Nikon financial report: In 2015 Nikon sold less cameras and less lenses.

NIkonreport

Nikon publsihed their latest financial report and there are only bad news for the Imaging Business (video business + digital camera business):

  • The whole company sales and operating income reduced 4% and 16%, respectively, from the year earlier. Against the previous forecasts, sales posted a slight decrease while operating income was 8% higher.
  • Nikon sold less cameras and less lenses.
  • The sales volume of digital SLR cameras decreased, resulting in 11% sales reduction and 19% operating income reduction from the previous year. Partly because of the negative exchange rate impact, both sales and operating income did not reach the forecasts.
  • Yet, the forecast (for the Imaging Business) shows the sales reduction of 15% and operating income reduction of 23%.

The full PDF presentantion can be found here: nikon.com/about/ir/ir_library/result/pdf/2016/16_all_e.pdf.

So far only Sony has shown a positive result in the Imaging Business. So Nikon isn’t the only company having troubles in the Imaging Business.

Interesting (and wild) speculation: Samsung stopped NX sales because of patent-infringement?

Samsung never took time to explain their NX customers why they did quit their NX system. Dpreview forum user RAW JAW is trying to convince Samsung to give a public statement. At the same time he got an interesting theory about why Samsung may had to quit the NX line:

It took me a while but the recent post regarding Samsung Camera Manager app problems indicates to me a clear possibility that Samsung is trying to avoid a class-action lawsuit.
Now this is strictly my opinion and in my neck of the woods you’re allowed to express your opinion and here goes:
Knowing Samsung’s past history regarding various patent infringement issues it is my belief at this point in time that the ongoing apparent discontinuing of the Samsung NX camera line has occurred as part of a possible patent infringement lawsuit settlement.
It is my opinion that’s Samsung is discontinuing the NX camera line in the manner they did so not to make everyone aware that their purchases of Samsung camera equipment were actually purchases of the Samsung camera equipment that possibly violated the patent of other manufacturers.
I repeat this is just my opinion at the moment. My having invested quite a bit of my own money on Samsung gear, I am more than content with the quality of images I’m getting from my Samsung camera gear.
With the absence of a full explaination from Samsung about their actions in these matters, in my attempt to try to understand Samsung’s actions regarding their ongoing apparent removal of the NX line from the marketplace it seems to me the only logical reason is they are trying to satisfy a patent-infringement lawsuit settlement and at the same time not have their customers file a class action suit due to the possibility that Samsung was possibly selling camera gear that possibly violated another manufacturers patents.
I am guessing Samsung is trying to avoid its NX camera line customers from filing a class action law suit to recover their money spent on Samsung Camera gear, gear that possibly violated patents held by other manufacturers.
As I stated this is only my opinion and my motivation is ONLY to get Samsung to respond in this Public Forum with an official statement on their NX camera line.
If this post does not prompt an Official Announcement from Samsung regarding their NX camera line my opinion is that everyone should jump the Samsung ship.

New CIPA report shows a surprising glimpse of hope of recovery of the system camera business!

CIPA

There is a small glimpse of hope that the 6-7 year-long shrinking of the system camera market may be stopping. CIPA reports that in march 2016 Japanese companies shipped more system cameras than in 2015 and 2014!

But it’s highly unlikely this trend will continue. The Sony sensor plant in Kumamoto had to stop the production and many companies reported that they will delay the shipment of new cameras. I guess the next 2-3 months the sales will be below the 2015 level.