DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Nikon to close Chinese factory as compact camera market continues to shrink

Oct 30, 2017 by John Aldred 5 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

It’s not much of a surprise that the compact camera market is getting a little more “compact”. It’s been coming for years. Global compact camera sales are down to less than a tenth of their peak. And it’s all thanks to smartphones. The cameras we carry with us all day, every day.

While smartphones aren’t killing DSLR sales, the opposite, in fact, they are destroying compacts. The Nikkei reports that Nikon are now closing one of their factories in China. A factory which primarily manufactures their entry level compacts and SLR lenses.

Some companies, like Olympus, are taking them in a direction where phones can’t, really. Making them super rugged and waterproof. Others, though, like Nikon, are simply cutting their losses. Nikon will seemingly outsource some of the production, and they have no plans to stop selling in China. They control around 30% of the market there, so why would they?

But, there’s no question that compact cameras are dying. There’s just no need for the vast majority of them any more, at least at the entry level. You’ve got specialist and high end kit out there that’s still popular. Cameras like the Olympus mentioned earlier. Not to mention the Canon G7X II and Sony RX100 V, which are ubiquitous amongst vloggers.

Nikkei report that Nikon expect compact camera sales to drop 28% for the year ending March 2017. So, their plan is to focus more on SLR and other high end models to improve profitability.

With rumours of a new high end Nikon mirrorless camera floating around, one can only hope so.

There’s been no word on the number of layoffs that may come with the closure of the factory. The Jiangsu plant employs around 2,500 workers.

[via Nikkei]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Canon sees a grim future for the camera business: expects digital camera market to shrink by half within two years Nikon’s struggle continues as they close two lens factories in Japan Mirrorless Market Continues to Expand at the Expense of DSLRs; Sony Strengthens its Dominance Compact cameras,the future: a call to compact camera manufacturers

Filed Under: news Tagged With: china, Factory, Nikon, Nikon Mirrorless

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« How to make five horror lighting setups with a single light
Photographer’s lens smashed to pieces while being shipped to a buyer »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • SpaceX shares unique view of Earth in latest video
  • Get ready to photograph two total solar eclipses this year
  • How I started (and succeeded) photographing space from my backyard
  • Insta360’s new teaser says they’re entering the gimbal market
  • Users report blurry photos from Samsung Galaxy S23/S23+ cameras

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy