Japan earthquakes affect Sony sensor production, Fujifilm steps in to help damaged camera gear

Last week, two earthquakes struck southwestern Japan, leaving at least 41 people dead and substantial damage to the region, which is known for its manufacturing facilities.

Sony was affected by the quakes, forcing operations at two of its factories to shut down for a period of time, while Fujifilm has offered to help in what can only be described as a heartfelt gesture.

On the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, Sony operates two separate facilities: one in Kumamoto and another in nearby Nagasaki. The Kumamoto plant was effectively the epicenter of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck on Saturday, leaving no choice but to cease operations and mandate evacuations until further notice. Follow-up aftershocks and tremors have left this plant closed, while the Nagasaki facility is currently undergoing evaluation to determine how extensive the damage is.

These two facilities manufacturer smartphone camera modules, such as those found in Apple’s iPhone. It is believed these closings could affect availability of Apple’s impending iPhone 7 update.

Amongst the tragedy, there is a slight silver lining for those affected by the natural disasters. Fujifilm has issued a statement saying that any damage to Fuji products will be repaired under a 50% discount. Damage caused by water or fire damage related to the quakes will also be covered, but under a different rate, which has not yet been disclosed. You can read the full statement here.

With aftershocks and tremors continuing on through today, the damage is nowhere near being entirely assessed, but as noted by Jeremy Gray of Imaging Resource, it’s great to see companies such as Fujifilm be proactive about ensuring their customers are taken care of to the best of their abilities.

Image credits: Illustration based off Kumamoto by Toomore Chiang used under CC BY 2.0