Sony Aims For Quarter Share of DSLR Market

[james_frater]

Found this posted today on www.steves-digicams.com

 

Sony Aims For Quarter Share of DSLR Market

 

Following Konica Minolta Holding Inc.'s announcement of withdrawal

from the arena of the imaging business and an agreement to transfer

Konica Minolta's assets related to R&D as well as manufacturing of

DSLRs to Sony Corp., an official of Sony said on Jan. 20 it would

aim for at least a quarter of share in the DSLR camera market in a

few years, reports PEN News Weekly.

Sony commands the second-largest share of the digicam market after

Canon, but its operations have been focused mainly on compact

models, missing lucrative DSLRs and interchangeable lenses to

warrant a push. Canon and Nikon dominate the DSLR market with a

combined market share of nearly 90 percent.

 

Through acquisition of the right to use the Konica Minolta's

Alpha/Maxxum mount system, access to manufacturing/designing

technology and R&D/manufacturing assets (though Konica Minolta

retains its patents), Sony plans a big push to high-end digicam

market including DSLRs, to chip away at Canon's dominant market

position, says PEN News Weekly.

 

Yutaka Nakagawa, president of Sony's digital imaging business group,

told reporters that the company "will target for at least 20-25

percent of the world digicam market, and even a higher share as far

as DSLRs are concerned, by making the most of its advantage," ie.,

its capability to make key devices such as CCDs, lenses and LCDs. He

continued: "Because there are only a few players in the DSLR market,

we would like to grab an even bigger market share. We wish to

nurture our DSLR segment to a business that accounts for more than

20 percent of our total revenue from digicam sales in the near

future."

 

Sony plans to roll out its first high-end DSLR model jointly

developed with Konica Minolta this summer. The company plans to

entrust manufacture of its DSLRs to Konica Minolta's Malaysian

company through capital participation. A certain number of designers

and engineers may be transferred from Konica Minolta to Sony, but

details are not disclosed, says PEN News Weekly. (Source: Photo

Marketing Association's Newsline International)

[peter_evans4]

<p><em>its capability to make key devices such as CCDs, lenses and LCDs</em></p><p>Since when has Sony made lenses? Course, Konica or Minolta or the combination thereof can make lenses, but then so can Canon, Fuji, Pentax, Nikon, etc.</p>

[james_frater]

I think we are talking about lenses on Digicam's, not SLR lenses.

[peter_evans4]

Ah. But the last time I looked, Sony digicams had "Zeiss" (Tamron) lenses.

[bill_thorlin]

This was all covered in numerous threads during the period 19-23 January of this year when the news broke and the press releases from KM and Sony appeared.

[cmphoto1]

There was mention of a "high end DSLR", which I think is significant. There was also mention of timing.

 

So, here is what I SUSPECT is true based on reporting: "High End" dSLR coming out this summer, announcement of which will be sometime after Mar 31.

 

I think sony makes the lenses used on their CD players. Completely different application, but it is still a lens. But still, I wonder what kind of bokeh they have :)

 

chad

[bill_thorlin]

Chad - this is where it gets confusing because as I understand it the original release from Sony said they would "concentrate on relatively inexpensive models" which now becomes "high-end DSLR model".

 

Maybe sometime we will get something concrete rather than a whole series of different takes from different people and publications.

[douglas_green1]

In the same place (Steve's Digicams) I saw a Nikon press release that said that they were aiming for a 40% DSLR market share. So, I guess that only leaves 35% for Canon, and Olympus, Pentax and others are truly S-O-L. It takes more than press releases to get market share.

[cmphoto1]

Bill,

 

I do not think these are mutually exclusive. You can focus on the low end of the market and still have pro models. The hyper-plastic Digital Rebel gets the most search hits on dpreview.

 

I think to be series in the market that you need to have something to capture the consumer's imagination, even if it is out of most of their reach.

 

You are right, the thing hat is not defined is what is meant by "high-end." Is it the fabled 9D, or is it a re-badged 5D.

 

All speculation until atleast Mar 31.

 

chad

[brettdeacon]

It's hard for me to see how Sony can capture 25% of the DSLR market when their cameras only use Minolta mount lenses, which are owned by far less than 25% of 35mm/DSLR photographers. Do they expect a run on Minolta lenses?

[chris_harley1]

Most ppl buy the camera first and then buy the lenses. 25percent of the market can mean 2 things, 25 percent of all dslrs in the world are Sony or 25 percent of new dslr sales are Sony. Just pray it doesnt have flashing lights and some kind of "graphic equaliser" on it !

[peter_goodman]

I said this once before, and I�ll say it again.

Sony is playing with the big boys now. If they want that magical 25% share, they will have to give up what I described as the Transformers mentality for something people really want. Quite frankly, I don�t have time for a repackaged 5D, low end performance with gadgets galore. I need a real camera to do real photography, and not some James Bond type cutesy garbage. As in the last thread, I said that Sony cannot get away with the latest in their designs that look like a Space Marine M2000 11mm Assault Blaster. If they want that market share, they�ll have to make a Maxxum as we know it with much more, and no Cyber-Shot BS.

[james_frater]

Last year when Sony & KM announced they were going to work together to make D-SLR's 7D, 5D you knew they were going hit the higher end of the market.

 

Now the question has to be what is considered High End.

 

The 7D & 5D and really not high end camera's, that can take on the Top Canon and Nikon, or even the Fuji S3 Pro.

 

And the A2 & A200 and considered high end (Digicams)

 

So apart from cheaper models that all Brands make, I except the see much more of the same. High end Digicams. And a Low and medium end D-SLR's, and a advance on the 7D which could be around the level and price range of the Canon EOS 5D or maybe higher.

 

I think Sony will want to make a statement that is seen around the world. They have the tools now to make a huge release, just like when Minolta Fans waited for their first D-SLR.

 

Expect it to be a big, flashy, event to portray it as the most advanced, best digital camera's in the world.

 

Anbd I think a price war maybe about to hit the market over the next year.

 

To aim for that market share so soon, you have to have a price war.

[bill_thorlin]

What was said was "focus on relatively inexpensive models" in the statement which became "high end model" in a press report.

 

Sony also said that they did not expect to get 20-25% ( not just 25% ) "any time soon, certainly not within 12-18 months".

 

I do not believe we will hear anything until Sony wants us to and as Chad said probably not before 31 March.

[fmueller]

<i>Sony Aims For Quarter Share of DSLR Market</i></p>

 

Well, I guess for that to happen the first thing they need to do is bring a DSLR to the market. Each day they wait, people keep buying other manufacturers' cameras. I received my 'hyper-plastic' Digital Rebel in the mail yesterday - and I had been shooting Minolta for more than 20 years!

[peter_evans4]

<p><em>I need a real camera to do real photography, and not some James Bond type cutesy garbage.</em></p><p>You're so in luck! The former variety of camera is plentiful and cheap. The keyword is <em>used</em>.</p><p>Sorry they don't have any kind of Minolta lens mount, but one of <a href="http://www.dantestella.com/technical/g690bl.html">these</a> may yet tickle your fancy.</p>