Olympus sells off imaging business

[mcasan]

June 24, 2020:

"Today the Olympus Imaging Business has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan Industrial Partners, Inc. (JIP). According to the MOU, both companies are entering into further discussions about the potential transfer of Olympus’ long-standing imaging business to JIP by the end of 2020.

JIP is a strong investment fund with a track record of success and has maximised the growth of many brands. JIP will use the innovative technologies and solid brand position of Olympus within the market, while also improving the profit structure of Olympus’s imaging business.

We understand you may have many questions, all of which we will work to answer in the upcoming weeks. We ask for your patience: we believe this is the right step to preserve our brand’s legacy, the products, and the value of our technology. Olympus sees this potential transfer as an opportunity to enable our imaging business to grow and delight both longtime and new photography enthusiasts. Olympus and JIP will continue discussions, and we are committed to providing full transparency about our intentions as the plans solidify.

We are grateful to all our customers for their loyalty and support for our products, and their passion for photography. During the ongoing discussions, Olympus Imaging will operate with business as usual: we will continue to work on innovative initiatives for our customers and we will launch new products as planned."

For the full statement, please tap through here: www.olympus-global.com/news/2020/nr01695.html

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This will lead to Panasonic as the only MFT systems house. I will be surprised if MFT continues long term. I am glad I did not purchase the wife and I a second E-M1 III body this spring.

 

[clee01l]

This will lead to Panasonic as the only MFT systems house. I will be surprised if MFT continues long term. I am glad I did not purchase the wife and I a second E-M1 III body this spring.

I did not read that as a cessatation of their MFT business, just a sale of assets.
This is much like Pentax getting bought by Hoya and later Ricoh.


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[Replytoken]

I did not read that as a cessatation of their MFT business, just a sale of assets.
This is much like Pentax getting bought by Hoya and later Ricoh.


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While I am in a wait and see mode, it is not fully clear what JPI will do with "the assets". My understanding is that their typical approach is to trim out expenses and try to make the business profitable. That may not bode very well for what we know of as Olympus Imaging today. Thom Hogan had a good piece on the proposed sale here - Good m4/3 News, Bad m4/3 News | Sans Mirror | Thom Hogan .

--Ken

 

[PhilBurton]

June 24, 2020:



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This will lead to Panasonic as the only MFT systems house. I will be surprised if MFT continues long term. I am glad I did not purchase the wife and I a second E-M1 III body this spring.

MFT = ???

 

[Replytoken]

MFT = ???

Micro Four Thirds

--Ken

 

[mcasan]

This is not going to motivate the sales of the new 150-400mm Pro with built in TC.

 

[PhilBurton]

Another indication of industry consolidation around Canon, Sony, and Nikon, plus the smartphone manufacturers.

 

[mcasan]

I wonder who is next.....Nikon or Fuji. Amazed that Pentax is still around.

 

[clee01l]

I wonder who is next.....Nikon or Fuji. Amazed that Pentax is still around.

Pentax is owned by Ricoh. I think Nikon has enough strength to stay for a while longer. I’ve never liked Canon or Sony and I think a lot of Nikon shooters feel that way.


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[PhilBurton]

Pentax is owned by Ricoh. I think Nikon has enough strength to stay for a while longer. I’ve never liked Canon or Sony and I think a lot of Nikon shooters feel that way.


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Both Sony and Canon are much more diversified businesses than Nikon, and can leverage chip and related technology investments in other areas for the camera business. it's almost ironic that Nikon buys sensors from Sony, and that one division of Sony would sell sensors to a company that competes with a different Sony division.

I've been a Nikon photographer since the days of the F2. I still have both my F2 bodies, which have motor drives bought used on eBay. I'm hoping to shoot B&W film again.

 

[Replytoken]

Both Sony and Canon are much more diversified businesses than Nikon, and can leverage chip and related technology investments in other areas for the camera business. it's almost ironic that Nikon buys sensors from Sony, and that one division of Sony would sell sensors to a company that competes with a different Sony division.

I've been a Nikon photographer since the days of the F2. I still have both my F2 bodies, which have motor drives bought used on eBay. I'm hoping to shoot B&W film again.

I suspect that Sony's sensor business probably does better than its camera business. And I believe that companies can sometimes add a bit of their "secret sauce" to sensors that are manufactured for them, so I am sure it all works out in the end. I know that I have preferred Sony sensors in the various bodies that I have used over the years, especially in my Nikon camera bodies.

--Ken

 

[PhilBurton]

I suspect that Sony's sensor business probably does better than its camera business. And I believe that companies can sometimes add a bit of their "secret sauce" to sensors that are manufactured for them, so I am sure it all works out in the end. I know that I have preferred Sony sensors in the various bodies that I have used over the years, especially in my Nikon camera bodies.

--Ken

Ken,

There is a special challenge being an "industry" supplier when one of your customers is also your corporate parent. I'm sure that Nikon would like to buy their sensors from someone other than Sony, but may have no choice. That said, in large companies, different divisions are often entirely separate profit centers with their own profit targets.

 

[clee01l]

Ken,

There is a special challenge being an "industry" supplier when one of your customers is also your corporate parent. I'm sure that Nikon would like to buy their sensors from someone other than Sony, but may have no choice. That said, in large companies, different divisions are often entirely separate profit centers with their own profit targets.

In Sony Cameras case, they may get first releases of new sensor before the competition. Or the competition may get an exclusive use of certain developed sensors for a fee.


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[Hal P Anderson]

Back in the 1960's, Ford manufactured transmissions for Pontiac. It's nothing new.

 

[Replytoken]

IIRC, Thom Hogan has written a bit about the relationship between Sony's sensor division/company and the camera manufacturers and I came away with the impression that there is not as much conflict of interest as people imagine. I also remember reading that the demand for sensors out side of the traditional photo industry is so great that the camera manufacturers are not their biggest customers, so it may strictly be a manufacturing/numbers relationship (i.e. we can produce whatever you want, but here is the minimum order size).

--Ken

 

[Zenon]

10 different major appliance brands all built by 2 manufacturers.