Engadget reports that “Sony will close its Minokamo site, which currently produces camera lenses for DSLRs and smartphones, with production being moved to factories in Kohida and Kisarazu, 840 staff will lose their jobs.”
What I don’t know yet is if this will influence and reduce the lens production capability. The latest I heard from my trusted sources was that Sony was trying to find third party companies capable of producing more of their E-mount lenses. An example: Sony still has some issues to produce more of the superb Zeiss 24mm lenses. Amazon, the largest online store of the world has only two of them in Stock (Click here).
56 Responses
Wow….. bad luck.
I’m assuming the new lower end lenses such as the 16-50mm and 18-135 are being outsourced to factories in China, I can’t imagine any Zeiss and G series lens are no longer made in Japan
The 16-50mm is made in China, but the 18-135mm is made in Japan.
Also newer E-mount 18-55mm seen on the NEX-F3 are made in Japan.
Actually, the silver 18-55 (e-mount) was/is made in Thailand, but the black one that came with the NEX 7 was/is made in Japan
Feel sorry for the workers. Sony Lenses are top notch imo.
This is what happens when Sony doesn’t listen to what the consumer needs.
“This is what happens when Sony doesn’t listen to what the consumer needs.”
Please elaborate.
“Please elaborate.”
Having trouble connecting the dots?
Or it could be that Sony are simply moving to larger, more high tech, factories that can produce more stuff. I don’t see why this is being seen as negative news for Sony.
840 reasons why this is bad news.
How many reasons it’s good news (in the other plants?) How many relocations?
Well if you must know, 10,000 people world wide will lose their job at Sony.
Estimated 2,000 jobs will go in Japan itself.
As you would have read 840 from this factory.
True, there is going to be a net loss at Sony, which is not good on a whole.
Zero relocations. There’s no upside to this unless your a shareholder.
http://www.techspot.com/news/50556-sony-to-lay-off-2000-workers-close-a-digital-imaging-factory.html
@Steve heh from what you said it seems that the $$ that could’ve gone to the working class is going to shareholders instead..
+1
It’s not a secret that Sony is struggling just take a look at their shares.
Bad management decisions in the past has brought this on.
Restructuring, consolidation and cost cutting measures…
It might not mean much to some people in some countries, but losing your job in Japan is pretty bad considering their economical situation. My heart goes out to all the families affected.
The Minokamo site they are closing IS one of their larger high tech manufacturing plants.
“Sony still has some issues to produce more of the superb Zeiss 24mm lenses”….can you link me to a trusted review that can confirm your statement about the lens????
I have it, and it is superb. Good enough for you brah?
olym lens for sony in the future…
Or maybe the other way round?
Sony claims they have optics technology Olympus technology that would be a good fit with Olympus.
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/5076947312/interview-phil-molyneux-president-sony-electronics
Looks like this is just part of their general restructuring push, and not specifically related to DSLR strategy (i.e. they are moving production, not curtailing or increasing it):
http://www.rttnews.com/1986619/Sony-To-Cut-2000-Jobs-Close-Minokamo-Site.aspx
Kind of weird decision while it seems that what people need most right now from Sony are lenses, and if there are complains about anything – it’s the glass (Still waiting for Sony’s 300 f/4, 70-200 f/4, etc.)…
Hope it won’t end up with even further slowing down of the production & development.
+1. My >1K$ is ready for new lens(es) which are not coming from SONY. I’ve investigated lens portfolio of other vendors already. SONY lacks lenses in the middle segment. They have cheap lenses which do not impress me. And they have some expensive high quality lenses which I can not afford due to my amateur status.
I don’t see the correlation between Lens production and lens development, other than that this may free resources for lens development.
Seeing as they just bought Olympus this was bound to happen!
Sony did buy a 10 percent stake in Olympus, not Olympus as a whole.
Correct. Do you know all the details of the deal? My guess is that lens production will be mentioned somewhere.
The Oly deal was about compacts and medical equipment. It was in the press release.
‘The two companies also aim to enhance their competitiveness, primarily in the area of compact digital cameras, by exploring opportunities for mutually beneficial transactions and collaboration between their respective camera businesses, including the supply of Olympus technologies such as camera lenses and mirror cells to Sony, and the provision of Sony image sensors to Olympus.’
Hmm, from the press release.
Being sarcastic is funny but researching before typing is wise.
In the interview on DPR, Phil Molyneux of Sony mentiones a couple of times that Sony has optical technology that will be useful to Olympus. Strange, I thought it would be the other way round.
Not a good news. The price of the lenses are going more and more expansive every year.
Same with: Pentax, Canon and Nikon.
This one thing is completely unrelated.
Is there any info, which lenses had it produced before?
I don’t think this news is going to have any impact on consumers. This is where Olympus partnership is going to fill the hole. It’s all part of strategic restructuring.
Such news doesn’t really matter much unless it is coupled by news with intent. Sony owns part of Tamron and Olympus, if those can be cheaper to use – then by all means. If they have closed down an R&D center i would care.
I think it is an organizational restructuring now that Sony has acquired Olympus facilities and resources.
Sony has acquired a 10 percent stake in Olympus, not Olympus’s facilities and resources.
My understanding is that the Minokamo factory is where the G lenses are manufactured.
Olympus?!
I hope they know what they are doing because we need more lens capabilities from Sony, not less.
Don’t think you will see any impact on lens production or future lens road map. Design and production has moved. With budget lens production moving to China I guess this Minolta factory is just too big.
Olympus deal is for access to medical imaging nothing to do with DSLR lens production.
Will this be a gradual shutdown to give time for other manufacturing options to ramp up? Or,…is this a cold turkey, overnight 100% closed tomorrow thing?
My God,…there has to be some strategy for keeping their lenses moving without a stop.
I would imagine this has been planned for over an extended period of time, that is how large businesses like Sony tend to project manage.
Possibility that this is part of a disaster recovery plan on the wake of earthquakes. Split manufacturing across two sites further away from fault lines.
Appears to be so. This is also 840 out of 10,000 of their plan.
They don’t do as much overnight firing as China (e.g. iPhone worker if that’s what you were thinkin of)
Splitting to 2 sites is logical, especially for earthquake proofing a business. But cutting 840 jobs is just bad. Why can’t they move the skilled workers?
Ho! Sony come on!
Sorry for the workers. This is realy bad news for us users. Glad I have the lenses I need.
They need to invest in lenses, not to close factories. Bad..
Logical step for a company that already knows that the A-mount will be phased out soon and E-mount lens production will be outsourced.
Mike Sony just invested ££££££££s in A99, A77, 500mm F4 etc development . What in the name of god makes you think A mount is going to be phased out? I read you post and laughed out loud!
They developed these products and now they are selling them. That will cover the development costs, but it doesn’t tell us anything about the future.
Did you read Mark Weir’s latest interview? He used the word “disruptive” all the time to describe their strategy of breaking with the past. I believe that will lead to an end of the A-mount sooner or later, also because I think the A99 won’t be a big success on the market.
True, the A99 will not be a great success.
It is a video centric tool built for videographers.
They shouldn’t have ceased the production of the A900 and A850. Alas they needed to retool the production line. Photographers will be left out to dry, most have already jumped to Canikon.
My new Sony 18-250 is made in China. The territorial problem with China might stop Sony lens production.
It’s sad to see a once shining star dying. In times of crisis you need to invest in R&D. Any cuts will just accelerate your demise. Want proof? Nokia, Blackberry – all names nobody will talk about anymore in 10 years.
Restructuring, even if done right, would take at least 3 years before showing any positive signs.
then we will buy Zeiss lenses made in Germany. A lens is not a sensor, it doesn’t need too much electronic components except for motors and controller.
Regarding the A99 it will get a great success. In the world we can’t find a camera so sophisticated and powerful in terms of image quality.
Go Sony, move your plants on Mars, I don’t mind.
What a brilliant idea! Sony is not able to provide us with decent numbers of the ZEISS 1.8/24mm Nex lens for more than a year, but they wind down a lens factory. Well done, Sony! Just a brilliant management. If the 24mm is not available until Xmas I’ll sell my Nex7 again. I need proper lenses for the 24MP lenses. What a ridiculous company this is…
Amazon now has 18 lenses in stock (link in article). Want them? Get them and stop complaining.
So, it is available, it’s before Christmas, don’t sell your NEX-7, buy the lens.