Sakai Special Camera MFG. CO. LTD closed down

[ken_itoh]

I have just found the news bellow at a Japanese website, and would

like to inform you in this forum.

 

"Sakai Special Camera MFG. CO. LTD, the manufacturer of TOYO VIEW and

TOYO FIELD closed their business on October 31, 2002. A new company,

Sakai Machine & Tools inc. is taking over the operations of sales and

service of TOYO cameras."

 

There is no clear description whether the new company will develop

new TOYO cameras in the future. The announcement said just sales and

service operations to be taken over by the new company.

[ed_candland1]

Hmmmm.

 

I hope this isn't true. I did hear that Toyo was in trouble some time back, but then someone at I think it was MAC said it was just a rumor that had popped up. There was also a post somewhere that the 810 MII was moving outside of Japan to where the 45CF was being made. I found this hard to believe. I hope this isn't the start of a downward spiral for Toyo. (Wonders if his 45AX would be worth more or less if Toyo went belly up.)

[eugene_singer]

Ed, It just might make our Toyo fields more valuable in the future. After all, old beat-up Deardorfs and Graphics are selling for more than their original retail prices. Notice that the name "Sakai" remains the same. I think that the owner(s) of the company sold out to new owners. They didn't go completely out of business. They were in financial trouble for quite a while, from what I have heard. Perhaps that's what motivated them to come out with the 45CF. I hope they continue to produce the metal 45A's.

[jnanian]

i think i remember something about the head of the company

passed away last year, and the troubles started soon after that...

 

- john

[ed_candland1]

Eugene, "Perhaps that's what motivated them to come out with the 45CF. I hope they continue to produce the metal 45A's."

 

I hope they do too. From all I have read the CFs aren't worth much. I wonder what would make a company come out with a sub-standard camera. You have to think that anyone that's into photography enough to want to go through all that's involved in shooting LF would want a quality camera. Just becasue it's low priced isn't going to cut it as far as I can see.

[jonathan brewer]

The info that I got from a dealer who's very reputable, whose name you recognize instantly is what he relayed to me after a trip to Japan quite some time ago.

 

The individual running the company passed away and was being run by the widow and acoountants and that there were some problems with a new production facility they were in the process of setting up at the time.

 

This was when they had no 810MII's available, and I had to look elsewhere for the 810MII, which I understand unless corrected have become available again.

[jonathan brewer]

The 810MII and 45A have been machined and put together with a high degree of skill and workmanship, I heard the suggestion that production of the 810MII is being moved to the same production facility that makes the 45CF, can anybody find out if this is just what I hope it is, gossip?

[jerry2]

From a reputable dealer....

 

Mr.Sakai died, his widow and the accountants tried to run the show without to much success......the brother was brought back into the business (he was the true camera engineer but was overlooked by the father as he was the younger brother) he sorted the mess out and made sure the company dropped all the nonsense which no longer had commercial viability and has now set up another company to manufacture the cameras.I guess making Sakai bankrupt was a financial decision to get rid of the debt......

So, yes, we are now getting deliveries if somewhat slowly and the cameras are as good as ever.......

[jonathan brewer]

Sounds like a breath of fresh air......great......they make great cameras, looks like the younger brother is right on time, maybe Mr Sakai will rest easier.