Panasonic too?!?

[theswanlogo]

One friend sent me this link:

 

[Phocal]

It’s true. Time to sell all your gear and buy Sony.

 

[ralf-11]

buy Nikon One

 

[Bytesmiths]

I was thinking nikon Z

What about Pentax? Go with another winner!

 

[Phocal]

I was thinking nikon Z

buy Nikon One

Nikon will probably be next.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

What’s curious is that the source article was published on May 21st. Less than a week later, Panansonic announced the GH5 II, the 25-50 1.7, firmware updates for a few cameras, and committed to the GH6 launch later this year. For a company ready to can their camera business, they have a funny way of rearranging the deck chairs. The rumors site was late jumping on this story, which really messes up the timeline and makes it sound like the rumor is coming after the Panasonic announcement.

 

[D7k1]

I have a bridge located in Brooklyn for sale if anyone is interested...........

 

[ralf-11]

Panny sez keep your Panny Panties on, it's just a reorganization

 

[Bytesmiths]

Panny sez keep your Panny Panties on, it's just a reorganization

No worries. Olympus Imaging Division to OMD Solutions was "just a reorganization," too.

 

[Brownie]

Sony, which is good at image sensor technology, introduced a full-size mirrorless camera in 2013, and the stock was taken away at once, and the momentum of dropping flying birds is now a shadow to see. Nor.

Sorry, but I simply must believe anyone that eloquent...

 

[RAH]

What about Pentax? Go with another winner!

Back in 2010, when Olympus announced that it was discontinuing its DSLR cameras (leaving only the Pen EVF-less ILC cameras), I actually contemplated switching over to Pentax, since it was my old camera brand back in the SLR days. I finally came to my senses and realized - "What, are you nuts?!?" So I went with Canon DSLRs. But then, of course, I came back to Olympus with their OMD cameras (Yayy!!), and we know what happened there recently. So I guess Nikon is safe, huh?

 

[BDR-529]

The rumors site was late jumping on this story, which really messes up the timeline and makes it sound like the rumor is coming after the Panasonic announcement.

I know it sounds stupid to exit the business just after a couple of new models are launched but Panasonic is a huge company and when those reorganize a billion here or two there is peanuts.

Digital cameras are so marginal part of total Panasonic revenue that CEO would not even notice if company stops making them and nobody remembers to send him a memo.

Rumour is always a rumour but Panasonic has indeed a policy of shutting down or selling perpetually loss making BUs and even somewhat profitable ones is they don't have substantial growth potential.

 

[itisasitis]

I know it sounds stupid to exit the business just after a couple of new models are launched but Panasonic is a huge company and when those reorganize a billion here or two there is peanuts.

Digital cameras are so marginal part of total Panasonic revenue that CEO would not even notice if company stops making them and nobody remembers to send him a memo.

Most likely true.

Regarding rumors: I've worked for a large listed company for eight years and over those years, rumors and "sources close to management" or "sources inside the company" or "sources with good information about the company's strategy" must have had us sold, merged or divested into tiny pieces ten times over. And still, here we are, more or less the same as before.

 

[D7k1]

Ok, the referenced site used the word "may" in the headline. Panasonic is a video centrist company. The Gh series has an unique niche to both professional video/movie makers as well as to independent creators. The mentioned article is click bait, that is why the word "may" appears. As far as I know Panasonic has been honest with its customers. Could I live with the Gh5II if their was no G9/10, yes (I do shoot video also). A hybrid camera works for me. Look at the cost of real video cameras and then look at even a G9 with what ever lenses you equip it with. I think the thing Panasonic should do is move their G/Gh series into the professional video division, why pretend you have tools that are used by professionals as well as amateurs that are hybrid cameras in a separate "consumer division. This would stop these rumors and let folks know that Panasonic is going to make M43 products as long as they have a professional video division.

I just check M43 rumors and here is their post on this subject:

Itmedia analyzed the current difficult situation for the Panasonic Lumix brand. The market is shrinking and Panasonic didn’t manage to keep up with Sony and Canon. In their view only a strong focus on the video segment will keep the Lumix system alive.

This is nothing new, Panasonic has been saying this all year and the Gh5/Gh6 and new lens are representative of this.

 

[BDR-529]

Well... Panasonic not only got a new CEO on 1st of April but the whole corporation will be transferred into a holding company and small things like consumer cameras are pretty insignificant during such moves.

It might be actually better if top management simply forgets their existence during reorgs.

 

[BDR-529]

This would stop these rumors and let folks know that Panasonic is going to make M43 products as long as they have a professional video division.

Panasonics professional broadcast systems and consumer cameras are not even in a same BU and after reorganization they will land in entirely different companies.

Lumix-cameras will share their future with toasters and curling irons.

They don't have any connection to professional broadcasting products business.

 

[Ghostbuggy]

Haven't these rumors been around since the late of last year? I am pretty sure I've already heard about them a couple of times. With Panasonic just recently announced not only new, but also upcoming products later this year, I simply don't think those will be DoA.

 

[D7k1]

Panasonics professional broadcast systems and cosumer cameras are not even in a same BU and after reorganization they will land in entirely different companies.

Lumix-cameras will share their future with toasters and curling irons.

They don't have any connection to professional broadcasting products business.

Actually yes they do. If someone gets experience will your products and the are very good it builds brand loyalty (like Apple did with schools). I know this strategy works (retired at 55 due to it). It's why all Panasonic cameras have great video codecs - that is important because video is the primary communication tool (why do you think cell phones have very good video now). How many indy film makers, Hollywood B roll shooters, and Youtube content makers use the Gh series? You don't think the Gh5II with its streaming ability is going to be used in the secondary venues at the Olympics by even the networks? Nope, if something happens to the Gh series it will just be a move into the professional videos division IMHO.

 

[demiro]

Haven't these rumors been around since the late of last year? I am pretty sure I've already heard about them a couple of times. With Panasonic just recently announced not only new, but also upcoming products later this year, I simply don't think those will be DoA.

These, and a million other rumors. At this point it sure seems reasonable to follow the old "shut up and shoot" mantra. Worrying about what happens next to our camera companies of choice seems a fool's errand these days.

 

[Ghostbuggy]

These, and a million other rumors. At this point it sure seems reasonable to follow the old "shut up and shoot" mantra. Worrying about what happens next to our camera companies of choice seems a fool's errand these days.

I agree, it's hard to say how many and which camera companies will be able to survive in the long run. With the overall market still on decline, one shouldn't forget how many companies are still fighting about the shrinking cake on the table.