Songdian Signals it Wants to Be Taken Serious in the Camera Industry
When Shenzen Sonida Digital Technology Co. Ltd. joined the Micro Four Thirds system in February, it was easy to wonder about the quality of Sonida’s future products. However, the company has publicly expressed a strong desire to make high-quality new imaging products.
Sonida’s lineup of Songdian-branded cameras mostly falls under the umbrella of so-called “scameras.” Offerings include a bunch of cheap cameras designed to look like popular contemporary models, like a “fake X100” that Amateur Photographer reviewer Andy Westlake described as the worst camera he had ever used.
When Songdian confirmed last month that it was, in fact, developing a new Micro Four Thirds camera and lens, I noted that despite Songdian’s history of making admittedly bad, excessively cheap cameras, the company could absolutely still make something worthwhile in the Micro Four Thirds system. For example, there is plenty of space for new compact, stylish Micro Four Thirds cameras that look good, feel good, and take nice photos. Just because Songdian has made some cameras fairly characterized as bad doesn’t mean it can’t buckle down and make something truly great, or at least good.
Songdian agrees. Although the company continues to announce new ultra-affordable cameras unlikely to go toe-to-toe with the best cameras made outside China, Songdian has signaled its commitment to pushing the Chinese imaging industry forward.
It’s important to consider just how difficult and expensive it is to develop new cameras, even ones with small sensors and cheap lenses. It costs a lot, and making something great is exponentially pricier. A company that starts at the bottom, builds a strong base of knowledge, resources, and expertise, and then commits to developing better products makes sense.
Consider another Chinese imaging company, Viltrox. Not that Viltrox ever made bad lenses — it didn’t — but the company went from making solid, very affordable lenses to excellent ones that compete against the best first-party optics at a relatively aggressive price point. The company is not just a cheaper alternative for photographers on a tight budget but a legitimate option for professionals. That took time and commitment.
Could Songdian follow a similar route and go from making ho-hum cameras for dirt cheap to making high-quality Micro Four Thirds products that still don’t break the bank? It is at least possible.
“Quality is the cornerstone of trust, innovation is the engine of development,” said Zhao Kundian, founder of Songdian, during a recent speech. “Songdian will always take consumers’ rights and interests as the starting point, and reshape the brand value of national images with real parameters, reliable quality control and full-cycle services.”
“Under the dual waves of high-quality development and the rise of national products, Songdian is writing a new chapter of China’s imaging industry with technology as its pen and users as its foundation,” Sonida explained.
As for whether Songdian’s future Micro Four Thirds products will embody these ambitious goals of advancing the Chinese imaging industry, that remains to be seen. Still, it is refreshing to see that the company seems keen to evolve beyond its current product lineup of mediocre digicams.
Songdian also recently spearheaded an initiative in China to clamp down on companies that falsely market digital camera specs and features and to reduce issues with shoddy quality control. At the very least, cleaning up the Chinese camera industry is a worthwhile goal. The more good-quality, interesting cameras on the market, especially in the Micro Four Thirds system, the better. Hopefully, Songdian can be part of the solution and help Micro Four Thirds thrive in a constantly changing photo industry. I’m not utterly convinced, but I am happy to be a little bit optimistic.
Image credits: Songdian
