Another one bites the dust: Samsung - it's official now

[Skiff]

There have been a lot of rumors lately that Samsung will stop camera production.
The rumors seem to be true:
Today Samsung Germany has published a statement that because of the sales decline in digital cameras and camcorders they will quit the German market.
As Germany is the 4th biggest camera market worldwide behind Japan, China, USA it is quite obvious that this is because of a general production stop, and announcements in the other markets will follow.

http://www.fotomagazin.de/technik/samsung-zieht-sich-vom-deutschen-fotomarkt-zurueck

The collapse of the digital camera market is still going on, and it will probably continue for some further years.
Lots of Asian OEM manufacturers already have quit the market and stopped production in the last years. With Casio and now Samsung the first two big companies had / have to give up.
Probably they will not be the last.

 

[kuuan]

you may be right, the statement however, to the contrary, says, quote: "Hierbei handelt es sich um eine Entscheidung, die nur den deutschen Markt betrifft"
which roughly translates to: this decision applies to the German market only

 

[sevo]

you may be right, the statement however, to the contrary, says, quote: "Hierbei handelt es sich um eine Entscheidung, die nur den deutschen Markt betrifft"
which roughly translates to: this decision applies to the German market only

It is pretty safe to say that it must apply to all of Europe, then - in technical terms there hasn't been a "German market" for decades, if they want to get out there the only way is by getting out of the entire EU and EFTA.

 

[Skiff]

you may be right, the statement however, to the contrary, says, quote: "Hierbei handelt es sich um eine Entscheidung, die nur den deutschen Markt betrifft"
which roughly translates to: this decision applies to the German market only

Yes, but of course a national subsidiary always says that their statements are for their national market only.
Germany is by far the biggest market in Europe. And Europe is the biggest market for cameras worldwide.
Some days ago a Spanish Samsung employee says distribution in Spain is stopped. The design team for the cameras in Japan has stopped working. They are now in other departments of the company.

Let's bet: In the next weeks and months more and more national Samsung subsidiarys will make the same statements. And in the end there will be the one from Samsung Korea saying it's all over, production has stopped.

 

[Out to Lunch]

"This is a decision that affects only the German market". A pretty clear message.

 

[Skiff]

"This is a decision that affects only the German market". A pretty clear message.

You have to be extremely naive to think it is only affecting the German market.

 

[HHPhoto]

Germany is a very "photography crazy" and "camera crazy" country.
The photo per capita budget of the Germans is the second highest in the world. Only the Japanese are spending more on photography than the Germans.
Just an example: In Germany there are more than 20 photo print magazines. And dozens of online forums.
How much do you have in North America?

If Samsung stops distribution in Germany, then because of only one reason: Production has been stopped or will be stopped soon by the Samsung headquarter.

Cheers, Jan

 

[HHPhoto]

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/8930601010/samsung-nx1-discontinued-in-europe-rumors-say-yes

Cheers, Jan

 

[btgc]

I read Sammy exits Britany, too. Too bad.

 

[mfogiel]

"The collapse of the digital camera market is still going on, and it will probably continue for some further years."
OK, so maybe they go back to making Contax 645 again 😀

 

[HHPhoto]

"The collapse of the digital camera market is still going on, and it will probably continue for some further years."
OK, so maybe they go back to making Contax 645 again 😀

Very very unlikely. Yashica-Kyocera, the manufacturer of the Contax, had not only left the film camera production, but also the digital camera production some years ago. They were one of the first companies "killed" in the murderous digital competition.

But I would not be surprised if in some years MamiyaLeaf offer a film back solution for their cameras.
Hasselblad is already (partly) going in this direction, and will probably extend it in the future.

Cheers, Jan

 

[JP Owens]

The furious pace of Sony innovation in the digital camera sector is changing the game just as rapidly as they produce new cameras. I suspect there will be more exits among the few players who are left. Nikon and Canon have the cash to compete; but, so far, seem to be happy to coast along, trying to protect their high end DSLR market. DSLR's are dead. Nikon and Canon need to do a little shock and awe in the mirrorless market or get out the game.

 

[Keith Fleming]

I doubt if the Germans--or anyone else--are taking fewer photos. My guess is that the majority of people are using their cell phones instead of a point-and-shoot digital camera. The point-and-shoot market is simply drying up. The market for more advanced digital cameras will continue to be strong.

 

[mdarnton]

Isn't the sort of like if Ford stopped making cameras? I didn't even know there was a Samsung camera. What effect does it have on the world for someone who isn't known for cameras to stop making cameras? About zero, don't you think?

Wake me up when someone important, like Nikon or Canon decides to stop. Or when Samsung stops making phones. THAT would be news. Otherwise-- meh. 🙂

The crappy end of the market Samsung makes cameras for has been entirely swallowed by phones. This story isn't about the death of digital cameras--it's about the deserved death of $100 bottom-feeding junk cameras in the face of, for instance, the superior cameras in Samsung's own phones.

 

[Tim Murphy]

Isn't the sort of like if Ford stopped making cameras? I didn't even know there was a Samsung camera. What effect does it have on the world for someone who isn't known for cameras to stop making cameras? About zero, don't you think?

Wake me up when someone important, like Nikon or Canon decides to stop. Or when Samsung stops making phones. THAT would be news. Otherwise-- meh. 🙂

The crappy end of the market Samsung makes cameras for has been entirely swallowed by phones. This story isn't about the death of digital cameras--it's about the deserved death of $100 bottom-feeding junk cameras in the face of, for instance, the surperior cameras in Samsung's own phones.

+1

Great answer. A non-competitor couldn't compete with the big boys. I'm sure Samsung has lost a market or two in the past so losing their place in a camera market is not exactly a huge set back.

They'll roll another tanker out of the docks tomorrow and cameras will be long forgotten.

It should serve as a lesson though to the people that seem to think that someone will always build something better and cheaper and stick around to drive the real players from the market.

That ain't gonna happen, ever.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[Keith]

I have a Samsung fridge .... best fridge I've ever owned! 😀

 

[photomoof]

I have a Samsung fridge .... best fridge I've ever owned! 😀

I have a 42 inch Samsung TV, the worst TV I have ever owned!

 

[Trius]

Given some of the stories I've heard of Samsung service for problems just out of warranty, I've made it a personal policy to not buy Samsung products. I admit the stories are selective and hold no statistical significance, but I'm sticking by my decision.🙄

 

[pvdhaar]

It should serve as a lesson though to the people that seem to think that someone will always build something better and cheaper and stick around to drive the real players from the market.

Agreed.. and especially so if it's not the core business of the new kid on the block. There are numerous examples of large companies that throw something at a random market, see how well it does and then pull out again if it's not an instant success..

 

[kuuan]

Isn't the sort of like if Ford stopped making cameras? I didn't even know there was a Samsung camera. What effect does it have on the world for someone who isn't known for cameras to stop making cameras? About zero, don't you think?...
The crappy end of the market Samsung makes cameras for has been entirely swallowed by phones. This story isn't about the death of digital cameras--it's about the deserved death of $100 bottom-feeding junk cameras in the face of, for instance, the superior cameras in Samsung's own phones.

ha, most remarkable, you didn't know that Samsung made cameras but you do know that the cameras they made were crap resp. made for the crappy end of the market

needless to say imo they made some interesting cameras. First the Pentax dSLR clones and later specially the NX series, mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras with APS-C sensors, possibly it even was the VERY first producer to offer such a camera, shortly before Sony came out with the their first, the NEX3 and 2 years before Fujifilm made it's debut. Their I-function lenses are unique and offer an interesting concept, it's lenses for their mirrorless cams that have a button on the lens that switches between shutter speed, aperture, ISO and WB which then can be set with a ring, similar to an aperture ring, right on the lens.