Yosuke Yamane, Director of Panasonic`s Imaging Business Division, pictured at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, in January.
At last month`s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas we sat down with Yosuke Yamane, Director of Panasonic`s Imaging Business Division, to discuss market reaction to the S1-series, full-frame strategy and the state of the L-mount alliance.
How have the S1 and S1R performed in the market?
It fluctuates month by month, but in the $3,000 / EUR3,000 price range, we have gained roughly a 10% market share, globally. That was the result we were hoping for.
With the S1 and especially the S1R we were targeting high-end customers in the full-frame market. Over the past eight months we´ve been able to penetrate that market and we are satisfied with the sales, so far.
We´ve had great reviews from magazines and websites, and we just won the Gold Award at the prestigious Camera Grand Prix, in Japan. Only one camera can be selected as best camera in a year, and we got the number one award. We´ve been in the industry for twenty years and this is the first time we won the Grand Prix award, so we´re very satisfied.
What kind of differences are you seeing between the kinds of people buying the S1 versus the S1R?
With the S1R, we were targeting high end stills photographers, whereas with the S1 we were targeting both video and stills customers. So-called `hybrid´ photographers. And the customers who are purchasing the S1R are mostly stills photographers, whereas S1 customers are shooting both video and stills.
These days a lot of professional photographers are stepping into the videography area, and we want to support those photographers with the S1.
Do you have any idea of how many S1 purchasers have paid for the SFU2 video firmware upgrade?
The S1 outsells the S1R, and roughly speaking, probably 20-30% of S1 customers are purchasing the SFU2 for the upgraded video customers.
The Panasonic Lumix S1 is ...
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