majid
Fazal Majid
Ditto, I have a 50" Samsung 4K TV (last year's model 50HU8550). The user interface is so abysmal neither my wife, in-laws or mother can use it. I got a LG for upstairs this weekend, so much better it's not even funny. Sony TVs use Samsung panels, though, and are well-regarded.
It's sad about the cameras, though. The NX1 was the first one with a large BSI sensor (but Sony has trumped them since with its BSI-FF A7RII and RX1RII), and they were innovative, but had terrible marketing and thus did not get traction. The writing was on the wall when they merged the camera division with smartphones, a move usually prompted by the need to bury dismal financials in consolidated reporting with a healthy division.
kanzlr
Hexaneur
junk cameras? right.
Like the NX1?
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/samsung-nx1
where lenses like a 85/1.4, 50-150mm F2.8 or 16-50mm F2-2.8 are available, all of outstanding quality? hm.
Like the NX1?
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/samsung-nx1
where lenses like a 85/1.4, 50-150mm F2.8 or 16-50mm F2-2.8 are available, all of outstanding quality? hm.
jarski
Veteran
Been reading good, or average at worst, results from major Japanese makers, pretty much through the year.
Skiff
Well-known
The reality is:
The market for advanced digital cameras (DSLR and mirrorless) decreased from 21,089 million units in 2012 to only 13,487 million units in 2014.
And this year it will be even less.
Here is the data:
http://www.cipa.jp/stats/dc_e.html
13Promet
Well-known
No surprise: latest advanced digital cameras got to a stage (120K+ usable ISO, blazing fast AF, absurdly high resolutions,very high DR, etc.) where the actual useful performance improvements are negligible or none.
IMO, you don't buy a new camera in year 2015 unless you're a last-model junkie or really need a specific performance improvement for a very specific use.
mdarnton
Well-known
Addy101
Well-known
Well, the people who made the NX500. Because you only know about Nikon and Canon doesn't mean somebody else doesn't make decent cameras.
Oh, btw, to Canon cameras aren't the bulk of what they are doing, it is about a third of their business.
Dante_Stella
Rex canum cattorumque
Markets saturate at a given feature level, and 2010-2012 was the ramp up for APS-C mirrorless cameras, among other things. It's probably the same thing that happened AF p/s cameras supplanted Canonets and AF SLRs replaced manual focus cones.
But from the numbers in interchangeable-lens cameras, they were
roughly 9.666 million January to September 2015
roughly 10.084 million January to September 2014
That's a decline of 418,000 units or 4.1%. At that rate of change, it would take well over a decade for the sales of interchangeable lens cameras to reach half of what they are today (assuming that 4K video doesn't spur a wave of upgrades). But it's really hard to call, since in June and July of 2015, those cameras exceeded the 2014 numbers by 300,000 units.
But two other things are also clear from CIPA:
1. The small number of market participants (10) shipped 26 million digital cameras in nine months.
2. Mirrorless cameras are still languishing at about 1/4 to 1/3 DSLR volume. So for all the "converts," it is hardly as if DSLRs are dead in the water. But their average sale price must be higher.
Dante
photomoof
Fischli & Weiss Sculpture
But really, if I had 2200 bucks in a pocket, would I really want a Samsung APS-C camera?
In the real world, no matter how I try to suppress it, there is a "pride of ownership" factor in photo equipment. I guess one could think of Samsung as the anti-Leica?
Not for me.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
That doubtlessly is one handicap. Another is their odd market research, which seems to be Korean consumer driven - it almost looks as if they polled the same set of people regardless whether a camera, smartphone, TV or dishwasher is concerned. What with 80% having no opinion at all regarding cameras and half of the rest being 6-16yr old boys, Samsung cameras sometimes resemble that Homer Simpson designed car in one early Simpson episode.
That said, if they want to stay in the shrinking camera industry, they must pick up some more credible brand. Maybe one of them will be up for grabs in time - if not, I predict that Samsung will quit, or at least withdraw to their domestic market...
raid
Dad Photographer
Got the same TV. After buying it, and after the screen seemed to have fell apart pixel-wise, I took the TV for repair. They replaced 5 diodes, I think. Since then, it has been a great working TV,
photomoof
Fischli & Weiss Sculpture
So basically owning a Samsung TV is dependent on personal strength and ownership of a car?
Not so much for me, don't own a car, I just pound the back of mine and usually it starts, due to a bad capacitor. For a long time they would not acknowledge it, and I guess we have gotten our money's worth.
paulfish4570
Veteran
i LOVE our samsung TV ...
gb hill
Veteran
Just stay away from Samsung DVD players. They are crap. I'll never buy one again. Especially after reading reviews about them from others.
Pioneer
Veteran
Just curious. Since when does the quality, or lack of quality, of their other products become relevant information regarding their decision to leave the European camera market?
I would venture to bet that the decision to leave the market probably had more to do with the contribution of the camera division to the entire company's profit/loss margin. For a company that makes so many different products I suspect it was a pretty easy decision.
I would venture to bet that the decision to leave the market probably had more to do with the contribution of the camera division to the entire company's profit/loss margin. For a company that makes so many different products I suspect it was a pretty easy decision.
gb hill
Veteran
Trius
Waiting on Maitani
Consumer confidence.
Ronald M
Veteran
If I were to exit the total market, I would stop zone by zone pulling stock to more active sales zones as needed.
If a general announcement were made, it would be hard selling off stock from a failed company for reasons of no service.
Will have to wait & see.
photomoof
Fischli & Weiss Sculpture
Probably.
Samsung is in the process of making a number of major management changes, most in the spotlight, Samsung is trying to correct their declining phone division, with new management. The phones are producing the lowest profit in four years, but it is unclear from the many reports (rumors) what exactly is going on the the camera biz, only ending cheaper mirrorless?
My personal guess is that they will work on improved phone cameras (where the real money is), and eliminate the drag on their resources, from what is clearly a dying market. But they may well come back, since reports are none of the engineers are being fired.
They will make more announcements I am sure.
uhoh7
Veteran
They might have made it.
What they should have done:
Buy a name. Like Voigtlander. Maybe Sony would have sold them "Minolta" since they have not been using it in any sense.
Watch the buzz and follow it. The NX cameras were NEX cameras basically. Those cameras became a sensation mainly because of legacy lenses. While those were a minority of users they were highly vocal and influential. Sony liked this but ignored it in design. Samsung might have taken a hint and made legacy use a priority function.
The full frame EVIL, "interchangeable Q" niche is huge, glaring and totally unfulfilled, since Sony has chosen the thick sensor cover and now can't go back.
Looks like fuji will miss it also and move straight to MF, and we will see how that goes.
What they should have done:
Buy a name. Like Voigtlander. Maybe Sony would have sold them "Minolta" since they have not been using it in any sense.
Watch the buzz and follow it. The NX cameras were NEX cameras basically. Those cameras became a sensation mainly because of legacy lenses. While those were a minority of users they were highly vocal and influential. Sony liked this but ignored it in design. Samsung might have taken a hint and made legacy use a priority function.
The full frame EVIL, "interchangeable Q" niche is huge, glaring and totally unfulfilled, since Sony has chosen the thick sensor cover and now can't go back.
Looks like fuji will miss it also and move straight to MF, and we will see how that goes.