Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]B.D. Olympus has just released their annual P&L's. They swung from loss last year to a profit, but the profit came from the medical business not the camera business. If I recall the numbers correctly, the camera division was down 6.8% from the prior year, even with strong last quarter sales of the E500. Don don.dory@gmail.com On 6/25/06, B. D. Colen <bdcolen@comcast.net> wrote: > > I believe they are making money, but I think - and I have no inside > information - that they are making a profit, but largely on the point and > shoots. It's been the general belief of the Japanese camera companies that > they must have pro lines if they're in the camera biz. > Glad to hear you're happy with the E1 - it is, as I believe Erwin Puts > said > - the Barnack camera of the digital age. :-) > > > ...... Original Message ....... > On Sat, 24 Jun 2006 20:36:39 -0700 mehrdad <msadat@gmail.com> wrote: > >B.D, it makes sense. that's what is going any other business out > >there, but olumpus must be making money otherwise they would get out > >of camera business > > > >PS > >i ended up buying two E1 and E330. the E1 has been absolute joy to > >use; quite, compact, and with the right lenses very very sharp. i > >ended up with the 14-54, 7-14, 150/2 and 11-22 > > > >On 6/24/06, B. D. Colen <bd@bdcolenphoto.com> wrote: > >> Actually, Don and Mehrdad, this has little to do with film or digital, > and > >> everything to do with the reality of modern business practices and > >> economics. In almost every field, where there used to be many 'little > guys," > >> there are now a handful of giants. > >> > >> Consider how many auto manufacturers there were forty years ago, and > how > >> many there are now. Did the independents all disappear or get subsumed > by > >> the giants because of battery worries, LCD suppliers, software > engineers, or > >> cost/quantity problems? I think not - they disappeared because business > >> today is all about the stock price, not the product; it's about selling > >> quantity, not quality. So the little guy who turns out a specialty item > will > >> be forever teetering on the brink of extinction. > >> > >> And by the way, the reason there is still an Olympus today has nothing > to do > >> with cameras - it has to do with the fact that Olympus is one of the > world's > >> leaders in the medical scope business, and in the manufacture of > certain > >> other medical devices - something in excess of 70 percent of the > colonoscopy > >> scopes sold in the U.S. are manufactured by Olympus, and 90 percent of > the > >> blood analyzers used by hospital and independent blood banks are made > by > >> Olympus. The photo business is but the tip of the dog's tail.;-) > >> > >> > >> On 6/23/06 9:06 PM, "Don Dory" <don.dory@gmail.com> wrote: > >> > >> > Mehrdad, > >> > I think that the difference is that in years past, film was the great > >> > leveler. If the lens line was OK then load up some film and away you > go. > >> > If you did not have a good lens line then you used the Zeiss/Pentax > thread > >> > and no worries. > >> > > >> > Today, the camera does everything and you might be dependant on the > RAW > >> > converter if the brand turns out to be too obscure. So, better safe > than > >> > sorry and on the way to Nikon/Canon who not only have complete lens > lines > >> > but are in no immediate danger of going out of busines like Minolta, > Konica, > >> > Olympus in the film business(before B.D. chimes in there were a lot > of POed > >> > folks that Olympus got out of the SLR business some time before the > E-1 > >> > became reality). Another difference this time around is the > technology is > >> > tough; last time around you could buy a copal shutter, hire some > young > girls > >> > to assemble your body and Bob's your uncle. Now, you have battery > worries, > >> > LCD suppliers, software engineers, chip supplies and in what quantity > and > >> > what price. > >> > > >> > Another factor is we are all much more informed than in years past. > Forty > >> > years ago if your local trusted dealer told you to go with the > Practica, > >> > Miranda, Exacta, Minolta, Pentacon, or whatever you might go with the > dealer > >> > as you didn't know any better. > >> > > >> > Don > >> > don.dory@gmail.com > >> > > >> > > >> > On 6/23/06, mehrdad <msadat@gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> > >> >> don how is this different when it was only film? > >> >> > >> >> we had a lot more companies, they all thrived and prospered as we > did > >> >> with choice > >> >> > >> >> On 6/23/06, Don Dory <don.dory@gmail.com> wrote: > >> >>> Gene, > >> >>> That is the story throughout most of the world. Conjecture on my > part > >> >> is > >> >>> that Nikon and Canon especially have reached critical mass for > DSLR's. > >> >>> Meaning that a true amateur might end up with a Pentax, Olympus, of > >> >> Minolta; > >> >>> but anyone who has done research and wants to fit in(notice the > logical > >> >>> argument) would buy anything but Canon or Nikon. Exception to this > rule > >> >>> would be the large number of Pentax lovers who will buy the brand > >> >> because of > >> >>> lens compatibility, price, size, and feature set. > >> >>> > >> >>> So, unless the Alpha and the Olympus new models truly walk on water > and > >> >> take > >> >>> pictures of Aliens and Angeline J's new baby then they will suffer > the > >> >> fate > >> >>> of the Olympus and Minolta SLR's which is abandonment and > >> >> discontinuation. > >> >>> Even the Japanese companies will no longer continue a line that > loses > >> >> money > >> >>> in perpetuity. > >> >>> > >> >>> On the other hand Canon especially and Nikon as well can not build > their > >> >>> models fast enough. > >> >>> > >> >>> Don > >> >>> don.dory@gmail.com > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> On 6/23/06, Grduprey@aol.com <Grduprey@aol.com> wrote: > >> >>>> > >> >>>> In a message dated 6/21/2006 5:03:14 PM Central Daylight Time, > >> >>>> bdcolen@comcast.net writes: > >> >>>> Boy, is that the truth. The B mode is nice to have for macro work, > or > >> >>>> perhaps for formal portraiture. But the A, real-time live view is > what > >> >>>> makes the E330 special. So all the Panisonic really has is a truly > >> >> crappy > >> >>>> viewfinder, analogue controls, and a 'Leica' lens? No wonder > Olympus > >> >> was > >> >>>> willing to license the technology to them. ;-) > >> >>>> > >> >>>> > >> >>>> The really sad thing is our local Oly dealer can't give them > >> >> away. But > >> >>>> the > >> >>>> D200's and 30D's are flying off the shelves. > >> >>>> > >> >>>> Gene > >> >>>> > >> >>>> _______________________________________________ > >> >>>> Leica Users Group. > >> >>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more > information > >> >>>> > >> >>> > >> >>> _______________________________________________ > >> >>> Leica Users Group. > >> >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more > information > >> >>> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> -- > >> >> ------------------------------------- > >> >> regards, mehrdad > >> >> > >> >> _______________________________________________ > >> >> Leica Users Group. > >> >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >> >> > >> > > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > Leica Users Group. > >> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Leica Users Group. > >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >> > > > > > >-- > > ------------------------------------- > > regards, mehrdad > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Leica Users Group. > >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > ___ > Sent from handheld device. Please forgive any typos or spelling errors. > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >