• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Canon to Stop Developing New Film Cameras

Posted on: Thursday, 1 June 2006, 18:00 CDT

By Kyodo News International, Tokyo

May 25--TOKYO --Canon Inc. will stop developing new film camera products in the face of digital cameras rapidly eating into their market, the company's president said Thursday.

"We consider it difficult to develop new products (for the film camera market)," Tsuneji Uchida said at a press conference. Canon will continue producing existing film cameras "as long as they are in demand." The market for film cameras is rapidly shrinking due to an accelerating shift in demand toward digital cameras.

Earlier this year, Nikon Corp. said it would discontinue making most of its film cameras. Konica Minolta Holdings Inc. also announced its decision to pull the plug on the film camera business.

The market contraction is "a trend of the times" because "digital cameras are more convenient" than film cameras in terms of photo printing and other functions, Uchida said.

The trend will gather further steam from Canon's move to focus on digital cameras and other growth products as the global manufacturer of imaging equipment and information systems is estimated to have captured a quarter of the world market for film cameras.

Uchida, who assumed the presidency of Canon on Tuesday, said the development of new film cameras "cannot stand commercially because demand will be limited to special needs" such as among enthusiasts of conventional machines.

According to the Camera & Imaging Products Association, camera makers in Japan shipped 5.38 million film cameras in 2005, down 46.5 percent from the previous year, while shipments of digital cameras increased 8.4 percent to 64.77 million units.

With Canon, Nikon and Konica Minolta retreating from the film camera market, Olympus Corp. and Fuji Photo Film Co. are the only major Japanese makers that will continue the development of new film cameras.

-----

To see more of Kyodo News International, go to http://www.kyodonews.com

Copyright (c) 2006, Kyodo News International, Tokyo

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

CAJ, 7751, NINOY, 7731, 4902, KNCAY, OLYOY, 7733, FUJIY, 4901,

Source: Kyodo News International, Tokyo

More News in this Category