Photoclubalpha

bfitzgerald wrote: Nikon seem to be struggling in the last couple of years. Perhaps they need some fresh thinking in the board room

They are all struggling. Maybe Canon a bit less so though. I like all my Canon cameras: 60D, 30D, 300D, G16, G15, S95, A590IS, A540, A70. Never a single problem with any of them. But I can say the same about my Olympus and Panasonic cameras too. So unlike my Sony A700, A100, and RX100 (and KM 7D) which all have problems. For my DSLRs I preferred having IBIS and Canon, until now, didn't want to do that. Now they have IBIS in the R5 and R6 and there are rumors that it will be in the M50 Mark II.

Interesting article in English published in Nikkei Asian Review Deputy Editor, Masamichi Hoshi:

Olympus exit foreshadows a Japan camera sector shake-up

Smartphones, overzealous competition and coronavirus undercut proud industry

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Electr ... r-shake-up

Canon are about the only maker who I would say are safe 100%, they are too entrenched as a system to disappear. They also seem to have upped their game recently (aside from heat things etc!)
Nikon I have a lot of doubts about, the Z mount stuff doesn't seem to be getting a lot of traction relative to other systems, some of their recent releases D780 look weak. Z5 not bad but the price is all wrong for their target market.

I don't think I'd invest in Nikon Z mount - it's too risky IMO. F mount has some life left sort of

I don't pretend to know much about Japan, thing that strikes me is the consistent decline in the last 5 years or so (and longer). They did have a chance to address things, only they just jacked up prices hoping they would make up the sales loss. Covid just threw a big spanner in the machine cogs. Doesn't look too hopeful for any of them. Perhaps a bit too late to change direction, so far nothing I've seen from any of the makers is trying to stem the downturn. A dramatic change doesn't look too likely - we shall find out, not expecting them to do anything different.

Sony seems to have joined the party too ;-D
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... _lens.html

At least it seems to have a metal mount and they managed F5.6!
Almost $500 though, I wonder in 2020 if sales as so bad that kit type lenses need to be priced at such levels?
I'm not seeing any change in direction from camera makers, sales drop, increase prices, keep prices high on older bodies, release expensive slow lenses, sales drop even more - increase prices..and so the cycle carries on. Doesn't look like a winning strategy to me

The inspiration behind Canon's RF 600mm F11 and 800mm F11 super-tele lenses

https://www.dpreview.com/news/350379412 ... ele-lenses

It might work for those lenses though only I think because of the good sensor IS of the RF bodies (assuming you have one otherwise you'll have a job hand holding). So something different maybe that was what they were going for.
On the other hand this:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... _lens.html

Aside from being small/compact, I can't honestly see too many takers. I have no problems with kit type lenses, the asking price is bordering absurd. It is unfortunately the way things have gone. No wonder people are adapting a lot of lenses.I can think of better ways to spend almost $500