Fujifilm’s production, saying ‘It’s too early to say whether we will move our production from China, and if we do, how much will be shifted to Japan or elsewhere, but we will continue to monitor the situation and take action if and when necessary.’

All in all, it seems the production shift initiative might not have as much of an impact on the photography industry as some might’ve hoped. Aside from not being heavily publicized, the state of the industry even before the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t great and investing in a contracting market isn’t exactly assuring, even with a convincing stimulus opportunity to make use of.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: How a video production company turned an ambulance into the ultimate grip truck

13 Apr

What do you do if your average vehicle isn’t enough to safely transport all of your camera gear and other equipment? Well, if you’re the team behind North Dakota-based video production company Threefold.

In the two-minute video recently posted to YouTube, Caleb from Threefold walks through the team’s custom grip truck, which is actually a 1995 diesel E350 box truck that was purchased for $ 7,000 and served as an ambulance in its previous life. From custom shelving and mounting solutions to 2000W inverters and custom charging solutions, the van has nearly everything you’d need for on-location storage, charging, repairing and more.

Sure, it might be overkill for most, but when you need a purpose-built solution, DIY is the way to go. You can find more of Threefold’s work on their YouTube channel.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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LensCoat diverts its US production facilities to make masks for local hospital

10 Apr

More used to making protective gear for camera lenses, New Jersey-based LensCoat has turned its attention to making protective masks for health workers during the Coronavirus outbreak in the United States. The company has given over 50% of its production capacity to making the masks for its local hospital in Freehold, NJ.

LensCoat owner and nature photographer Scott Elowitz told DP Review that he responded to an appeal by the New York governor for companies to make Personal Protection Equipment but was told the governor was really looking for those who already had federal certification.

Scott says he was driven by a personal story in which one of his Freehold neighbor’s family had been ravaged by CV19 which lead to seven members being hospitalized and four dying.

‘I was a little dejected that we couldn’t make certified equipment but continued to look for ways to help’ he tells DPReview. ‘Then one of my staff alerted me that the Freehold Township Residents Community group was putting together a group of at-home sewers to make masks for our CentraState hospital and local first responders.’ Scott contacted the group to offer the company’s sewing skills and capacity and soon began making the masks.

Lenscoat’s usual product line is camo covers for lenses, cameras and photographers

LensCoat has a large stock of camouflaged material that it uses for its usual products and used this to make some very cool-looking masks. ‘We are a Realtree licensee (Realtree is the world’s leading camouflage designer). They heard about what we were doing and contacted us to also donate fabric to our local cause.’

Scott explains that the masks are not FDA surgical grade, so they are used over N95 and surgical masks as well as given to others in the hospital so that the hospital can use their limited resources more efficiently. ‘And I feel good about finding a way to help out our local community. We are all in this together. We have to do what we can to help even if it’s just staying home and not becoming a victim or part of the problem. The sooner we get this under control the sooner we will be able to get back to a sense of normalcy.’

For more information on the company see the LensCoat website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Due to Coronavirus, Canon Faces Production Problems on EOS R5, R6

17 Mar

The post Due to Coronavirus, Canon Faces Production Problems on EOS R5, R6 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Due to Coronavirus, Canon Faces Production Problems on EOS R5, R6 featured image

The camera industry is feeling the effects of the coronavirus now more than ever.

According to Canon Rumors, Canon’s is facing significant shortages in the production of its two new mirrorless cameras, the EOS R5 and EOS R6.

These two mirrorless models are currently under development and were slated to launch this summer, but the appearance of coronavirus has seen the disruption of Canon’s supply chains and has brought production capacity on the cameras down to just 25%.

Canon is considering two ways of addressing these issues:

First, the company may decide to halt the release of the EOS R5 and EOS R6 until the fall, when production should be back at full capacity. This would allow for strong, albeit late, product launches.

Second, Canon may go ahead with the launch of both cameras. But Canon would be moving forward without the production numbers necessary to satisfy all customers, and so we would likely see shortages until the coronavirus pandemic has passed.

Obviously, neither of these measures is ideal. Both the EOS R5 and R6 have generated great excitement among Canon fans, and among the camera industry at large. Any delays or shortages will be met with frustration on all sides, especially by those who have been holding out for a true professional mirrorless model from Canon.

Note that the EOS R5 offers a number of features that were missing from Canon’s first two distinct full-frame mirrorless bodies, the EOS R and RP. These include dual card slots (essential for wedding photographers, photojournalists, and sports photographers, all who require redundancy in their work), as well as in-body image stabilization, which will debut in both the EOS R5 and EOS R6. The EOS R5 will also address concerns that videographers had with the EOS R; the R5 will reportedly offer true 8K video that utilizes the full width of the sensor.

And while Canon has not confirmed a megapixel count for the R5, it has been consistently rumored to feature a 45 MP sensor, which could position the R5 as a high-powered alternative to megapixel monsters such as the Nikon Z7 and the Panasonic S1R.

Canon has remained virtually silent regarding the EOS R6. But rumors suggest that the camera will feature a 20 MP sensor, in-body image stabilization, 4K/60p video, and 12/20 frames-per-second shooting with mechanical and electronic shutters, respectively. It may cater to hobbyists looking for a first full-frame mirrorless body, but who want true mirrorless-type features such as IBIS.

Here’s the bottom line:

The release of these two full-frame mirrorless cameras may well be a turning point for Canon. Whether it comes sooner or later is immaterial, though it will certainly be frustrating for anyone looking to purchase these cameras.

So keep an eye out for more information regarding both of these mirrorless bodies.

Are you looking to buy either the EOS R5 or the R6? Which camera excites you more? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Due to Coronavirus, Canon Faces Production Problems on EOS R5, R6 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Canon to End Production of the 5DS and 5DS R

16 Mar

The post Canon to End Production of the 5DS and 5DS R appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Canon to End Production of the 5DS and 5DS R featured image

It’s time to say goodbye to Canon’s megapixel monster pair: The Canon EOS 5DS and the Canon EOS 5DS R.

According to Canon Rumors, Canon will no longer be producing these two cameras, nor is there a 5DS successor in the works.

While this news is hardly unexpected, it further illustrates Canon’s choice to invest in mirrorless over DSLR technology.

Note that the 5DS R is identical to the 5DS, with a single exception: its low-pass filter cancellation effect. This ensures that photographers can eke out maximum detail with the 5DS R, though the sensor is more prone to the effects of moiré.

The Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R duo debuted way back in June 2015. At the time, they sported the highest resolution sensors available in a full-frame camera, at 50.6 MP, and were tailored to detail-hungry landscape and commercial photographers.

These days, the resolution award has been handed off to the Sony a7R IV, though the EOS 5DS still remains the highest resolution 35mm DSLR on the market.

In many ways, the EOS 5DS pair has become outdated. With the exception of its stunning resolution, the 5DS struggles to remain relevant in a world of fast continuous shooting, 4K video, and speedy Live View autofocus.

But while Canon will not be producing a true EOS 5DS successor, you can expect to see a mirrorless model that follows the 5DS in spirit. In fact, there’s currently a rumor floating around about a high-megapixel mirrorless body, one with either a 75 MP sensor, an 80 MP sensor or a 150 MP sensor.

All of these specs are merely rumors, and may not pan out. But I wouldn’t be surprised if at least the 75 MP or 80 MP sensor turns out to be true, especially with Sony producing the 61 MP Sony a7R IV.

That said, for now, the 5DS and 5DS R remain Canon’s highest megapixel cameras to date.

So if you’re interested in grabbing them before they’re gone, you can find both cameras for around $ 1300 USD on Amazon.

Will you grab one of these cameras before they are discontinued, or will you wait to see what else Canon comes up with in the future? Let us know in the comments.

The post Canon to End Production of the 5DS and 5DS R appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Camera Industry Hit Hard by Coronavirus, Causing Production Delays

09 Mar

The post Camera Industry Hit Hard by Coronavirus, Causing Production Delays appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Camera Industry Hit Hard by Coronavirus, Causing Production Delays

Over the past month, the coronavirus outbreak has rocked the world.

And now it’s making its way into the camera industry.

The three biggest imaging companies, Canon, Nikon, and Sony, have found themselves affected by coronavirus outbreaks.

First, Sony Alpha Rumors published a tip from an unnamed source, which said:

“We can expect product [launches] to be very delayed along with much lower capacity in production volumes for many of [Sony’s] current imaging products.”

While we can’t know exactly what product launches Sony Alpha is referring to, fans have been eagerly anticipating the announcement of the Sony a7s III, as well as the Sony a7 IV.

Around the same time, the CP+2020 expo, which was due to be hosted in Japan, was canceled, with the organizers citing “no effective treatment or containment measures to deal with the novel coronavirus.” Organizers went on to explain that the “event attracts around 70,000 unspecified visitors and therefore we cannot completely eliminate the risk of infection.”

Then, only weeks later, Canon Rumors says this:

“Canon…will suspend operations at its five offices in Kyushu, which produce cameras and related products, for about two weeks from March 2 to 13. The supply of parts from China may become unstable due to the effects of the new coronavirus.”

While Canon Rumors goes on to say that, “At the moment, no employees have been infected,” the message is clear: Coronavirus, directly or indirectly, is taking its toll on Canon’s camera business.

And finally, a report by Nikon Rumors, and further corroborated by PetaPixel, indicates that Nikon’s new AF-S 120-300mm f/2.8 lens would not ship as initially announced. Instead, you can expect the lens in late March, at least according to Amazon’s shipping date.

As explained in a statement from Nikon, “The U.S. availability for the AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR will be announced at a later date as we determine the global impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. We will communicate updates on timing as they become available.”

At present, it’s difficult to say what all this means; will Canon, Sony, and Nikon recover swiftly from the effects of the coronavirus? Or will the virus’s impact be more long-lasting? These closures may be just the beginning.

Here’s one concern: Nikon hasn’t reported good financial numbers in recent months. If the coronavirus continues to affect production, Nikon may see a significant drop in sales, something that could further impact the imaging company over the next year (and beyond).

And similar worries are undoubtedly plaguing companies such as Olympus, which recently weathered rumors of a camera division shutdown.

What do you think? How will things play out regarding the coronavirus and the camera industry? Is this as bad as it will get, or will things become worse?

Let me know in the comments!

The post Camera Industry Hit Hard by Coronavirus, Causing Production Delays appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Nikon’s Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S lens is being delayed ‘due to production reasons’

01 Feb

Nikon Japan has announced [translated] that the much-anticipated Nikkor Z 70–200mm F2.8 VR S lens and three of its accessories will be postponed.

Originally set to be released on February 14, 2020, Nikon Japan says the lens has been ‘postponed due to production reasons.’ No specific details have been given regarding production issue at hand and no timeframe is given for the new release date. Nikon Japan says it ‘apologize[s] for any inconvenience this may cause to customers waiting for this product.’

DPReview has contacted Nikon for a comment and will update this article accordingly when we receive a response.

We will provide further updates regarding the situation as they become available.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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