We are drowning in images. People are numb to even spectacular work now.
I agree with you 200%. Could not say it better
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We are drowning in images. People are numb to even spectacular work now.
Innovation at Canon stopped in 2008. From 2000-2008 they were running rings around every other camera brand. But in 2008 they decided to focus their resources on higher margin systems and let EOS stay afloat with the barest minimum. Soon other companies moved in where Canon left off and Canon began to realize their strategy wasn't working. And now they are blaming what ?
I will make a prediction for Mr Mitarai. You sir, bet heavily on the cinemaEOS system . That's why your EOS line had laughable video offerings compared to the competition. Now watch as Indie filmmakers and journalists move away from clunky cinemaEOS type video cameras to mirrorless. The coming Panasonic S1/S1R is just the beginning.
Canon started their shift away from the Consumer camera market a few years ago, its still imaging, but things like security cameras and medical imaging. They have been very successful.Keeping investor expectations low so anything other than worst scenario will beat their expectations.
Do you know that Canon’s ILC market share is higher now than in 2008 when they ‘stopped innovating’? Does increasing popularity comprise ‘staying afloat with the barest minimum’? Does it hurt when reality slaps your opinions in the face?
Especially ridiculous that it's coming from a company that invented the Print button.For wireless connection interface on Canon's DSLR is terrible to say the least.
And the Facebook button.Especially ridiculous that it's coming from a company that invented the Print button.
The 6D2 is actually pretty painless on WiFi to a PC, and it works very consistently (unlike some older cameras). However, it is painfully slow with CR2's. To a smartphone or tablet, it works ok, but CR2s are too slow to be useful for me.For wireless connection interface on Canon's DSLR is terrible to say the least. It's working half the time and it's painful to work with when it's working.
Consider the market they are entering versus the one they are in. The m4/3 market is gonna shrink as smartphones narrow the gap in image quality. If your smartphone is 90% as good as your G85, then the G85 suddenly goes from portable to very bulky. Its why they focused so heavily on video, a space where smartphones are still WAY behind and cant possibly match for audio connections, etc.Does it still make sense, for Panasonic, to enter a declining market? Less cake, more slices...
The number of Canon dSLRs sold every year is huge, and it is orders of magnitude above the number of photographers doing these rather special types of photography. There will always be a need for dSLRs, but the numbers sold to this market segment may or may not support the business model of producing them, much less the research required to push the envelope of technology.Popularity of taking pictures with a cell phone and ability to share in social media is huge and may have contributed to the shrinkage. However, there are many use-cases (e.g. wild life, macro, astro, long exposures, and photography in harsh conditions, etc.) require tools other than a cell phone with smaller sensor and limited reach lens.
Now watch as Indie filmmakers and journalists move away from clunky cinemaEOS type video cameras to mirrorless. The coming Panasonic S1/S1R is just the beginning.
With all talk of doom and gloom, I thought I’d go look to see what is actually happening at Canon. They have not released Q4 2018 yet, so this is based on Q3 estimates for 2018 (meaning these numbers are what Canon gave to shareholders as estimates using 3 quarters of actuals, and one quarter of estimates).
I had no idea what to expect, so this was illuminating for myself. Canon makes just under half of their revenue from Office, and about a quarter from Imaging. Ignoring the fact that imaging includes inkjet printers, we can expect that slice to be greatly reduced over the next two years. However, it will then be close to parity with Medical. However, if you look at profitability, Imaging is nearly twice as profitable as Medical (which was not at all what I had expected).
So if Canon hopes to offset a declining camera market, they can offset this on a dollar by dollar basis if they increase Office sales (roughly equal profit ratio). But if they want to offset it with increased Medical sales, they will need roughly $2 of new medical sales to offset every $1 lost to cameras. This also shows that Canon will still care a great deal about cameras, even at half-size, the market is still large and very profitable. Frankly, they can’t afford to just walk away.
Of course, cameras will have diminishing prestige within the company as they focus on other business units to find growth and this will impact development of new products.
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With all talk of doom and gloom, I thought I’d go look to see what is actually happening at Canon. They have not released Q4 2018 yet, so this is based on Q3 estimates for 2018 (meaning these numbers are what Canon gave to shareholders as estimates using 3 quarters of actuals, and one quarter of estimates).
I had no idea what to expect, so this was illuminating for myself. Canon makes just under half of their revenue from Office, and about a quarter from Imaging. Ignoring the fact that imaging includes inkjet printers, we can expect that slice to be greatly reduced over the next two years. However, it will then be close to parity with Medical. However, if you look at profitability, Imaging is nearly twice as profitable as Medical (which was not at all what I had expected).
So if Canon hopes to offset a declining camera market, they can offset this on a dollar by dollar basis if they increase Office sales (roughly equal profit ratio). But if they want to offset it with increased Medical sales, they will need roughly $2 of new medical sales to offset every $1 lost to cameras. This also shows that Canon will still care a great deal about cameras, even at half-size, the market is still large and very profitable. Frankly, they can’t afford to just walk away.
Of course, cameras will have diminishing prestige within the company as they focus on other business units to find growth and this will impact development of new products.
Which is something that has always concerned me about Sony. They can shed their camera division without much of an impact on their bottom line. Photography is not a core component of their culture, but simply something they got into to make a few extra bucks. If it goes south on them, I can see them exiting the market without much hesitation.In contrast, I was looking at Sony and their imaging division which is only <6% of their overall composition. By operating income, their imaging BU is a fraction of their financial services, music and picture, gaming and semiconductor business. Their semiconductor business (which supplies sensors en masse) to the smartphone industry was probably a good bet given that upcoming flagships in 2019 will utilize up to 4-5 camera modules per device and the top three manufacturers (Samsung, Huawei and Apple in that order) all utilize them. In contrast, Canon and Nikon had to diversify further into industrial sensors and medical as they will get hit considerably harder by this downturn than Sony who doesn't have a quarter of their business in imaging.
I gues that explains the super high prices of the RF lenses. Same profit in a shrinking market.
Which is something that has always concerned me about Sony. They can shed their camera division without much of an impact on their bottom line. Photography is not a core component of their culture, but simply something they got into to make a few extra bucks. If it goes south on them, I can see them exiting the market without much hesitation.
In contrast, I was looking at Sony and their imaging division which is only <6% of their overall composition. By operating income, their imaging BU is a fraction of their financial services, music and picture, gaming and semiconductor business. Their semiconductor business (which supplies sensors en masse) to the smartphone industry was probably a good bet given that upcoming flagships in 2019 will utilize up to 4-5 camera modules per device and the top three manufacturers (Samsung, Huawei and Apple in that order) all utilize them. In contrast, Canon and Nikon had to diversify further into industrial sensors and medical as they will get hit considerably harder by this downturn than Sony who doesn't have a quarter of their business in imaging.