Canon profit tumbles, predicts further slide

[iamzip]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090128/bs_nm/us_canon;_ylt=Ao8.vOJT69R3ALbNq51C4HayBhIF

Apparently their film division was hit hard... Wait, they don't have a film division? You mean they're doing poorly just because the economy is bad? I thought it was because film was dead. 🙄

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Yeah, but they still made 1.8 billion in profit.

 

[antiquark]

Digital is dead!

 

[photogdave]

I'm gonna buy 5Ds in bulk and keep them in my freezer!

 

[FA Limited]

Apparently their film division was hit hard... Wait, they don't have a film division? You mean they're doing poorly just because the economy is bad? I thought it was because film was dead. 🙄

how many times do people have to bring this up :bang:
when the economy goes back up digital sales will increase and film will not

 

[40oz]

how many times do people have to bring this up :bang:
when the economy goes back up digital sales will increase and film will not

really? Kodak lost only 4% more sales in film than in digital. And they managed to make money on film If digital was so much more popular and "the future," why can't these companies make a living off it?

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

I don't think it makes sense to take Kodak's (lack of) sucess in the digital realm as the standard.

 

[oftheherd]

I'm gonna buy 5Ds in bulk and keep them in my freezer!

You're not fooling us. You're just trying to drive the price up.

(ROFL. Good one.)

 

[40oz]

I don't think it makes sense to take Kodak's (lack of) sucess in the digital realm as the standard.

Why not? They supply sensors for the majority of digital cameras out there. If digital was such a slam dunk, the people supplying the sensors would be rolling in dough.

Kodak wisely invested in digital imaging. It's fine to say from the armchair that they are inept and so cannot make money, but I think the reality is that R&D chews up profits faster in that arena than perhaps any other consumer industry. There aren't many other products where customers expect significant improvements every year or two.

I don't think Kodak can reasonably get out of digital imaging at this point, but someone over there is going to have to take a long hard look at where consumer digital imaging has got them and what their return on investment has been. I just don't see it as a bright future. Maybe it's because I read more than just PopPhoto?

Canon and Nikon took harder hits than Kodak this last quarter, and look to take pretty big hits in sales over the course of this year. If Kodak isn't to be taken as the "standard," who is? Canon? Nikon? Is there a "standard"?

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Nikon and Canon have a lot farther to fall than Kodak, though. I would think they would have a much better chance of surviving if this recession drags on for a year or two.

 

[johnastovall]

Eastern Europe will keep us in film for a long time....

 

[40oz]

Nikon and Canon have a lot farther to fall than Kodak, though. I would think they would have a much better chance of surviving if this recession drags on for a year or two.

Nikon and Canon make their money, as far as I can tell, on repeat sales every couple years or so. They need sales as much as anyone. Perhaps more if they rely almost entirely on consumer sales for profits. IDK if they do, I'm just saying. I don't think anyone is going away, just making less money and re-thinking their strategy.

 

[40oz]

Eastern Europe will keep us in film for a long time....

That would be cool with me.