Fuji released the Q3 financial report. And the results are impressive: +15.6% revenue increase and +76,1 +76,1% operating income increase. Fuji writes:

In the photo imaging business, overall sales increased due to favorable sales, especially in instant photo systems which enable users to enjoy on-the-spot printing of photos, such as the instax series and instax films in the Year-End shopping season. instax SHARE SP-3, smartphone printer, launched in November 2017, adopted the square format, popular for use in SNS. It advocates a new way of photo printing to boost printing demand among smartphone users. In the high-value-added printing businesses, sales expanded thanks to continued business growth from various services, including Wall Decor services that enhance the fun of decorating and displaying photographs by adding panels to the photographs and framing, the new COYOMI service for creating desktop calendars with favorite photographs, and the Year Album service that uses AI-based proprietary technology to automatically arrange the layout of a photo album.
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In the electronic imaging field of the optical device and electronic imaging business, overall sales increased due to strong sales of FUJIFILM X-E3, which is achieving the most compact and lightweight body*, offering outstanding operational comfort and launched in September 2017, X Series such as FUJIFILM X-T20, FUJIFILM X100F which were launched in February 2017, FUJIFILM GFX 50S, a medium format mirrorless digital camera, adopting a big sensor (43.8mm by 32.9mm), and interchangeable lenses. In the optical device field, overall sales increased, reflecting the strong sales of various industrial use lenses such as lenses for and vehicle camera and projector, and MK lenses series were also launched as a new series of cinema camera lenses designed for recording video such as online video, whose market is expanding. Fujifilm announced 24x zoom lense UA24 x7.8BE in September 2017, achieving both small, lightweight body and 4K high-definition. With this introduction, Fujifilm has 8 4K broadcast camera lense products and is seeking to lead the field. * As of January 2017 in the X Series of mirrorless cameras equipped with a viewfinder

So you really CAN do good money in the camera business if you make the right products and take care of your customers. Good work Fuji!

Canon released the new financial report and there are some good news. Asian Review writes:

An unexpected revival in cameras and multifunction printers provided Canon with its first upturn in full-year net profit in three years. Even as many abandoned hope for growth in such operations, the digital camera market rose for the first time in five years, aided by people’s desire to shine on the photo-sharing social media platform Instagram. Healthy sales of mirrorless cameras propelled Canon to a 22% operating profit gain in a segment that had been on an uninterrupted decline.

Canon also expects 2018 to be an even better year thanks to double-digit growth in the mirrorless segment.

via CanonWatch (Thanks EdinaMN)

Panasonic announced the GF-10 in Japan. And the improvements are so minimal nobody really cared to discuss this “news”. I hope that the GX9 which should be announced soon will at last have some exciting new sensor. And not the usual 5 year old 16MP or 3 year old 20MP sensor.

CIPA just released the full 2017 camera shipment results. And there are many interesting news:

1) For the first time in many years the last year wasn’t worse than the year before. The market sales value increased by exactly 4%. Honestly, I wouldn’t be too much happy about it because in 2016 we had the massive sensor shortage because of the Kumamoto Sony factory damage (caused by the earthquake).

2) DSLR sales decreased by 10% compared to 2016 but Mirrorless sales went up 40%. And I guess that in 2018 with Nikon and Canon going “serious” with mirrorless this marks the beginning of the end for the DSLR market.

Here you have the full data:

Few weeks ago Kodak announced the launch of their own Kodakcoin cryptocurrency. This news made the stock value raise about 200%. But many wondered if Kodak was actually serious about this. Today Kodak issued the following statement:

Thank you for your interest in the KODAKCoin ICO. With over 40,000 potential investors expressing an interest in the ICO on www.KODAKCoin.com, we are now moving into the “accredited investor” verification phase. Given the large interest in the KODAKCoin ICO and the steps that we need to take to verify the “accredited investor” status of each interested investor, we expect this process to take several weeks.

We will be contacting all potential investors that have previously registered for the ICO shortly for additional information to confirm their “accredited investor” status. The KODAKCoin ICO is being offered pursuant to an exemption from registration under the US Securities Act of 1933 provided by Rule 506(c) of Regulation D thereunder. As a result, participation in the KODAKMRCoin ICO is open only to those investors deemed to be “accredited investors” under Regulation D (e.g., any natural person (i) whose individual net worth, or joint net worth with his or her spouse, exceeds $1 million, or (ii) who had an individual income in excess of $200,000, or joint income with his or her spouse in excess of $300,000, in each of the two most recent years, and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year). MirrorlessRumors
In addition, the KODAKCoin ICO will be offered outside the US to select non-US persons in accordance with the applicable laws of each jurisdiction where such offers and sales occur.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST MADE BY A PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR TO DATE IN THE KODAKCOIN ICO IS NON-BINDING AND INVOLVES NO OBLIGATION OR COMMITMENT OF ANY KIND.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING FRAUDULENT WEBSITES:

It has come to our attention that there are several spam KODAKCoin ICO websites and Facebook sites promoting and even purporting to sell KODAKCoin tokens. Please be advised that there is only one official KODAKOne and KODAKCoin Facebook page and our official ICO website is www.KODAKCoin.com. MirrorlessRumors
In addition, please be advised that any offers or sales of KODAKCoin tokens will be made pursuant only to an Offering Memorandum that will be distributed to accredited investors. Potential investors are strongly encouraged to read the Offering Memorandum in its entirety before making any investment decision with regard to the KODAKCoin tokens.

Fujifilm X-A5 at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon
Fujinon XC 15-45 at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon
Fujifilm X-A20 not yet available for preorder

Fujinon XC 15-45:

• Official Press Release / Product Page / Owners Manual
• Review of the Fujifilm X-A5 and XC15-45mm OIS PZ F3.5-5.6 lens at keithwee

Fujifilm X-A5:

• Official Press Release / Product Page /
• Fujifilm X-A5 first impressions at imaging-resource

Fujifilm X-A20:

• Announced but no product page live yet. On Fuji’s Manual page the camera is listed, and it says manual available in February