Kenji Tanaka, VP and Senior General Manager of Sony`s Business Unit 1, Digital Imaging Group. Pictured at the 2019 CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan.
With the photo industry still mostly hunkered down, and offices temporarily closed all over the world, `business as usual` is still a distant dream. But we`re not in stasis - cameras and lenses are still being released, and plans are still being put in place for future product development. Recently we spoke to Kenji Tanaka of Sony, on video chat (with a little help from his ZV1) about the impact of COVID-19 on his business, the growing market for video and – yes – the successor to the a7S II.The following interview has been edited lightly for clarity and flow.
What impact has COVID-19 had on your operations worldwide?
It has definitely had an impact on production, and on procurement of supplies. But we`re working with all of our suppliers to minimize this. We have two manufacturing bases though – China and Thailand, which helps, and most of the supply and logistics issues have now been resolved. Operations at our factories have resumed.
What do you think the effect of the pandemic will be on the photo industry as a whole?
I think there will be very little long-term impact on production and logistics, but demand [for cameras] has been decreasing. The entire world is affected by COVID-19. However there are a lot of positive signs. For example in China, sales at June 18 shopping gala were higher than last year. We experienced strong demand for our premium lines, like the Alpha 7 Mark III and Alpha 7R Mark IV. So China is getting better, but in other areas the situation is different, obviously. Demand in the market is starting to recover in most regions though, and I`m not worried about demand [for our products] in the long-term.
Where do you see Sony`s biggest opportunities in today`s market?
Video is a big opportunity, and full-frame. In China especially, the full-frame mirrorless market is ...
|
