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Posts Tagged ‘Sales’

Sony image sensor sales increase, camera and Xperia sales drop

04 Feb

Sony has announced its financial results for Q4 2016 and the numbers show that the Japanese company’s image sensor division has performed well. Within the semiconductors segment, image sensor sales have increased by 40% year-on-year which is largely due to significantly increased sales of image sensors for mobile devices.

Digital camera sales have slightly decreased from 1.8 to 1.6 billion units, resulting in a 9.6% revenue decrease. On the plus side, the company has noted a continued improvement in terms of product mix, with a shift to high value-add models.

Sony upped its forecast for the financial year but the new figures would still mean a 34% fall in sales volume and a 17% fall in sales by value, compared with 2015.

Things don’t look quite as good in the phone division. The company shipped a total of 5.1 million Xperia phones in the quarter, which is down by around 33% year-on-year. Total mobile revenue for the quarter was ¥249bn ($ 2.2bn). Sony blames lower than expected sales in Europe for the decrease. The forecast for the fiscal year, which ends in March, was also lowered from 17 million to 15 million units.

You can find all of the details at Sony’s investor relations site.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Analog revival? Increase in film sales spurs Kodak to bring back Ektachrome

06 Jan
A box of Ektachrome. Photo via Wikimedia commons

The list of discontinued film stocks is lengthy and after Kodak pulled the plug on our beloved Kodachrome, it seemed like any film could be next on the chopping block. But perhaps those dark days are behind us because today Kodak announced the company will be bringing back a different film stock: Ektachrome.

Discontinued in 2012, Kodak’s decision to raise it from the dead is directly related to a recent increase in demand for analog film. Yep, you read that right. So does this mean that film photography is about to start down a similar path of revival as we’ve seen from vinyl records, which are currently selling at a 25 year high? We sure wouldn’t mind.

From the Kodak announcement:

“Sales of professional photographic films have been steadily rising over the last few years, with professionals and enthusiasts rediscovering the artistic control offered by manual processes and the creative satisfaction of a physical end product. The reintroduction of one of the most iconic films is supported by the growing popularity of analog photography and a resurgence in shooting film. Resurgence in the popularity of analog photography has created demand for new and old film products alike.”

Ektachrome is a color reversal film and was first developed in the 1940’s. Used for decades by National Geographic photographers, it’s been long favored it due to its fine grain and excellent color reproduction.

So come the end of 2017, you’ll once again be able to pick up a 35mm roll of it. And you’ve likely got a bearded, glasses-wearing hipster with a turntable to thank for that.

What do you think of the prospect of an analog revival? Let us know in the comments.

Kodak Brings Back a Classic with EKTACHROME Film

Las Vegas, NV, Thursday, January 05, 2017 —

To the delight of film enthusiasts across the globe, Eastman Kodak Company today announced plans to bring back one of its most iconic film stocks. Over the next 12 months, Kodak will be working to reformulate and manufacture KODAK EKTACHROME Film for both motion picture and still photography applications. Initial availability is expected in the fourth quarter of 2017.

KODAK EKTACHROME Film has a distinctive look that was the choice for generations of cinematographers before it was discontinued in 2012. The film is known for its extremely fine grain, clean colors, great tones and contrasts.

“It is such a privilege to reintroduce KODAK EKTRACHROME Film to the cinematography community,” said Steven Overman, Kodak’s chief marketing officer and president of the Consumer and Film Division. “We are seeing a broad resurgence of excitement about capturing images on film. Kodak is committed to continuing to manufacture film as an irreplaceable medium for image creators to capture their artistic vision. We are proud to help bring back this classic.”

Kodak will produce EKTACHROME at its film factory in Rochester, N.Y., and will market and distribute the Super 8 motion picture film version of EKTACHROME Film directly.

Kodak Alaris, an independent company since 2013, also plans to offer a still format KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film for photographers in 135-36x format. KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film is a color positive film, also known as “reversal,” “slide,” or “transparency” film. Unlike all of the other KODAK PROFESSIONAL Films available today, which are color negative films, EKTACHROME generates a positive image that can be viewed or projected once it is exposed and processed. This makes it ideal for high-resolution projection or presentations. It is also well suited for scanning and printing onto a range of professional-grade photographic media. Availability is expected in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Interchangeable lens camera sales steady as Canon profits plunge

27 Apr
Canon calls out the EOS 80D as a driver for strong unit sales in the interchangeable lens camera market.

Canon Japan reported flat ILC unit sales as one of the bright points in first quarter reports that saw a 17.5% fall in net income. A strengthening Yen, poor performance in the laser printer business and continued decline in compact camera sales combined to give the company a tough quarter.

Overall, digital camera sales are down 12%, due in large part to a 22% decline in the dying compact camera market, though Canon cites its G-series as a bright spot. Interchangeable lens camera sales were flat compared to Q1 2015, propped-up by strong sales of the EOS 80D and gains for the M3 and M10 mirrorless cameras in Asia. Interchangeable lens cameras account now account for 49% of total unit sales and 84% of the company’s revenue.

While delivering ‘flat’ numbers might not sound very positive, figures provided by the Camera & Imaging Product Association show a nearly 10% year-on-year industry-wide decline in ILC unit shipments, as well as 17% YoY reduction in SLR shipments. In other words, Canon isn’t doing quite as poorly as it may sound just looking at the numbers.

Looking ahead to 2016 as a whole, Canon expects compact camera sales to drop 24%, though more expensive models like the G-series will help protect margins. The company states that it hopes to increase profitability of this line ‘through the standardization of parts and other measures.’ It also says it expects unit sales of ILCs to fall by 7% across the year. But, while it has slightly lowered its projections for income from its imaging business for 2016, nearly all of the reduction comes from the expectation that the Yen will stay strong, lowering the value of overseas sales.

For more details, have a look at Canon’s Q1 2016 financial statement.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony camera and sensor business units report drop in sales in 2015

30 Jan

Sony Corp. released its third quarter 2015 earnings report [PDF], in which the company disclosed notable drops in both camera and image sensor sales. It has also lowered the forecast for both business units, though both are still expected to make a profit in the current fiscal year.

Note the drop in camera sales but increase in operating income due to the shift to higher-end models.

Sales in the Imaging Products unit dropped by 5%, due to decreases in unit sales of digital still and video cameras, reflecting ‘a contraction of the market, partially offset by an improvement in the product mix of digital cameras reflecting a shift to high value-added models.’ In other words, they’re selling fewer cheap compacts and more RX and a7-series cameras. Operating income went up by over 20%, however, due the aforementioned shift to higher-end digital cameras.

Image sensor and battery sales are way down in Q3 2015 vs Q3 2014, and the forecast for FY2015 has been lowered considerably.

The image sensor business took an even bigger hit. Sales in the Devices unit decreased by over 12% year-on-year due primary to a drop in sales of image sensors as well as batteries. Operating income dropped ¥65.5bn ($ 540m) to –¥11.7bn ($ 97m), due in large part to a write-down in assets related to batteries. While not specific to digital cameras, the company’s statement mentioned a 7.5% drop in sales to external partners.

Sales in Q1 and Q2 2015 were down more than 500k units each year-on-year and the company’s forecast shows the gap widening in Q3 2015.

Sony also revised its October forecasts downward for both business units. The Imaging unit’s estimated sales has been reduced by 1.4% and now stands at ¥710bn (compared to ¥724bn in FY2014), while the forecast for the Devices business has been brought down by 11.3% to ¥940bn (compared to ¥927bn in FY2014). Both units are still expected to make a operating profit in FY2015, however.

On other item of note from the company’s earnings call mentions the Oita manufacturing facility it recently bought from Toshiba. Sony says that they are considering using a portion of the factory for producing ‘logic’ (processors) rather than photodiodes (sensors) in order to reduce the cost of its sensors. While the company is considering this change to ‘mitigate the downsized rate in [the sensor] business’, it is ‘confident in the long-term prospects of image sensors.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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GoPro’s poor holiday sales lead to staff layoff

17 Jan

In its preliminary Q4 financial report this week, GoPro revealed it expects the last quarter’s revenue to be about $ 435 million, a figure significantly lower than the $ 512 million analysts had estimated. Due to poor sales over the holidays, GoPro states it will layoff 7% of its workforce as part of a restructuring effort.

The company announced its fourth quarter financial estimates on Wednesday, saying the quarter’s ‘revenue reflects lower than anticipated sales… due to slower than expected sell through at retailers.’ The company’s workforce had increased more than 50% annually over the last two years, eventually growing to 1500+ workers. With revenue down, GoPro will restructure its workforce to focus on ‘key growth initiatives,’ letting about 105 workers go in the process.

The company’s final Q4 financial numbers will be reported on February 3.

GoPro Announces Q4 and Calendar Year 2015 Preliminary Results

16% Annual Revenue Growth to $ 1.6 Billion for 2015

SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — GoPro, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) today reported certain preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2015.

GoPro expects revenue to be approximately $ 435 million for the fourth quarter of 2015 and $ 1.6 billion for the calendar year. Fourth quarter revenue reflects lower than anticipated sales of its capture devices due to slower than expected sell through at retailers, particularly in the first half of the quarter. Fourth quarter revenue includes a $ 21 million reduction for price protection related charges resulting from the HERO4 Session repricing in December. Non-GAAP gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2015, excluding the impact of price protection and a charge of between $ 30 million and $ 35 million to cost of revenue for excess purchase order commitments, excess inventory, and obsolete tooling is anticipated to be between 44.5% and 45.5%. Non-GAAP gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2015 is anticipated to be between 34.5% and 35.5%. Non-GAAP operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2015 are estimated to be between $ 150.0 million and $ 152.5 million.  Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at December 31, 2015 totaled approximately $ 475 million.  

These preliminary, unaudited results are based on management’s initial review of operations for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2015 and remain subject to the completion of the Company’s customary annual closing and review procedures. Final adjustments and other material developments may arise between the date of this press release and the dates GoPro announces fourth quarter 2015 results and the filing of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC.

Zander Lurie Appointed to GoPro Board
Zander has resigned from his role as Senior Vice President of GoPro Entertainment and has been appointed to serve on GoPro’s board of directors. Mr. Lurie has deep experience working with Internet-based business models across digital and traditional media. At GoPro Entertainment, he built a team dedicated to pursuing new formats and revenue streams from user-generated content and the Company’s large cache of digital entertainment. Prior to GoPro, he served as an executive at CBS Corp. which he joined with the acquisition of CNET Networks where he served as CFO and head of Corporate Development. Mr. Lurie began his career in the technology investment banking group at J. P. Morgan where he led equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions in the Internet sector.

Reallocation of Resources
Over the past two years, GoPro’s headcount has grown by more than 50% annually, to more than 1,500 employees at the end of 2015. To better align resources to key growth initiatives, GoPro has implemented a reduction in its workforce of approximately 7 percent. The Company estimates it will incur approximately $ 5 million to $ 10 million of restructuring expenses in the first quarter of 2016, substantially all of which will be severance costs.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2015 Earnings Conference Call
GoPro will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2015 after the market closes on February 3, 2016.

GoPro management will host a conference call and live webcast for analysts and investors on February 3, 2016 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time (5 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss the Company’s financial results.

To listen to the live conference call, please dial toll free (888) 806-6221 or (913) 981-5588, access code 4243159, approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live webcast of the conference call will be accessible on the “Events & Presentations” section of the Company’s website at http://investor.gopro.com. To access the live webcast, please log in 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to download and install any necessary audio software. The webcast will be recorded and the recording will be available on GoPro’s website, http://investor.gopro.com, approximately two hours after the call and for six months thereafter.

GoPro reports gross margin and operating expenses, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and on a non-GAAP basis. Non-GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP operating expenses exclude, where applicable, the effects of stock-based compensation and acquisition-related costs. A reconciliation to the comparable GAAP guidance has not been provided because certain factors that are materially significant to the Company’s ability to estimate the excluded items are not accessible or practically estimable at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Fujifilm’s latest financials show strong sales of Instax products, shrinking sales of digital cameras

03 Nov

It’s the season for pre-holiday financial earnings reports, and Fujifilm’s latest numbers tell a familiar story – digital camera sales are down on the whole, with steady sales of higher-end products. Despite that, Fuji’s imaging solutions division saw an increase in operating income, up to 12.4 billion yen in the first half of the financial year, marking a 2.7x improvement year-on-year. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony’s latest financial results show camera unit sales down, operating income up

30 Oct

Sony has released its Q2 2015 financial results, posting a 3% decline year-on-year in imaging product sales on a constant currency basis. However, demand for high-value added models, favorable exchange rates and internal cost reductions led to a bump in that group’s operating income – up to 25.9 billion yen compared to 20.1 billion this time last year. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon’s Q3 financial results show increased profit, decline in ILC sales volume

29 Oct

Canon’s Imaging Systems business has reported its third quarter sales fell by ¥26.5bn ($ 220m), compared to the same time last year. The company blamed a decline in worldwide demand for its interchangeable lens cameras ‘due to market shrinkage,’ with unit sales down 17% year-on-year, despite sales increases in Japan and Europe. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II sales to resume on November 7

29 Oct

In early September, Olympus announced a pause in sales of the OM-D E-M10 Mark II due to an issue with the lens mount locking pin preventing some lenses from attaching to the camera body properly. Now the company has announced that the wait will soon be over – sales will begin again on November 7. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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OM-D and Pen sales help bring Olympus’ imaging division back to profitability

07 Aug

Olympus has released its financial results for the first quarter of the company’s fiscal year, giving credit partly to its Imaging Systems Business for a 12.3% increase in net sales year-on-year. Its OM-D and Pen series cameras saw a 25% increase in sales volume, helping to compensate for a sliding compact market. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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