03-26-2017, 01:46 PM
Actually, this really is about the compact cameras, and possibly too many (M)ILCs, plus the fact that Panansonic is a very big company, with a myriad of (electronic) products, and a quarterly outlook on share performance.
The trend has bene known for a while, that compact cameras are no longer viable considering that most people think their mobile phone cameras are good enough. That trend is clear even on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/cameras
Smart phones account for 98.4% of all cameras manufactured in 2016, and it may still increase. However, ILCs are not going to go away anytime soon, just that it will be used more by the hobbyists to pros, rather than everybody wanting or needing a camera.
Panasonic is not in trouble, it restructured quite drastically over the last 4 or 5 years, and continues doing so. Here is Panansonics annual report over 2016, for those fo you who are interested:
<a>https://www.panasonic.com%2Fglobal%2Fcorporate%2Fir%2Fpdf%2Fpanasonic_ar2016_e.pdf</a>
MFT certainly is not going to die soon, considering the investments made, and how well they are selling, especially the GH series for Panasonic - Panasonic is a major video camera manufacturer, and those fit in that segment nicely. And MFT is a format, for which in a relatively small number of years an incredible, extended set of cameras, lenses and accessories were designed and produced, just see the current list of lenses alone, those still being produced and available:
http://www.four-thirds.org/en/microft/lense.html
In short, fear not, Panasonic will keep making MFT cameras and lenses, and if that is in a different division, like the video camera unit, does this really matter?
It is just a reaction to the current market realities, and that's all it is, if you'd ask me.
BTW, Olympus' camera division was in the black last year.
Kind regards, Wim
The trend has bene known for a while, that compact cameras are no longer viable considering that most people think their mobile phone cameras are good enough. That trend is clear even on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/cameras
Smart phones account for 98.4% of all cameras manufactured in 2016, and it may still increase. However, ILCs are not going to go away anytime soon, just that it will be used more by the hobbyists to pros, rather than everybody wanting or needing a camera.
Panasonic is not in trouble, it restructured quite drastically over the last 4 or 5 years, and continues doing so. Here is Panansonics annual report over 2016, for those fo you who are interested:
<a>https://www.panasonic.com%2Fglobal%2Fcorporate%2Fir%2Fpdf%2Fpanasonic_ar2016_e.pdf</a>
MFT certainly is not going to die soon, considering the investments made, and how well they are selling, especially the GH series for Panasonic - Panasonic is a major video camera manufacturer, and those fit in that segment nicely. And MFT is a format, for which in a relatively small number of years an incredible, extended set of cameras, lenses and accessories were designed and produced, just see the current list of lenses alone, those still being produced and available:
http://www.four-thirds.org/en/microft/lense.html
In short, fear not, Panasonic will keep making MFT cameras and lenses, and if that is in a different division, like the video camera unit, does this really matter?
It is just a reaction to the current market realities, and that's all it is, if you'd ask me.
BTW, Olympus' camera division was in the black last year.
Kind regards, Wim
Gear: Canon EOS R with 3 primes and 2 zooms, 4 EF-R adapters, Canon EOS 5 (analog), 9 Canon EF primes, a lone Canon EF zoom, 2 extenders, 2 converters, tubes; Olympus OM-D 1 Mk II & Pen F with 12 primes, 6 zooms, and 3 Metabones EF-MFT adapters ....