Intel Cancels Plans to Acquire Sensor and Semiconductor Maker Tower
Intel is walking away from its plans to acquire Tower Semiconductor, a chip and CMOS sensor manufacturer that Panasonic once owned a major stake in.
BeBop Files $25M Fraud Lawsuit Against Giggster Over Photo Website Sale
The BeBop Corporation has sued online rental studio platform Giggster for $25 million, alleging breach of contract and fraud over the sale of multiple photo publications including Outdoor Photographer and Imaging Resource.
DPReview’s Founder Blasts Amazon’s CEO: ‘What a Waste’
As Amazon prepares to start winding down DPReview, the publication's founder Phil Askey has publicly spoken out against the decision and put Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy on blast, calling the choice to shut down the site a "waste."
BeBop Buys Madavor Media, Including Outdoor Photographer and Imaging Resource
Madavor Media, which owns multiple photography-centric publications including Imaging Resource, Digital Photo Pro, and Outdoor Photographer, has been acquired by music and theater-focused media platform the BeBop Channel.
DPReview is Shutting Down
DPReview, easily one of the most beloved publications among photography enthusiasts, will shut down and its content will be deleted. The website was caught up in the recent layoffs that hit Amazon and it will cease operations on April 10.
Nikon Considering Building a New $224M Lens Factory in Japan
Nikon is considering reinvestment in mainland Japan manufacturing through a new expansion of its facility in Otawara City, which currently hosts its only remaining Japan-based optics factory.
Shutterstock Acquires Splash Celebrity News Agency
Shutterstock has today announced the acquisition of Splash News, with 27 million videos and images being added to the photo library's archive.
Intel Buys Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B, Enters Image Sensor Business
Intel has announced that it will purchase camera sensor manufacturer Tower Semiconductor (formerly TowerJazz as of March, 2020) in a deal worth $5.4 billion.
CP+ In-Person Event Canceled, Online Only For Second Straight Year
CP+, Japan's largest photography trade show, has canceled its in-person event for the second straight year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The show will move to be fully online.
Chip Shortage Could Last Until 2023, Now Affecting Even Apple: Report
Apple is reportedly the latest tech giant to join the mass of others affected by the global chip shortage, as customers are left waiting weeks or longer for the latest devices. The escalating problems will no doubt affect holiday season purchases.
Fujifilm To Close Four U.S. Photo Equipment Plants and Cut 400 Jobs
Fujifilm has announced that it plans to close four of its five Greenwood, South Carolina manufacturing plants responsible for a range of printing plates, inks, papers, and disposable cameras. The company cited declining demand, and 400 positions will be eliminated by the fall of 2022.
The CP+ Trade Show Performed Admirably Despite Going Fully Digital
Over the last few years, CP+ in Japan has grown in importance and significance in the camera industry. Unfortunately, this year's show -- which was planned to be in-person -- went fully digital due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the show seems to have done surprisingly well.
Nikon Closes Two Japanese Camera Lens Factories As Market Shrinks
Nikon is set to cease operations at two of its Japanese factories in March. Those two factories are used to produce interchangeable lenses for its digital cameras, and the remaining domestic operations will be consolidated into its one remaining factory in Otawara City.
2020 CIPA Figures Confirm the Expected: It Was a Rough Year
CIPA, the Camera and Imaging Products Association, has published its final report of camera sales and volume for 2020 and the numbers confirm what was expected: the annual downward trend of the market has continued, with 2020's numbers further damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. But it's not all bad news.
Micro Four Thirds Has Japan’s Number One Market Share Among All Lens Mounts
OM Digital Solutions has announced that micro four thirds has achieved number one in market share in the number of units sold by lens mount in Japan. Supported by 56 companies, OM Digital makes the case that the 12-year-old mount is stronger than ever.
Canon: Camera Sales Will Soon Be 8% of What They Were a Decade Ago
Canon is preparing for a time when the digital camera market will only ship 10 million units annually, about 8.2% of the number shipped in 2010. With that in mind, the company is slimming down its production, sales, and product lineups going forward.
Canon Exec Suggests the EOS R5 Only Has 8K for Marketing Reasons
Canon's General Manager of the Image Communication Business Division Takeshi Tokura was recently interviewed by Toyo Keizai about the success of the R5 and R6. In it, Tokura seems to suggest that 8K was important to include in the R5 mainly to beat competitors to it.
Statement Signed by 600+ Photography Professionals Demands Accountability from Magnum Photos
A group of 647 photography students and professionals have together signed a letter demanding Magnum Photos actively participate in addressing sexual harassment in the industry, namely with regards to accusations made against its photographer David Alan Harvey.
Nikon’s Production Volume May Dip As Japan Issues State of Emergency
Nikon Japan has published a note indicating that it will be reducing its workforce in accordance to the latest State of Emergency issued by the Japanese government in response to rapidly rising COVID-19 cases and deaths.
Nikon Has Likely Discontinued the D3500 and D5600 DSLRs
Nikon Japan has designated the D5600 and D3500 as "old product," which has historically meant that the cameras were being discontinued. This news comes after the Nikon D5600 was Japan's top-selling DSLR of 2020.
Canon Has Listed its Sensors For Sale to Other Companies, Just Like Sony
In at least one region of Canon's massive global empire, the company has begun listing its sensors for sale to other companies, following in Sony's footsteps.
The WPPI Trade Show Has Been Rescheduled to August 15-19
The Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Trade Show (WPPI) is one of the more popular photography shows and educational seminars in the United States. Normally held around late February or early March, the show has announced it is shifting its show dates to August as a COVID-19 precaution.
CP+, Japan’s Largest Photo Trade Show, Will Be Online-Only in 2021
The organizers of CP+, Camera and Photo Imaging Show, have announced that the largest and most prominent trade show for photography in Japan will be going online-only in 2021.
Sony Exiting Brazil: All Camera Sales and Manufacturing to End in 2021
Sony has announced that it is planning to cease all manufacturing and sales of cameras (and other electronics) in Brazil by mid-2021. The change applies to all of the company's consumer electronics divisions, although technical support will reportedly continue.
Tamron Extends Closure of Two Key Factories Due to Decreased Demand
Tamron Japan has issued a statement explaining that it will be extending the closure of two key factories through the end of 2020 because "the global market has not yet recovered" from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and demand is still depressed.
2019 Market Share Data Shows Canon and Sony Growing, Nikon Shrinking
The Nikkei Asian Review's data gathering arm has published 2019 worldwide market share numbers on 74 different industries, including digital cameras. The new data point shows how each of the big three is faring in the first full year after Canon and Nikon released their full-frame mirrorless systems.
Excessive Competition Could Sink the Camera Industry, Says Nikkei Report
A new op-ed published by the Deputy Editor of the Nikkei Asian Review in Japan is making waves in the industry today. The article strikes an ominous tone, foreshadowing difficult times ahead for the camera giants and blaming "excessive competition" for their financial woes.
AP Photographers Will Only Shoot Sony From Now On
The Associated Press, one of the world's largest and most respected news agencies, has just announced an exclusive partnership with Sony Imaging. From this point on, Sony will become the exclusive camera supplier for AP news photographers around the world.
Olympus: Selling the Imaging Division Doesn’t Mean ‘Withdrawing’ from Imaging Business
In an interesting interview with DPReview published early this morning, Olympus VP of Global Strategy Setsuya Kataoka tried to shed more light on what the sale of the Imaging Division means for users of Olympus cameras and lenses moving forward.
Confirmed: Olympus Officially Pulls Out of PhotoPlus 2020
The PhotoPlus Expo in New York City won't take place until late October, but companies are already deciding whether or not to commit to going. First up: Olympus, who has officially pulled out of this year's show because of the ongoing pandemic.
Samsung is Ramping Up Image Sensor Production (Again)
Samsung may have left the camera game behind, but the company is serious about increasing its share of the image sensor market and stealing some business away from Sony. In fact, they're about to spend over $800 million to ramp up image sensor production yet again.
PRO EDU Acquires Resource Magazine, Will ‘Banish’ Banner Ads
In a surprise announcement on the PRO EDU Community Facebook Page yesterday, the photo/video education company's CEO Gary Martin announced that PRO EDU has acquired Resource Magazine and will be taking ownership of the publication starting June 1st. The photo/video/lifestyle magazine was founded in 2007.
Mirrorless Camera Sales Were Down 74% in April, Reports BCN
BCN Retail has published its April report of camera sales figures in Japan and, as expected, the huge slump in sales continues apace. In March, BCN data revealed a 50% drop compared to 2019; as the pandemic continues to exert a severe economic toll, April numbers show an even greater dip.
Facebook Buys Giphy for $400 Million, Will Integrate it Into Instagram
Facebook has just acquired the massive GIF library and creation platform Giphy, with plans to integrate the service more fully into Instagram. The purchase reportedly cost Facebook $400 million, though terms were not officially disclosed.
Nikon Warns of ‘Extraordinary Losses’ Due to COVID-19
Nikon Corp. published two financial statements today. The first was a warning to investors—a "recognition of extraordinary losses" caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The second was a revised FY2020 financial forecast that discloses the expected impact on profit and revenue for the fiscal year that ended March 31st.
US Camera Sales Dropped by 64% Last Month; Only Luggage is Doing Worse
As the coronavirus pandemic brings the world economy to its knees, retail intelligence firm Stackline put together a report identifying the 100 fastest growing and 100 fastest declining industries based on e-commerce data from March. No surprise, the outlook is especially grim for cameras.
Adorama Founder Mendel Mendlowits Has Passed Away
Mendel Mendlowits, the photo industry icon who founded the well-known camera retailer Adorama, passed away on April 8th at the age of 76. His infectious optimism and curiosity—on full display in the photo above (left) with photographer Bill Eppridge (right)—will be sorely missed.
Japan Allocates $2.2 Billion to Help Companies Move Production Out of China
As part of Japan's record $993 billion emergency COVID-19 stimulus package, the country has allocated a full $2.2 billion to help Japanese companies move their production out of China. The change could have a major influence on camera and lens makers.
Sony Establishes $100M COVID Relief Fund, Including Support for Creatives
In a bid to help health care professionals, children, educators, and the creative community during these uncertain and unsettling times, Sony has announced the establishment of a $100 million "Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19."
Ilford Has Shut Down Film Production Until Further Notice
UK-based film maker Ilford has shut down production for the foreseeable future. While the company is still allowed, legally speaking, to continue operations during the UK's country-wide lockdown, it has chosen to shut down manufacturing in order to prioritize the health and safety of its employees.